In recent years, the world has seen not one but countless extreme situations, from a deadly pandemic to the Russian war in Ukraine, to poverty to climate change, and many others.
The 78th session of the UN General Assembly does not have one clear issue for discussion, because all of the above are important and have not yet been resolved. Variants of the coronavirus, the ongoing political crisis in Latin America and West Africa, floods, fires, earthquakes and much more will be the background of the meeting this time.
Therefore, the theme of the General Debate this year will be “Rebuilding Trust and Reviving Global Solidarity: Accelerating Action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards Peace, Prosperity, Progress and Sustainability for All.”
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Purpose of the UN General Assembly
Through the United Nations General Assembly, member nations shed light on their agendas and grievances, along with calls to action for the rest of the world to see. Such broadcasting also acts as a permanent record.
Participating countries this year
It is expected that there will be at least 145 countries whose heads of state and government are coming to New York for the assembly. Among these dignitaries will be Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (President of Brazil), Joe Biden (President of the United States) and Volodymyr Zelenskyy (President of Ukraine) on the first day. For Zelenskiy, this will be his first personal appearance at the UN since Russia’s invasion of his country.
In 2022, the General Assembly gave him special permission to give a pre-recorded speech.
However, this time, key absences of representatives of some permanent members of the UN Security Council will be felt. This is because the UK, Russia, China and France will not be attending the meeting this time.
In addition, top leaders from other countries such as Mexico and India will also visit.
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Duration
The general discussion of the current year will last a total of six days. However, the general debate will end a day later, on September 26, because this year there will be two days off in the 6-day schedule. The UN spokesman clarified that there will be no speech on Monday due to the observance of the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur.
What about non-members of the UN? Are they allowed to attend the General Assembly?
Well, some of them are allowed to attend the General Assembly. All member states of the United Nations are invited to speak. However, not all of these invited members will make it. Additionally, it is important to note that the United Nations also has its own permanent observers. According to the UN website, these permanent observers have access to “most meetings and relevant documentation.”
For example, the Holy See (Vatican City), the European Union and Palestine will once again be permanent observers at this year’s General Assembly. Last year, the longest speech was given by the President of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas.
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Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education