United Nations General Assembly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids  |
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United Nations General Assembly Hall at the UN Headquarters in New York City in 2006
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| Org type | Principal organ |
| Status | Active |
| Headquarters | New York City, U.S. |
| Membership and participation |
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For two articles dealing with the membership of and participation in the General Assembly, see:
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The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA) is one of the six main parts of the United Nations (UN). It acts as the UN's main place for discussions, making policies, and representing all member countries. It is currently in its 78th session. Its rules and duties are explained in the United Nations Charter.
The UN General Assembly handles the UN's money and budget. It also chooses temporary members for the United Nations Security Council. It appoints the UN Secretary-General. The Assembly receives reports from other UN groups. It makes suggestions through resolutions. It also creates many smaller groups to help with its wide range of tasks. The UNGA is the only UN group where all member countries have an equal say.
The General Assembly meets every year in New York City. These meetings happen at the General Assembly Building. The main part of these meetings usually runs from September to January. This is when most issues are discussed. The Assembly can also meet for special or emergency sessions. The first meeting was on January 10, 1946. It took place in London and included 51 founding countries.
Most decisions in the General Assembly are made by a simple majority vote. Each member country gets one vote. For very important matters, like peace, security, or money, a two-thirds majority is needed. This also applies to electing or removing members. Except for budget approvals, the Assembly's decisions are not legally binding. The Assembly can make suggestions on any UN matter. However, it cannot deal with peace and security issues that the United Nations Security Council is already handling.
In the 1980s, the Assembly became a place for "North-South dialogue." This was a discussion between rich and developing countries. These talks became important as the UN grew. In 1945, the UN had 51 members. By the 21st century, it had nearly 200 members. More than two-thirds of these are developing countries. Because they are so many, developing countries often set the Assembly's topics. They also shape its discussions and decisions. For many developing countries, the UN is a key way to show their diplomatic power. It is also their main way to work on foreign relations.
General Assembly decisions are usually not legally binding for member countries. However, there is an exception. If the Security Council cannot act due to a veto by a permanent member, the Assembly can step in. This happens if there is a threat to peace or an act of aggression. The Assembly can then suggest actions to members. This is to help keep or bring back international peace and safety. This power comes from its Uniting for Peace resolution from November 1950.
Contents
History of the UN General Assembly
The first meeting of the UN General Assembly happened on January 10, 1946. It was held at the Methodist Central Hall in London. Representatives from 51 countries attended this first meeting. Before moving to its permanent home in New York City in 1951, the Assembly met in Flushing, New York. This was at the former New York City Pavilion from the 1939 World's Fair. On November 29, 1947, the Assembly voted there to adopt the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine.
From 1946 to 1951, the General Assembly, Security Council, and Economic Social Council also met at the UN's temporary headquarters. This was in Lake Success, New York. During this time, in 1949, CBS Television showed live coverage of these meetings. This was part of their "United Nations in Action" series.
The General Assembly moved to the permanent UN Headquarters in New York City. This happened at the start of its seventh yearly session, on October 14, 1952. In December 1988, the General Assembly held a special session in Geneva, Switzerland. This was so they could hear Yasser Arafat speak.
Who are the Members?
All 193 countries that are members of the United Nations are also members of the General Assembly. The Holy See and Palestine are also part of the Assembly as observer states. The European Union has also been an observer since 1974. The General Assembly can also give observer status to other international groups. This allows them to take part in the Assembly's work, but with some limits.
What's on the Agenda?
The plan for each session is made up to seven months ahead of time. It starts with a list of items for a temporary agenda. This list is then made final 60 days before the session begins. Once the session starts, the final agenda is approved. The work is then given to different main committees. These committees later report back to the Assembly. The Assembly then approves their reports, either by agreement or by vote.
Items on the agenda are given numbers. Regular meetings of the General Assembly used to be planned for only three months. However, extra work has made these sessions longer. They often last until just before the next session starts. The regular parts of the sessions usually begin on "the Tuesday of the third week in September." This is counted from the first week that has at least one working day.
Resolutions and Decisions
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The General Assembly votes on many resolutions. These are usually statements that show what the international community thinks about different world issues. Most General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding. This means countries don't have to follow them. This is because the General Assembly does not have the power to enforce most of its decisions. However, the General Assembly can make final decisions on some things, like the United Nations budget.
