The GA Handbook A practical guide to the United Nations General Assembly

The GA Handbook
A practical guideto the United Nations
General AssemblyThe GA Handbook
A practical guideto the United Nations
General AssemblyThe GA Handbook
A practical guideto the United Nations
General Assembly
Published by the Permanent Mission of Switzerland
to the United Nations

The GA Handbook: A practical guide to the United Nations
General Assembly
Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations
633 Third Avenue, 29th floor
New York, New York 10017
Copyright © 2017, 2011 by Permanent Mission of Switzerland
to the United NationsFirst edition 2011. Second edition 2017
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by anymeans, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior permission in writing from the publishers.
ISBN: 978-0-615-49660-3
Edited by Johann Aeschlimann and Mary Regan
Text by Nicole Ruder, Kenji Nakano and Johann Aeschlimann
Project management by Johann Aeschlimann and Linda Florio
Design by Linda Florio, Florio Design
Interior photography by Sally Montana
Printed and bound by GHP, Inc., USA
5 4 3

7 Letter from the President
9 Reader’s Guide

110 Appendix
125 Source Notes
132 Index
135 Photo Credits
136 Acknowledgments

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1 The General Assembly and its President
1.1 Mandate of the GA
1.2 GA Sessions
1.3 The President of the GA
1.4 The Vice-Presidents of the GA
1.5 The GA Committees
1.6 The High-Level Political Forum
1.7 The UN System and the GA
1.8 The Department for General Assembly and ConferenceManagement (DGACM)

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2 Participation and Credentials
2.1 Member States
2.2 Observers
2.3 UN Entities and Civil Society

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61

3 The General Assembly at Work
3.1 The GA Agenda
3.2 GA Meetings
3.3 Conduct of Business
3.4 Debating GA Agenda Items
3.5 GA Resolutions and Decisions
3.6 Elections and Appointments

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4 Main Committees
4.1 The Work of the Main Committees
4.2 First Committee
4.3 Second Committee
4.4 Third Committee
4.5 Fourth Committee
4.6 Fifth Committee
4.7. Sixth Committee

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5 Key General Assembly Events
5.1 The Opening Week
5.2 The High-Level Week
5.3 The General Debate
5.4 GA High-Level Meetings
5.5 Thematic Debates
5.6 Civil Society Hearings
5.7 Commemorative GA Meetings

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6 The Office of the President of the General Assembly
6.1 The Code of Ethics
6.2 The PGA Team
6.3 Office and Infrastructure
6.4 Technical Support
6.5 Funding and Finances
6.6 Safety and Security
6.7 Protocol Services
6.8 Official Travel

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7 Information and Communication
7.1 Information and communication
7.2 Communication tools
7.3 The PGA and the Member States
7.4 The PGA and the Media
7.5 The PGA and the Other Principal Organs of the UN
7.6 Outreach6

In 2017, Switzerland celebrates 15 years as a Member State of theUnited Nations. In March of 2002, a majority of citizens from the 26
Swiss cantons voted to apply for membership, and in September ofthat same year, the 57th session of the General Assembly accepted
our application and welcomed the Swiss Confederation as the 190th
Member State.
This anniversary is a good time to take stock. Looking back on thepast 15 years, I can say with confidence that the Swiss people madethe right decision in 2002. It is plainly visible that all nations needto connect, communicate and search for common ground if we wantto find solutions to urgent global problems. And for this, we need
the universal forum of the United Nations and its General Assembly.
The challenges are formidable: Climate change, growing global
inequalities, natural and humanitarian disasters, the breakdownof states, a vicious circle of unemployment, vulnerability andexclusion — all leading to human suffering, casualties, masses ofrefugees or internally displaced people, and a disquieting trend
towards radicalization in many countries. The United Nations is
the place where we can find the answers that are acceptable
to all stakeholders. This is doable: Look at the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development. Let us reach those goals!
As a member of the global community, Switzerland has a greatinterest in a United Nations that works well. We highly value theuniversal membership of the Organization and the system of “onecountry, one vote” in the General Assembly. These tenets are thebasis of its legitimacy as the eminent and representative policymaking organ of the United Nations.
In order for the UN to achieve its goals, its principal organs must
function as smoothly and efficiently as possible. Thus, seven years
ago, when my predecessor Joseph Deiss served as the first Swiss
President of the General Assembly, the Swiss Mission to the UN
produced this handbook as a practical guide to the procedures andpractices of the General Assembly. Now it was time for an update,and I hope that this second edition remains valuable to all interested
in the inner workings of this great body.
Doris Leuthard
President of the Swiss Confederation

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8

Reader’s Guide
Some may argue that the UN General Assembly (GA) is best experienced intuitively and that knowledge about how it works bestpassed on by word of mouth. We beg to differ. We believe that a
written guide to the GA can add value to its institutional memory.

