After nearly two years, the United Nations General Assembly will reassemble in person this week. The United Nations General Assembly is set to convene on the 12th of September in New York City. Tuesday, September 20, 2022, will be the first day of the high-level General Debate. Here is everything you need to know about this important event!
The United Nations General Assembly is the main deliberative body of the United Nations. It is comprised of all Member States and provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the whole range of international issues covered by the United Nations Charter. It is composed of all 193 member states of the UN, each getting one vote, and meets annually to discuss a variety of pressing global issues.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN General Assembly has been carrying out its job using creative methods to ensure business continuity and reduce disease spread. Examples include the use of virtual platforms for meetings and the implementation of e-voting through the procedure for decision-making when an in-person gathering is not possible. This year’s meeting will be the 77th session of the General Assembly and will take place at UN Headquarters in New York City. This will be the first in-person General Assembly gathering since the pandemic began. Leaders of state, heads of government, and top diplomats from all around the world are in attendance.
The topic for this year is “A watershed moment: transformative solutions to interlocking challenges,” which recognizes the common roots of crises such as COVID-19, climate change, and conflict as well as the necessity for solutions that promote global sustainability and resilience.
The 77th United Nations General Assembly meeting is sure to be an important one and will provide insight into the priorities of the world’s leaders. The EU and its Member States are the most generous donors to the UN system, accounting for over one-quarter of all financial contributions to UN organizations, funds, and programs. The EU says it will prioritize upholding the UN Charter, addressing the global consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, promoting sustainable development and human rights, ensuring access to quality education, strengthening global health security, fighting climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, and shaping the global digital agenda. It advocates radical changes so the UN can become “more inclusive, transparent, and accountable, and ultimately properly equipped for future challenges and possibilities.”
The United States is dedicated to working with and through the UN system to find answers to difficulties such as global food security and global health crises.
The US also realizes that, in this time of heightened geopolitical tensions, there is a role to be played in shaping a future United Nations that can fulfill its mandate while remaining a core and effective problem-solving institution.
What do you expect from the 77th United Nations General Assembly? Let us know in the comments below!
