United Nations General Assembly - Website, Background, Overview

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The General Assembly is the main deliberative organ of the United Nations. It is composed of representatives of all member states, each of which has one vote. Decisions on important questions, such as those on peace and security, admission of new members and budgetary matters, require a two-thirds majority. Decisions on other questions are by simple majority.

Functions and powers of the General Assembly

As set out in the Charter of the United Nations, the functions and powers of the United Nations General Assembly are:

To consider and make recommendations on the general principles of cooperation for maintaining international peace and security, including disarmament;
To discuss any question relating to international peace and security and, except where a dispute or situation is currently being discussed by the Security Council, to make recommendations on it;
To discuss, with the same exception, and make recommendations on any questions within the scope of the Charter or affecting the powers and functions of any organ of the United Nations;
To initiate studies and make recommendations to promote international political cooperation, the development and codification of international law, the realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms and international collaboration in the economic, social, humanitarian, cultural, educational and health fields;
To make recommendations for the peaceful settlement of any situation that might impair friendly relations among nations;
To receive and consider reports from the Security Council and other United Nations organs;
To consider and approve the United Nations budget and establish the financial assessments of Member States;
To elect the non-permanent members of the Security Council and the members of other United Nations councils and organs and, on the recommendation of the Security Council, to appoint the Secretary-General.

Pursuant to its "Uniting for Peace" resolution of November 1950 (resolution 377 (V)), the Assembly may also take action if the Security Council fails to act, owing to the negative vote of a permanent member, in a case where there appears to be a threat to the peace, breach of the peace or act of aggression. The Assembly can consider the matter immediately with a view to making recommendations to Members for collective measures to maintain or restore international peace and security.

While the Assembly is empowered to make only non-binding recommendations to States on international issues within its competence, it has, nonetheless, initiated actions - political, economic, humanitarian, social and legal - which have affected the lives of millions of people throughout the world. The landmark Millennium Declaration, adopted in 2000, reflects the commitment of Member States to reach specific goals spelled out in the Declaration to attain peace, security and disarmament along with development and poverty eradication, to protect our common environment, to meet the special needs of Africa and to strengthen the United Nation.

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PEACEWOMEN

http://www.peacewomen.org/un/genass/gaindex.html

General Assembly (GA)

How the General Assembly Works | UN CHRONICLE Review of 3rd Committee

61st Session, 2006 60th Session, 2005 59th Session, 2004 58th Session, 2003 57th Session, 2002 56th Session, 2001

How the General Assembly Works

General Assembly's Six Main Committees:
First Committee: Disarmament and International Security
Second Committee: Economic and Financial
Third Committee: Social, Humanitarian and Cultural
Fourth Committee: Special Political and Decolonization
Fifth Committee: Administrative and Budgetary
Sixth Committee: Legal

At the heart of the United Nations system is the General Assembly (GA). It is composed of representatives from all 191 member nations of the UN. The GA has its regular meetings each year from September to December in New York. It can, however, reconvene at any time. At the beginning of each session (the September to December meeting), the GA elects a new President, twenty-one Vice-presidents, and the Chairpersons of the Assembly's six Main Committees. To ensure geographical diversity in leadership, the presidency of the Assembly rotates each year amongst five different geographical groupings of states.

The members of the GA deal with issues ranging from the UN budget to the codification of international law. The GA may discuss any subject of international security and the scope of the UN Charter, but it may not make any recommendations for action on those matters if a given issue within that realm is under consideration in the Security Council. The GA is responsible for initiating studies and plans of action that enhance political cooperation, human rights, and international cooperation on economic, social, cultural, educational and health issues. It must approve the UN budget and apportion contribution responsibilities among the member states. The GA is also responsible for admitting new member states and for electing the non-permanent members of the Security Council.

In the GA, all members have an equal vote. Matters of procedure are decided by a simple majority vote (50% plus 1) and most matters of substance require a 2/3 majority to pass. In recent years however, the GA has tried to move toward a consensus system in which more agreement is reached and fewer formal votes are taken. Though all nations are treated as equals within the General Assembly structure, the body can, with the advice of the credentials committee, agree to suspend the voting rights of a member nation's representative. Such was the case with the South African delegation from 1974 until the end of apartheid in 1994. In the eyes of the GA, the South African representatives sent to the United Nations were sent by a white minority regime and did not represent the will of the majority of the South African people. Though South Africa's voting privileges in the GA were suspended, it still remained a member of the United Nations and participated in the functions of the other bodies. The GA has, in conjunction with the Security Council, the ability to expel members from the organization, though such as action has never been taken.

Early in each session of the GA, its members participate in a general debate during which representatives discuss their opinions on a wide range of issues. After the debate, most of those issues are slated for discussion in one of the GA's six Main Committees: First Committee - Disarmament and International Security; Second Committee - Economic and Financial; Third Committee- Social, Humanitarian and Cultural; Fourth Committee - Special Political and Decolonization; Fifth Committee - Administrative and Budgetary; and Sixth Committee - Legal. These committees can present reports and suggestions for resolutions to the GA to provide it with detailed information about any subject falling within the realm of the committees.

Though no resolution or decision passed by the GA can be enforced against unwilling member states, they do carry the weight of the support of the international community and can be referred to in conflict settlements in the International Court of Justice. In addition to its formal meetings and committees, the GA, in conjunction with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is responsible for a number of UN programs and subsidiaries including INSTRAW (the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women), OHCHR (the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights), UNIFEM (the United Nations Fund for Women) and UNICEF (the United Nations Children's Fund).
For a more complete listing of the organizations sponsored by the General Assembly, click here.

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United Nations General Assembly 61st Session

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Functions and powers of the General Assembly