WESTPORT–Artificial intelligence, climate change, and peace and security are expected to be the main topics addressed by a representative of the United Nations Secretary-General in Washington, D.C. during a talk on Oct. 6 at The Westport Library.

The talk by Will Davis, entitled The United Nations’ Path Forward in a World in Crisis, will take place at 7 p.m. in the library ‘s Trefz Forum. The 90-minute event is free and open to the public, and a question-and-answer period will follow, according to Bill Hass, president of the United Nations Association of Southwestern Connecticut.

The U.N., whose membership includes 193 countries, also must elect a new secretary general by the end of December, and Davis may touch on that also, Hass said.

Five countries in the U.N. – the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia and China – have veto power, Hass said. And while those were the victorious allies after World War II when the U.N. was formed, some of those countries are now rivals, he said.

Regarding peace and security, Hass said a lot of “hot spots” exist in the world and that the U.N. is “dealing with all of them, openly or through quiet diplomacy.” He said the U.N. will occasionally intervene in smaller-scale wars with peace-keeping forces, though those forces are from smaller powers so they’re not targeted.

Hass said the “main pillars” of the U.N. are peace and security, human rights, and economic and social development.

Davis’ upcoming talk is sponsored by the U.N. Association of Southwestern CT in cooperation with The Westport Library and is part of the Ruth Steinkraus-Cohen Memorial Lecture Series.

Davis is not the first U.N. representative to speak at The Westport Library. Last October, U.N. Under-Secretary-General Christian Saunders gave a talk on The UN at 80: Current Challenges and Future Possibilities. Topics of Saunders’ talk included global peace, security and international challenges.

Davis, director of the United Nations Information Center in Washington, D.C., represents the U.N. Secretary-General and Secretariat to U.S. policymakers, civil society, the news media and broader public, according to a press release from Hass.

Davis, the press release says, is an expert in the budget and appropriations process for the U.S. international affairs budget and “brings a deep understanding to his current role of the complex relationship between the U.S. and the United Nations System.”

“Mr. Davis brings over three decades of leadership at the intersection of diplomacy, development and public affairs, both in the United States and internationally,” the press release says. “Throughout his career, he has championed international cooperation and public engagement with the multilateral system, forging trusted relationships across governments, international organizations, academia, civil society, and the media.”

Residents can register for the event here. While there is not a deadline to register, Hass encouraged residents to register as soon as possible so enough food and drinks will be available after Davis’ talk.