In Depth
See Also

United Nations General Assembly

The United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations. It is the main deliberative organ of the United Nations. It is made up of all United Nations member states United Nations member states

As of 2006 [i], there are 192 United Nations [i] member states. ... 

 and meets in regular yearly sessions under a president elected from among the representatives. As the only UN United Nations

name = United Nations Nations Unies ... 

 organ in which all members are represented, the Assembly serves as a forum for members to discuss issues of international law and make decisions on the functioning of the organization.

Discussions

  Discussion Features

   Ask a question about 'United Nations General Assembly'

   Start a new discussion about 'United Nations General Assembly'

   Answer questions about 'United Nations General Assembly'

   'United Nations General Assembly' discussion forum

Timeline

1951   United Nations General Assembly declares that China China

China is a cultural region [i] and ancient civilization [i] in East Asia [i]. ... 

 is the aggressor in the Korean War Korean War

The Korean War began on June 25 [i], 1950 [i] and ended with a truce [i] on July 27 [i], 1953 [i] . ... 

1971   The United Nations General Assembly admits the People's Republic of China People's Republic of China

The People's Republic of China , is a country [i] in East Asia [i]. ... 

 and expels the Republic of China Republic of China

The Republic of China is a country [i] in East Asia [i]. ... 

 (on Taiwan).

1979   The Music for UNICEF Concert Music for UNICEF Concert

The Music for UNICEF Concert: A Gift of Song was a benefit concert [i] of popular music [i] held in the ... 

 is held at the United Nations General Assembly to raise money for UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund

The United Nations Children's Fund or UNICEF was established by the United Nations [i] General As ... 

 and promote the Year of the Child. It is broadcast the following day in the United States United States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 

 and around the world.

1998   The United Nations General Assembly elects Didier Opertiri of Uruguay Uruguay

Uruguay, officially the Eastern Republic of Uruguay or the Republic East of the Uruguay , i... 

 as president for its 53rd session.



Encyclopedia

The United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations. It is the main deliberative organ of the United Nations. It is made up of all United Nations member states United Nations member states

As of 2006 [i], there are 192 United Nations [i] member states. ... 

 and meets in regular yearly sessions under a president elected from among the representatives.

As the only UN United Nations

name = United Nations
Nations Unies
... 

 organ in which all members are represented, the Assembly serves as a forum for members to discuss issues of international law and make decisions on the functioning of the organization.

Overview


The General Assembly meets in regular, special and emergency special session. Its regular annual session usually begins on the third Tuesday in September and its work is suspended in late December. It reconvenes as required in the following year. The session concludes in September on the day before the next session begins. The President of the General Assembly is elected at least three months prior to the opening of each session . The General Debate follows, when all the members have the opportunity to address the assembly over a two-week period. Traditionally, the Secretary-General makes the first statement, followed by the president of the assembly. The first session was convened on 10 January 1946 in the Westminster Central Hall Westminster Central Hall

Westminster Central Hall, Westminster Methodist Hall or Methodist Central Hall Westminster ... 

 in London London

London is the capital [i] city of England [i] and of the United Kingdom [i]. ... 

 and included representatives of 51 nations.

Voting in the General Assembly on important questions – recommendations on peace and security; election of members to organs; admission, suspension, and expulsion of members; budgetary matters – is by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting. Other questions are decided by majority vote. Each member country has one vote. Apart from approval of budgetary matters, including adoption of a scale of assessment, Assembly resolutions are not binding on the members. The Assembly may make recommendations on any matters within the scope of the UN, except matters of peace and security under Security Council consideration. The one state, one vote power structure theoretically allows states comprising just eight percent of the world population to pass a resolution by a two-thirds vote.

During the 1980s 1980s

The 1980s [i] officially refers to the years from 1980 [i] to 1989 [i]. ... 

, the Assembly became a forum for the North-South dialogue – the discussion of issues between industrialized nations and developing countries. These issues came to the fore because of the phenomenal growth and changing makeup of the UN membership. In 1945, the UN had 51 members. It now has 192, of which more than two-thirds are developing countries Developing country

A developing country is a country [i] with a relatively low standard of living [i], undeveloped industrial base [i] ... 

. Because of their numbers, developing countries are often able to determine the agenda of the Assembly , the character of its debates, and the nature of its decisions. For many developing countries, the UN is the source of much of their diplomatic influence and the principal outlet for their foreign relations initiatives.

Special Sessions

Special sessions may be convened at the request of the UN Security Council United Nations Security Council

The United Nations Security Council is the organ of the United Nations [i] charged with maintaining peace [i]... 