What the GA Handbook is and is not about
This book is for Member States and for the President of the UN
General Assembly (GA). The GA Handbook is a practical guide to
the GA. It is not about the substance of what is discussed andconsidered by the GA. It is about the rules and procedures, theschedules and protocols, the practices and precedents — in short,
it is about the dry stuff.
The GA Handbook compiles relevant provisions from the GA
Rules of Procedure, in particular the changes established in recent
revitalization resolutions, the mandates scattered throughout GA
resolutions and decisions as well as lessons learned from previous
GA presidencies.
The GA Handbook is not a legal document. The “Rules ofProcedure of the General Assembly” (GA Rules of Procedure)is the only definitive source on how the GA is to conduct its
business. The GA Handbook does not reflect official positionsof the UN Secretariat, and it does not claim to be comprehensive. It prioritizes information relevant to the work of the PGA
and of Member States, and it leaves out information considered to be too detailed.

How to use this book
The table of contents and the index provide quick referencing. In addition, references to related sections are made throughout the text.
The GA Handbook is divided into seven chapters: four on the GA,
one on its Main Committees, one on the Office of the PGA, andone on the PGA’s interactions with Member States, the media, andthe world outside. Changes in the use of online tools are reflected
up to September 2017. Some information is presented in tables foreasier reading. Topics of specific relevance are presented in greyshaded inserts. Boxes in the margins alert the reader to possible
sources of confusion or highlight facts of particular interest. The
ten appendices contain additional information.
A note on the sources: Most of the information in the GA
Handbook comes from official UN guidelines and documents.
These sources are referenced at the end of the book.
A note on acronyms: The GA Handbook uses GA for “General
Assembly” and PGA for “President of the GA.” In tables,
inserts and text boxes the “Secretary-General” is referred toas SG. The “Department for General Assembly and ConferenceManagement” is referred to by its acronym, DGACM. The“Department of Public Information” is referred to as “DPI.”The “Economic and Social Council “is referred to as ECOSOC.
9The General Assembly
and its President

Office of the Presidentof the GA

President of the GA
21 Vice-Presidents of the GA

General Committee

GA Plenary
Credentials Committee

6 Main Committees

1stCommittee

2ndCommittee

3rdCommittee

4thCommittee

5thCommittee

6thCommittee

Disarmament& International
Security
Committee

Economic& Financial
Committee

Social,Humanitarian& Cultural
Committee

SpecialPolitical &Decolonization
Committee

Administrative& Budgetary
Committee

Legal
Committee

Subsidiary Bodies of the GA*
Boards, Committees, Commissions, Councils andPanels, Working Groups and others*For a complete list of the subsidiary bodies of theGA, consult the GA website.

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1

1 The GA and its President
The UN Charter establishes six principal organs: the General
Assembly (GA), the Security Council, the Economic and Social
Council (ECOSOC), the Trusteeship Council, the International
Court of Justice and the UN Secretariat.
Each of the 193 Member States of the UN has one vote in the GA.
“We reaffirm the central position of the General Assembly as thechief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of theUnited Nations, as well as the role of the Assembly in the processof standard-setting and the codification of international law” (2005World Summit Outcome).
The GA is free to choose the way it conducts its business. The
GA Rules of Procedure continue to evolve and to be adapted.
Over the years, the GA has granted itself many exceptions toestablished rules.
The GA has a President (President of the General Assembly —PGA) and twenty-one Vice-Presidents. The GA works througha Plenary, six Main Committees, a General Committee and a
Credentials Committee. In addition, there are various subsidiarybodies, such as boards, committees, commissions, and councils,that report to the GA.
The GA meets in sessions. At the beginning of each session, theGA adopts an agenda of items to be considered.

1.1

1.1 Mandate of the GA
According to the Charter, the GA:• may consider any issue within the scope of the Charter but may
not take decisions on international situations or disputes that the
Security Council is considering• may discuss the powers or functions of any UN organ establishedby the Charter and of any of the subsidiary bodies of the GA

Early days

• receives and discusses reports issued by the other principalorgans established under the Charter as well as reports issued
by its own subsidiary bodies

10 January 1946:
First GA, with 51 nations
represented, opens inWestminster, London.

• approves the budget of the UN and decides on the scales ofassessment, i.e., each Member State’s share of the budget

24 October 1949:• elects and appoints its own officers, the members of the otherprincipal organs, the members of some of its subsidiary bodies
and — based on the recommendation of the Security Council —the Secretary-General (see section 3.7).

