Florida State University will host His Excellency Dennis Francis, president of the United Nations General Assembly of the 78th Session, Thursday, Aug. 29, highlighted by a talk addressing climate-induced disasters.

The lecture, “Strengthening climate action: The role of the United Nations General Assembly in addressing sea-level rise and other climate-induced disasters,” is sponsored by the FSU College of Social Sciences and Public Policy’s Ruth K. & Shepard Broad International Lecture Series and the Center for Global Engagement’s Engage Your World Speaker Series.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place at 5:15 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024, in Room 208 at the Augustus B. Turnbull III Florida State Conference Center, 555 W. Pensacola St. A pre-lecture reception will take place at 4:30 p.m. in the second-floor lobby of the Turnbull Conference Center.

Francis’s career as a diplomat from Trinidad and Tobago spans nearly 40 years. He’s served as his country’s permanent representative to the United Nations since 2021. He was elected to serve as President of the United Nations General Assembly at its 78th session on June 1, 2023.

The General Assembly is the main policy-making organ of the United Nations. Comprising all Member States, it provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter of the United Nations. Each of the 193 Member States has an equal vote.

For more information, visit calendar.fsu.edu.