The General Assembly can also send an issue to the Security Council. The Security Council can then make a decision that countries must follow.
How Resolutions are Numbered
From the first to the thirtieth General Assembly sessions, resolutions were numbered in order. The number was followed by the session number in Roman numerals. For example, Resolution 1514 (XV) was the 1514th resolution. It was adopted at the Fifteenth Regular Session in 1960. Starting from the Thirty-First Session, resolutions are numbered by each session. For example, Resolution 41/10 is the 10th resolution adopted at the Forty-First Session.
How the Budget Works
The General Assembly approves the budget for the United Nations. It also decides how much money each member country must pay. This money helps run the organization.
The UN Charter says the General Assembly is in charge of approving the budget. The Secretary-General is responsible for preparing it. The Charter also talks about what happens if a country does not pay its share.
The UN's process for planning, budgeting, and checking its work has changed over time. The budget covers the costs of UN programs. These include political affairs, international law, development, public information, human rights, and helping people in need.
The main way the UN gets money for its regular budget is from member countries. How much each country pays depends on how much they can afford. This is figured out by looking at their share of the total gross national product. It is also adjusted for things like their income per person.
Besides the regular budget, member countries also pay for international courts. They also pay for peacekeeping missions.
Elections and Voting
The General Assembly is responsible for electing members to various UN groups. The rules for these elections are in the Assembly's Rules of Procedure. Important elections include those for the next President of the General Assembly. Also, members for the United Nations Security Council, Economic and Social Council, and Human Rights Council are elected. Judges for the International Court of Justice are also chosen. Most elections happen every year. Judges for the International Court of Justice are elected every three years.
Each year, the Assembly elects five non-permanent members to the Security Council. They serve for two years. It also elects 18 members to the Economic and Social Council for three-year terms. And 14–18 members are elected to the Human Rights Council for three-year terms. The Assembly also chooses the leaders for the next General Assembly session. This includes the next President, 21 Vice-Presidents, and the leaders of the six main committees.
Elections for the International Court of Justice happen every three years. This helps keep the court running smoothly. Five judges are elected for nine-year terms. These elections are held together with the Security Council. Candidates need to get a majority of votes in both groups.
The Assembly also helps choose the next Secretary-General of the United Nations. The main part of this election happens in the Security Council. The General Assembly then simply approves the person the Council chooses.
Regional Groups
The United Nations Regional Groups were created to make sure seats are shared fairly. This means countries from different parts of the world get a chance to be on UN bodies. The General Assembly says that UN groups should represent all countries. So, UN member countries are unofficially divided into five regions. Most UN groups have a certain number of seats for each region. Also, the leaders of most groups take turns from different regions. This includes the President of the General Assembly.
These regional groups work by agreement. Candidates they support are usually elected by the General Assembly.
Sessions and Meetings
Regular Sessions
The General Assembly meets every year for a regular session. It starts on the third Tuesday of September and lasts until the next September. These sessions are held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The General Assembly can vote to change the location if needed.
The regular session has two main parts. The first part runs from the opening until the Christmas break in December. Most of the Assembly's work is done during this time. This is the busiest period. It includes the general debate and most of the work of the six Main Committees. The second part of the session runs from January until the start of the new session. This part includes more specific discussions, talks, and meetings of working groups.
General Debate
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The general debate for each new session of the General Assembly happens the week after the official opening. It usually starts on the following Tuesday. It runs for nine working days without stopping. The general debate is a very important event. It is usually attended by country leaders, government ministers, and UN delegates. During the general debate, countries can talk about issues they think are important. Many other high-level meetings and events also happen during this week.
The general debate is held in the United Nations General Assembly Hall at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Special Sessions
Special sessions, also called UNGASS, can be called in three ways. The Security Council can ask for one. A majority of UN member countries can ask for one. Or, a single member can ask, if most other members agree. Special sessions usually focus on one topic. They end with one or two official documents. These might be a statement, an action plan, or a strategy to deal with the topic. These are also usually high-level events. Leaders of countries and government ministers often attend. There have been 32 special sessions in UN history.
Emergency Special Sessions
Sometimes, the Security Council cannot make a decision. This often happens because the permanent members disagree. If there is a threat to international peace and security, emergency special sessions can be called. These sessions make suggestions to member countries for group actions. This power was given to the Assembly in Resolution 377(V) on November 3, 1950.