Cornerstone laid for thepresent UN Headquarters
in New York.

14 October 1952:
First meeting of the GA
opens in the new General
Assembly Hall in New York.

1 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND ITS PRESIDENT

13i

GA revitalization
The increase in UN membership and the continued expansionof the agenda add to the complexity of the GA’s work. Efforts
to rationalize and streamline started a few years after the firstsession. Since 1991 (the 46th GA), the term “GA revitalization” has been used to describe this ongoing process. The
main issues are: the role and authority of the GA and the PGA,
working methods, and the selection and appointment of theSecretary-General; strengthening the accountability, transparency and institutional memory of the Office of the President of
the GA. In 2015 and 2016, the GA adopted landmark resolutions on GA revitalization. The implementation and follow-up is
first and foremost the responsibility of the Member States.

1.2

1.2 GA Sessions
The General Assembly meets in “regular annual sessions” and in“special sessions.” Both consist of formal and informal meetings(see section 3.2). All GA sessions are numbered consecutively.

Session vs.
meeting!

The word “session” is often
used to refer to a “meeting,”
e.g., “during the afternoon
session.” While this is generally understood, technicallythere is no such thing as
the “GA afternoon session.”
The correct term is the“GA afternoon meeting.”

Regular annual session of the GA
The regular annual session opens on Tuesday of the third week of
September and runs for one year. The first regular session opened
in 1946.
Since its 44th session (1989–90), the GA has been formallyregarded as being “in session” for the entire year. There are two
distinct parts of a session. The time from mid-September to theChristmas break in December is called the “main part of thesession” and is the most intense period of work. It includes thegeneral debate and the bulk of the work of the Main Committees.
The period from January to September is called the “resumed partof the session.” Most thematic debates, PGA-led consultation processes, and working group meetings take place during that period.
The GA Handbook refers to the regular annual session simply
as “the GA session.”

Special sessions of the GA
According to the Charter, special sessions can be held “as occasion may require.” A special session of the GA can be convened
either at the request of the Security Council or a majority ofMember States. The request of the Security Council requires avote of nine or more of its fifteen members.
A special session of the GA is referred to as “UNGASS” (UNGeneral Assembly Special Session). There have been 30 special
sessions to date. Since 1975, all of them have been mandated
by the GA. The full list is available on the GA website.
A special session deals with one issue only and its agenda isvery short. A special session usually adopts one or two outcome
documents, for example a political declaration, an action plan,14

or a strategy. Special sessions are often high-level events with theparticipation of Heads of State and Government and government
Ministers.
The GA Rules of Procedure apply to special sessions. A special
session elects its own president, usually the PGA of the ongoingregular session. Special sessions can incur additional costs comparable to those of a GA high-level meeting (see section 5.4).
Special sessions last from one to several days. Like a regularannual session, a special session consists of formal and informal plenary meetings. A subsidiary body of the special session,
the “Committee of the Whole”, deals with the negotiation of an
outcome document. Negotiations usually start long before theopening of the special session.
What are emergency special sessions?
In 1950, the GA created an exception to the prerogative of the
Security Council in dealing with threats to peace and security. In
resolution 377(V)-A, titled “Uniting for Peace,“ the GA decided that
if the Security Council cannot come to a decision on an issue due
to a veto (or the threat of a veto) by one of its permanent members (P-5), the GA may hold an emergency special session within
24 hours to consider the same matter. An emergency special
session of the GA is convened in the same manner as a special
session.

Tenth Emergency
Special Sessioni

The tenth Emergency Special
Session on “Illegal Israeli
actions in occupied East
Jerusalem and the rest of
the Occupied Palestinian
Territory” opened in 1997
and has never been formally closed. Member States
decided to “temporarily
adjourn” and to authorize the
PGA to resume the session
upon request from a Member
State. As of September 2017
the tenth Emergency Special
Session has been resumed
fourteen times.

An emergency special session is the only time the GA takes
decisions on issues that are under the exclusive mandate of the
Security Council. There have been ten emergency special sessions
to date, six of them pertaining to the situation in the Middle East.
The full list of emergency sessions is available on the GA website.

