United Nations General Assembly facts for kids

The United Nations General Assembly is made up of all United Nations member states. The Assembly meets once a year, which usually begins on the third Tuesday in September and ends in mid-December. The first meeting was held on 10 January 1946.

Voting in the General Assembly on important questions, for example suggestions on world peace, human rights and security, is by two-thirds of those present and voting. Other questions are decided by popular vote. Each member country has one vote.

At present, the Holy See (Vatican City) and Palestine are the only two observer states at the United Nations. Switzerland also had that status until it became a member state.

The current President of the United Nations General Assembly is Volkan Bozkır since 15 September 2020.

United nations general assembly observers have the right to speak in the assembly. The observers have no rights to vote in the assembly.

Related pages

• List of Members of the United Nations

Images for kids

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  Methodist Central Hall, London, the location of the first meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in 1946.

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  Russian President Dmitry Medvedev addresses the 64th session of the UN General Assembly on 24 September 2009

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  Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero addressing the General Assembly in New York, 20 September 2005

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  The United Nations General Assembly building

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  Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev addressing the UN General Assembly in December 1988