, or a majority of UN members, or, if the majority concurs, of a single member. A special session was held in October 1995 at the head of government level to commemorate the UN's 50th anniversary. Another special session was held in September 2000 to celebrate the millennium; it put forward the Millennium Development Goals. A further special session was held in September 2005 to commemorate the UN's 60th anniversary; it assessed progress on the Millennium Development Goals, and discussed Kofi Annan Kofi Annan

Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghana [i]ian diplomat [i] and the seventh and current Secretary-General [i] ... 

's In Larger Freedom proposals.

Emergency Special Sessions

The General Assembly may take action on maintaining international peace and security if the UN Security Council United Nations Security Council

The United Nations Security Council is the organ of the United Nations [i] charged with maintaining peace [i]... 

 is unable, usually due to disagreement among the permanent members, to exercise its primary responsibility. If not in session at the time, the General Assembly may meet in emergency special session within twenty-four hours of the request therefor. Such emergency special session shall be called if requested by the Security Council on the vote of any seven members, or by a majority of the Members of the United Nations.

The "Uniting for Peace" resolutions, adopted in 1950, empower the Assembly to convene in emergency special session to recommend collective measures – including the use of armed force – in the case of a breach of the peace or act of aggression. Two-thirds of the members must approve any such recommendation. Emergency special sessions under this procedure have been held on ten occasions. The two most recent, in 1982 and 1997 through 2003 respectively, have both been convened in response to actions by Israel Israel

Israel , officially the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia [i] on the so ... 

. The ninth considered the situation in the occupied Arab territories following Israel's unilateral extension of its laws, jurisdiction, and administration to the Golan Heights. The tenth was triggered by the occupation of East Jerusalem East Jerusalem

East Jerusalem is a disputed Middle East [i]ern place name.
... 

 and dealt with the issue of Palestine Palestinian territories

Palestinian territories is one of a number of designations for those portions of the British Mandate of Palestine [i] ... 

.

At the first Special Session of the UN General Assembly held in 1947, Oswaldo Aranha Oswaldo Aranha

Oswaldo Euclides de Souza Aranha was a Brazilian politician, diplomat and statesman.
... 

, then head of the Brazil Brazil

Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest and most populous country [i] ... 

ian delegation to the UN, began a tradition that has remained until today whereby the first speaker at this major international forum is always a Brazilian.

Subsidiary organs

The General Assembly subsidiary organs are divided into 5 categories: Boards , Commissions , Committees , Councils and Panel , working group and others .

General Assembly reform

See also: Reform of the United Nations Reform of the United Nations

In recent years, there have been many calls for reform of the United Nations [i]. ... 



On 21 March 2005, Secretary-General United Nations Secretary-General

The United Nations Secretary-General is the head of the Secretariat [i], one ... 

 Kofi Annan Kofi Annan

Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghana [i]ian diplomat [i] and the seventh and current Secretary-General [i] ... 

 presented a report, In Larger Freedom, that criticized the General Assembly for focusing so much on consensus that it was passing watered-down resolutions reflecting "the lowest common denominator of widely different opinions." He also criticized the Assembly for trying to address too broad an agenda, instead of focusing on "the major substantive issues of the day, such as international migration Human migration

Human Migration denotes any movement by human [i]s from one locality to another, often over long distanc ... 

 and the long-debated comprehensive convention on terrorism Terrorism

Terrorism is the systematic use, or threatened use, of violence [i] to intimidate a population or govern ... 

." Annan recommended streamlining the General Assembly's agenda, committee structure, and procedures; strengthening the role and authority of its President; enhancing the role of civil society; and establishing a mechanism to review the decisions of its committees, in order to minimize unfunded mandates and micromanagement of the UN Secretariat United Nations Secretariat

The United Nations Secretariat is one of the principal organs of the United Nations [i] and it is headed ... 

. Annan reminded UN members of their responsibility to implement reforms, if they expect to realize improvements in UN effectiveness:

See also

  • President of the United Nations General Assembly
  • List of ambassadors to the United Nations
  • United Nations Secretary-General United Nations Secretary-General

    The United Nations Secretary-General is the head of the Secretariat [i], one ... 

  • United Nations System
  • UN Security Council United Nations Security Council

    The United Nations Security Council is the organ of the United Nations [i] charged with maintaining peace [i]... 

  • UN Economic and Social Council United Nations Economic and Social Council

    The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations [i] assists the General Assembly [i] ... 

  • Music for UNICEF Concert Music for UNICEF Concert

    The Music for UNICEF Concert: A Gift of Song was a benefit concert [i] of popular music [i] held in the ... 

  • UNIS-UN UNIS-UN

    The UNIS-UN Conference is organized and run by high-school students from the United Nations International School [i] ... 

  • UN Parliamentary Assembly

External links

    • A subsection of the overall UN webcast site .
  • Annan, Kofi: , In Larger Freedom, 21 March 2005.
  • - Official site
  • - UK Government site