1.3

1.3 The President of the GA
Who can become PGA?
Any Member State can put forward a candidate for President of
the GA. The PGA is elected in his/her personal capacity and for theduration of the term of office represents the membership asa whole.
The Member State of the PGA cannot at the same time hold theoffice of Vice-President or Chair of a Main Committee. Thus,
the five permanent members of the Security Council, who arealways Vice-Presidents, cannot hold the office of the PGA.
The Presidency of the GA rotates among the five regional groups,
namely the Group of Asia-Pacific States (71st session), the Groupof Eastern European States (72nd session), the Group of Latin
American and Caribbean States (73rd session), the Group of
African States (74th session), the Western European and otherStates Group (75th session). The full list of past PGAs is available
on the GA website.

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15

How is the PGA elected?
The President is elected by a simple majority vote of the GA.
Usually, the Member States of a regional group agree on one
candidate and present a clean slate. In such cases the election
can take place by acclamation. The GA requests that PGA candidates submit a vision statement and has decided to conducthearings with them (see section 3.6).
The President is elected at least three months before formallyassuming office, usually in mid -June. This allows him/her toprepare and to assemble a team before the GA session begins
in September.

What is the role and mandate of the PGA?
The PGA is the guardian of the GA Rules of Procedure but has no
say in the actual decision-making of the GA — in fact, the PGA does
not have a vote in the GA. Even on procedural matters,the PGA
always remains under the authority of the GA (see section 3.3).
With very little formal power and a one-year, non-renewable
term of office, the PGA depends on the moral authority and theconvening power of the office as main instruments to keep the
193 Member States working together. Often, the good offices of
the PGA have allowed the GA to remain a universal forum for all
Member States, even for those involved in disputes, and evenwhen addressing difficult and politically sensitive questions. In
recent years, the vision of the PGA’s role has grown.

Where does the
GA meet?

i

The default location for all
GA meetings is the New
York Headquarters of the UN,
with its dedicated General
Assembly Hall and conference rooms. However, GA
meetings or sessions can beheld in a different location
if a resolution or decision tothat effect is adopted. Thishas only occurred twice since
the New York Headquarters
was inaugurated in 1952: a
GA meeting in 1988 and a GA
special session in 2000 took
place in Geneva. Meetingsand sessions outside New
York involve significant costs.

The Charter of the UN establishes only the function of the PGA.
The exact role and mandate have been defined and agreed on by
the GA and are described in the GA Rules of Procedure, in GA
revitalization resolutions, and in other GA resolutions which assign
responsibilities and tasks to the PGA.
PGA mandates from the GA Rules of Procedure
According to the GA Rules of Procedure, the PGA shall:• open and close each GA plenary meeting• direct the discussions in plenary meetings (e.g., managing thelist of speakers and according the right to speak)• ensure observance of the GA Rules of Procedure• rule on points of order• propose adjournment or suspension of a meeting.
PGA mandates from revitalization resolutions
The revitalization resolutions request the PGA to:• organize thematic debates (see section 5.5)
• suggest the theme for the general debate• organize hearings of Secretary-General candidates (see section 3.6).
• preserve records and institutional memory and prepare a reporton best practices and lessons learned for his/ her successor• enhance public visibility of the PGA and the GA• meet regularly with the Secretary-General, the President of the
Security Council, and the President of ECOSOC• brief Member States periodically on recent activities, including
official travels
16• provide financial disclosures• observe a code of ethics (see section 6.1)
• have contacts with civil society.

Why Manhattan?

PGA mandates from individual GA resolutions
Mandates assigned to the PGA by individual resolutions can pertain
to the organization of events such as high-level meetings (seesection 5.4), the negotiation of outcome documents, or consultations on a specific topic (see section 3.5). The PGA may appoint
one or more Permanent Representatives as facilitators for suchprocesses. The PGA’s role as an enabler of facilitation processes
has expanded in recent years.

What else does the PGA do?
The PGA interacts and engages with the media, civil society andthe wider public. He/she can be invited to attend UN Conferences
and other international and regional intergovernmental meetingsand visit Member States.

1.4 The Vice-Presidents of the GA
How are the Vice-Presidents elected?
The GA elects the 21 Vice-Presidents for the next session on the
day of the election of the PGA. Like the PGA, the Vice-Presidents
formally assume office at the opening of the GA session. The five
permanent members of the Security Council are always among
the Vice-Presidents. To ensure balanced geographical representation, the remaining Vice-Presidencies are distributed among theregional groups as follows:i

After the decision to locate
the permanent headquartersof the UN outside of war-torn
Europe, several American
cities showed an interest,
among them San Francisco,Philadelphia and New York
City, which had offered theformer 1939 World Fairgrounds in Queens. In 1946,
while the UN was considering
Philadelphia, the US politician
Nelson Rockefeller, a scionof the wealthy Rockefellerfamily, took the initiative tosecure a more attractive sitein Manhattan. His father,John D. Rockefeller Jr., eventually agreed to write a checkfor 8.5 million USD (worth
113 million USD in 2017)
for the UN to buy the parcelof land in East Midtown
Manhattan (“Turtle Bay”) that
the Organization has been
occupying ever since.