Emergency special sessions can be called by the Security Council. At least seven members must support it. Or, a majority of UN member countries can call for one. If enough votes are gathered, the Assembly must meet within 24 hours. Members must be told at least twelve hours before the session starts. There have been 11 emergency special sessions in UN history.
Main Working Groups
The General Assembly has many smaller groups that help it work. These are called subsidiary organs. They are divided into committees, commissions, boards, councils, panels, and working groups.
Committees
Main Committees
There are six main committees, numbered 1 to 6:
- The First Committee: Disarmament and International Security deals with reducing weapons and related global safety issues.
- The Second Committee: Economic and Financial focuses on money and economic questions.
- The Third Committee: Social, Cultural, and Humanitarian handles social issues and helping people.
- The Fourth Committee: Special Political and Decolonisation deals with various political topics. It also handles countries gaining independence from colonial rule.
- The Fifth Committee: Administrative and Budgetary manages the UN's administration and budget.
- The Sixth Committee: Legal deals with legal matters.
The jobs of many main committees have changed over time. Each main committee includes all members of the General Assembly. Each committee chooses a chairman, three vice chairmen, and a rapporteur at the start of every regular session.
Other Committees
These committees are not numbered. The most important ones are:
- Credentials Committee: This committee checks that the official papers of all UN representatives are correct. It has nine member countries chosen early in each session.
- General Committee: This committee supervises the Assembly's meetings. It makes sure everything runs smoothly. It includes the president and vice presidents of the current session. It also includes the chairman of each of the six Main Committees.
Commissions
There are six commissions:
- United Nations Disarmament Commission
- International Civil Service Commission
- International Law Commission
- United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL)
- United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine
- United Nations Peacebuilding Commission
Boards
There are seven boards, split into two groups: Executive Boards and other Boards.
Executive Boards
- Executive Board of the United Nations Children's Fund
- Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme and of the United Nations Population Fund
- Executive Board of the World Food Programme
Boards
- Board of Auditors
- Trade and Development Board
- United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board
- Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters
Councils and Panels
The newest council is the United Nations Human Rights Council, which started in March 2006. There are four councils and one panel in total.
Working Groups and Other Bodies
There are also various working groups and other smaller groups that help the General Assembly.
Seating Arrangements
Countries are seated in the General Assembly in alphabetical order. This is based on their English names. The country that sits in the front-most left position is chosen each year. This is done by the Secretary-General through a random draw. The other countries then follow alphabetically after it.
Improving the UN General Assembly
On March 21, 2005, Secretary-General Kofi Annan wrote a report called In Larger Freedom. He said the General Assembly focused too much on everyone agreeing. This led to weak decisions that were "the lowest common denominator." He also said the Assembly tried to do too many things. Instead, it should focus on big issues like global migration and fighting terrorism. Annan suggested making the Assembly's agenda and committees simpler. He also wanted to make the role of its president stronger.
These ideas for change were not fully adopted at the United Nations World Summit in September 2005. Instead, the Summit confirmed that the General Assembly is the main discussion, policy-making, and representative body of the UN. It also said the Assembly helps set standards and write international laws. The Summit also asked for better connections between the General Assembly and other main UN groups. This is to help them work together on important issues.
There is also an idea for a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly. This would allow people around the world to directly elect UN parliament members.
In 2010, Jorge Valero, representing Venezuela, said the UN needed big changes. He felt the UN's current way of working was "exhausted." He pointed to decisions about the Cuban embargo and the Middle East conflict as examples of the UN's failures. Venezuela also called for ending veto rights in the Security Council. They said it was a "remnant of the Second World War" and unfair to equal countries.
Changes to the General Assembly could include giving it more power. For example, it could check how well countries follow UNGA decisions. It could also have more power compared to the United Nations Security Council. The goal is to make discussions more helpful and less repetitive.
Meetings Outside the Assembly
The yearly meeting of the United Nations General Assembly also has many other meetings. These are independent meetings between world leaders. They are often called meetings on the sidelines of the Assembly. This gathering of diplomats has also grown into a week that attracts rich and powerful people to New York City. They come to discuss many topics, from helping people and the environment to business and politics.
See also
In Spanish: Asamblea General de las Naciones Unidas para niños
- History of the United Nations
- List of current permanent representatives to the United Nations
- Reform of the United Nations
- United Nations Interpretation Service
- United Nations System