1.4• 6 members from the Group of African States• 5 members from the Group of Asia-Pacific States• 1 member from the Group of Eastern European States• 3 members from the Group of Latin American States• 2 members from the Western European or other States GroupThe list adds up to 22. There are only 21 Vice-Presidents, as theregional group putting forward the PGA gets one less vice-presidential mandate. Each regional group usually agrees on a cleanslate (see section 3.6). This allows for election by acclamation.

What is the role of the Vice-Presidents?
All Vice-Presidents are members of the General Committee (seesection 1.5). When the PGA is absent, one of the Vice-Presidents
is called upon to assume the role of “acting President of the GA,”
with the same mandate and responsibility as the PGA. VicePresidents from permanent members of the Security Council (P-5)
do not usually assume this role.

1.5

1.5 The GA Committees
The procedural and organizational issues for a GA session are dealt
with in the General Committee and the Credentials Committee.

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Substantive issues are considered in the Plenary or in one of six
Main Committees. At the beginning of the session, the GA agrees
on a “division of labor” and allocates agenda items to the six Main
Committees and/or to the Plenary itself. All Main Committees
report to the GA Plenary (see chapter 4 on Main Committees).

The six Main Committees and their officers
The Main Committees consist of all Member States of the GA.
Each Main Committee is headed by a Bureau consisting of a Chair,
three Vice-Chairs, and a Rapporteur.
The six Main Committees roughly correspond to the GA’s major
fields of responsibility:

Seating in the
GA Halli

On the day of the election of
the PGA, the SG draws lots
to determine which Member
State will sit at the rightend of the front row as seenfrom the Podium. The seatingorder then follows the English
alphabetical order of country
names. It is valid for thewhole session and also applies to the formal meetingsof the Main Committees.

• Disarmament and International Security Committee (First
Committee)• Economic and Financial Committee (Second Committee)• Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee (Third Committee)• Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee)• Administrative and Budgetary Committee (Fifth Committee)• Legal Committee (Sixth Committee)
How are the Officers of the Main Committees elected?
The Main Committees usually elect their Chairs and other officers
on the day of the election of the PGA. No Member State can serveboth as Vice-President and Chair of a Main Committee during thesame GA session.
Main Committee Chairs usually rotate among the five regionalgroups. Each is allocated one chair. The sixth chair rotates among
the Groups of African, Asia-Pacific, and Latin American and
Caribbean states. The three Vice-Chairs and the Rapporteur are
allocated to the four regional groups that do not hold the chair.
Patterns of rotations are agreed to in GA decisions for a limited
time. The current pattern of rotation of the Main Committee Chairs
covers the period up to and including the 73rd GA session.
Each regional group usually agrees on a clean slate, allowing forelection by acclamation. As clean slates are not always ready intime, the election of some Bureau members can be postponed
until the first formal meeting of the respective Main Committee.
The day of the elections of GA officers
All elections of GA officers take place on the same day in
the GA Hall. The proceedings are as follow:• the GA elects the PGA• the PGA, the PGA-elect, the SG, the Chairs of theregional groups and the host country make statements• the GA elects the Vice-Presidents• the SG draws lots for the seating order• the Main Committees elect their officers and the Chairs-electmay make statements
Neither Vice-Presidents-elect nor individual Member States
make statements.
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The General Committee
The General Committee is chaired by the PGA, and its voting
members consist of the 21 Vice-Presidents and the six Chairs of
the Main Committees. It essentially deals with the agenda of theGA, making recommendations to the GA on the inclusion of items
and their allocation to the Main Committees (see section 3.1). It
also makes recommendations on organizational issues (see section 3.5), and on issues such as the conduct of meetings, meeting
records, and documentation. The General Committee does notmake declarations on political questions.

The Credentials Committee
The Credentials Committee consists of nine members. The Officeof Legal Affairs (OLA) consults Member States and suggests
candidates to the PGA. The Committee’s nine members are thenproposed by the PGA and appointed at the beginning of eachsession by the GA. China, Russia, and the US have always been
members of the Credentials Committee. The Committee makes
recommendations to the GA regarding the credentials of thedelegations of Member States (see section 2.1).

GA subsidiary bodies
The GA can mandate a subsidiary body to consider a particularissue or question and to submit reports with recommendations
to the GA. The Main Committees can also establish subsidiarybodies.
Legally, all subsidiary bodies have the same standing. Politically,
they do not. This might be reflected in the variety of their names:“Council” (Human Rights Council), “Committee” (Special
Committee on Peacekeeping Operations), “Commission”(Peacebuilding Commission), “Group” (Ad Hoc Working Group on
the Revitalization of the General Assembly). Subsidiary bodies are
established by a GA resolution/decision specifying their mandate
and the duration of their work. Some are “open-ended” (i.e.,
all Member States can participate); others, such as the Special
Committees on Peacekeeping Operations and Decolonization,
the Human Rights Council, the Peacebuilding Commission or theAdvisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions,
are not. Subsidiary bodies can have formal and informal meetings.
Many of them are public. Some of them adopt resolutions/decisions recommended for adoption by the GA.
In principle, a subsidiary body elects a Chair, one or more ViceChairs and a Rapporteur. There are many different arrangements.

i

In September 2015, world leaders meeting at a UN Summit
adopted the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development.
It consists of 17 Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) to
end poverty, fight inequality
and protect the planet. They
are detailed in 169 targets and232 indicators. The frameworkfor financing the SDGs is laidout in the accompanying Addis
Ababa Action Agenda. The
SDGs are not legally binding.
Member States, including
civil society and the private
sector, are called to mobilize
the resources necessary for
implementation within the next
fifteen years. The goals are:1. No poverty
2. Zero hunger
3. Good health and well-being
4. Quality education
5. Gender equality
6. Clean water and sanitation
7. Affordable and clean
energy8. Decent work andeconomic growth
9. Industry, innovation andinfrastructure
10. Reduced inequalities
11. Sustainable cities andcommunities
12. Responsible consumption
and production
13. Climate action
14. Life below water
15. Life on land
16. Peace, justice and strong
institutions
17. Partnerships for the goals

1.6

1.6 The High-Level Political ForumThe broad reach of the UN “2030 Agenda” (see box) resulted ina unique structure for follow-up and implementation. Both the
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC, 54 Member States) and
the GA take a role. The High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable
Development (HLPF) convenes each year at UN Headquarters in
1 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND ITS PRESIDENT

2030 Agenda

19

20

1 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND ITS PRESIDENT

21

New York under the auspices of ECOSOC and every four years
under the auspices of the GA. The task of HLPF is to keep the2030 Agenda on track and to avoid overlap with existing structures, entities and bodies. HLPF meetings of ECOSOC carry out
thematic and voluntary national reviews. They are preceded by
the Financing for Development Forum, which assesses available
resources and financial gaps for implementing the 2030 Agenda.
The HLPF meetings of the GA provide high-level political guidance
and mobilize further actions.

1.7

1.7 The UN System and the GA“UN System” is an umbrella term for all intergovernmental bodies
and institutional entities of the UN. The organizational chart of the
UN can be found on the UN website.
The UN system has two distinct but interlinked spheres: the UN’s
intergovernmental bodies and the UN’s institutional entities. The
UN intergovernmental bodies consist of some or all of its Member
States and, depending on their mandates, set policy, define international norms and standards and govern UN institutions. The UN
institutional entities support the intergovernmental processes andsome also engage in operational activities around the world.
The GA is at the center of the UN system. Different parts of the
UN System have different relationships with the GA.

1 The United Nations
The United Nations in the strictest sense is what is established by
the Charter, i.e., the Organization’s membership and its principalorgans (see section 1.1) as well as the subsidiary bodies of theprincipal organs.

Secretariat vs.
secretariat!

Do not confuse the UN
Secretariat (capital “S” ),headed by the SG, withthe secretariat of the GA(DGACM) and the secretariats(small “s”) of UN conferences
or processes. Any part of the
UN can be designated by
Member States as a secretariat providing support for anintergovernmental process.
Colloquially all are called “thesecretariat.”

The UN Secretariat, headed by the Secretary-General, is one ofthe principal organs of the UN. It provides support for the UN intergovernmental processes. The UN Secretariat has an operationalrole in selected areas, such as the implementation of peacekeeping mandates or the coordination of humanitarian assistance.

2 UN Funds and Programmes
UN Funds and Programmes, such as UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF,
WFP and UN Women, are a special type of subsidiary body of the
GA. They are fully developed institutions engaged in operational
activities and funded through voluntary contributions by Member
States. They have distinct intergovernmental governing structures,for example executive boards, that report through ECOSOC to the
GA. GA resolutions are binding on the Funds and Programmes. On
administrative matters the heads of the Funds and Programmes
report to the Secretary-General.

3 Specialized Agencies
Specialized Agencies such as ILO, WHO or FAO, are UN bodies
with their own intergovernmental structure separate from the GA.
GA resolutions are not binding on Specialized Agencies. Many of22UN Vocabulary
The UN System and its parts are referred to by various,
sometimes interchangeable terms. The following terminology is based on practice and is not a legal interpretation.
UN organs and UN bodies“UN organs” is understood to be shorthand for “the principalorgans of the UN.” The term “UN bodies” generally encompasses all UN intergovernmental bodies, i.e., the UN’s principalorgans as well as all their subsidiary bodies such as executive
boards, committees, commissions, working groups, etc. If
applied strictly, the term does not include the intergovernmental structures of the Specialized Agencies and the Bretton
Woods Institutions (BWIs).
UN entities“UN entities” is widely used and understood as a genericterm for all institutional entities of the UN System, i.e., all UN
Offices, Departments, Funds and Programmes and Specialized
Agencies. From a legal perspective, “entity” implies a separate
legal mandate and would thus exclude the Secretariat. A legal
interpretation is also likely to exclude the Specialized Agencies
and the Bretton Woods Institutions (BWIs), as they have beencreated through different intergovernmental processes.
UN System“UN System” is an umbrella term encompassing the intergovernmental bodies and the different institutions of the UN: theprincipal organs, the Funds and Programmes, the Specialized
Agencies and other bodies related to the UN.
The wider UN System“The wider UN System” is used to underline the inclusion of
the Specialized Agencies and the other related bodies in the
UN System.
UN family“UN family” is a very informal term used interchangeably with“UN System” to convey the sense of a common cause.

the Specialized Agencies predate the UN. They have entered into
formal relationships with the UN but retain their own intergovernmental structures. For example, the World Health Organization isgoverned by the World Health Assembly in a similar way as the UN
is governed by the GA.
The heads of Specialized Agencies are not accountable to theSecretary-General. Many of them recognize the SecretaryGeneral’s coordinating role within the UN System, particularly
his/her role as the Chair of the Chief Executives Board (CEB).

1 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND ITS PRESIDENT

23

4 Other bodies related to the UN
There are other intergovernmental bodies which have establishedlooser forms of relationships with the UN than the Specialized
Agencies. Two such bodies are the International Atomic Energy
Agency and the World Trade Organization. The latest example isthe International Organization for Migration.

The basic structure of DGACM

Executive Office

Office of the Under-Secretary-General
DGACM

GA andECOSOC Affairs
DivisionCentral Planningand Coordination
DivisionProtocol andLiaisonService

Meetings andPublishing
Division(GAEAD)(CPDC)

(PLS)

(MPD)

Documentation
Division(DD)(A complete organizational chart of DGACM and its divisions can be found on the DGACM website).

1.8

1.8 DGACMThe GA could not function without the interpretation and translationof speeches or documents, without someone scheduling meetings, and without documentation being prepared for meetings —all done by the Department for General Assembly and ConferenceManagement (DGACM).
Among its many other functions DGACM provides conference services and technical secretariat support for the GA Plenary and its
committees and supports the work of the PGA and his/her Office.

General Assembly and ECOSOC Affairs Division (GAEAD)
GAEAD is the division within DGACM most directly involved with
the GA. It also works very closely with the Office of the PGA, providing invaluable support and advice throughout the GA session.
GAEAD drafts the agenda of the GA as well as its programme ofwork and discusses the scheduling of GA meetings with the PGA.
For each GA meeting, GAEAD prepares the script for the PGA —a detailed sequence of the proceedings and suggested remarks— and supports him/her during the meetings with advice on theapplication of the GA Rules of Procedure. GAEAD is also responsible for maintaining the list of speakers for GA meetings.
GAEAD briefs the SG on substantive developments within the GA
and notifies UN entities of the implications of recently adopted
GA decisions and resolutions including the allocation of author
departments for the drafting of Secretary-General reports.
24

Meeting Management Section, Central Planning and
Coordination Division (MMS, CPCD)
MMS manages conference services, such as the allocation ofconference rooms and interpretation services. CPDC includes
the Journal Unit, which publishes the Journal of the UN.

Meetings and Publishing Division (MPD)
MPD provides meeting services, such as seating arrangements,
distribution of speeches in the conference room, escorting
speakers to the rostrum, technical support and simultaneousinterpretation of all statements and speeches at UN meetings
into and from the six official UN languages, as well as verbatim
records of meetings.
MPD also formats, proofreads, and finalizes all official UN documents, UN correspondence, and UN publications. It provides
publication services including the dissemination of documents
at Headquarters and globally, and the posting of the electronic
versions of official documents on the UN’s Official Documents
System (ODS) and on various UN websites.

Documentation Division (DD)The Documentation Division is responsible for the translation of all
official UN documents, meeting records, and correspondence at
Headquarters from and into the six official UN languages, and forthe editing of official UN documents and publications. The divisionalso prepares the summary records of meetings.

Protocol and Liaison Service (PLS)
Apart from providing protocol services to the Secretary-Generaland the Deputy Secretary-General, PLS liaises with the Permanent
Missions of Member States (and Observer Missions) and thehost country, assists with the preparation of official visits to
Headquarters by Heads of State, Heads of Government, or otherdignitaries and advises on the practice and norms of UN protocol
and diplomatic etiquette (see section 6.7).
PLS also publishes an up-to-date, comprehensive list of the
diplomatic personnel of all Permanent and Observer Missions(the “Blue Book”) and maintains a very useful website (seeAppendix I).

The Executive Office
The Executive Office is responsible for all financial, personnel, andgeneral administrative matters concerning DGACM, including the
Office of the PGA (see Chapter 6).

1 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND ITS PRESIDENT

25

Participation and Credentials

2

2 Participation and Credentials
In addition to the Member States, Observers, UN entities, and civilsociety organizations contribute to the GA’s work as non-voting
participants. This chapter describes the criteria for participation.

2.1

2.1 Member States
To fully participate in the GA, a State must attain UN membership,submit credentials, and obtain accreditation for its delegation.

Membership
Membership in the United Nations “is open to all peace-loving
States that accept the obligations contained in the United Nations
Charter and, in the judgment of the Organization, are able to carryout these obligations” (UN Charter).
Admission
In order to gain admission, the candidate submits an application
to the Secretary-General, including a letter stating that it accepts
the obligations of membership under the UN Charter. The
Secretary-General informs all Member States of the application.
Next, the Security Council considers it. A recommendation foradmission from the Council requires the vote of at least 9 of the
15 members. A permanent member can block the recommendation by a veto. If successful in the Council, the application isthen considered by the GA, where it must receive a two-thirds
majority vote of members present and voting (see section 3.5).
Membership becomes effective on the date the GA resolution
for admission is adopted.

Switzerland joinsi

On 10 September 2002,
Switzerland joined the UN
as the 190th Member Stateafter 54 years as an ObserverState. SG Kofi Annan greeted
Switzerland with the words:“The Swiss are here. We
have been waiting for a longtime.” Switzerland was thefirst country to put UN membership to a popular vote.

Suspension
The Charter allows for the possibility of suspending the voting
rights or the membership of a Member State. Suspension ofmembership is initiated in the Security Council and then follows
the same procedure as for admitting a new Member State. To
date, no UN Member State has ever been suspended and only
one Member State has temporarily chosen to withdraw from theUN. A Member State in arrears with the payment of its contributions has its voting rights in the GA suspended unless the GA
decides otherwise.

Credentials
For each GA session, Member States have to formally notify the
Secretary-General of who is entitled to speak on its behalf. These
representatives include Heads of State and Government, government Ministers, Ambassadors and other officials. The “delegation”
of a Member State consists of up to five representatives, fivealternate representatives, and as many advisers and experts as
required. The GA formally acknowledges the representatives ofthe Member States by approving their credentials.
Member States are also requested to notify the Secretary-Generalof their delegations to each of the GA Main Committees.
28

The credentials procedure
Credentials are issued either by the Member State’s Head ofState or Government or by its Minister for Foreign Affairs, and aresent to the Secretary-General. The credentials are first consideredby the Credentials Committee, which then reports its recommendations to the GA, usually in December (thus allowing forlate submissions of credentials by Member States). Based on thisreport, the GA decides on the credentials before the main part ofthe session ends.
The consideration of the credentials by the Credentials Committee
is normally a formality. But if the legitimacy of a delegation iscontested, its credentials are sometimes challenged by anotherMember State. In such cases, the good offices of the PGA may
be called upon to help resolve the matter before a formal meetingof the Credentials Committee is scheduled. In these situations,the PGA is assisted and advised by DGACM and by the Office ofLegal Affairs (OLA). Representatives whose credentials have beenchallenged retain all their rights until, and unless, they are revokedby a GA decision.

Accreditation
Accreditation pertains to the diplomatic status of the delegationand staff of a Member State’s Permanent Mission to the UN in
New York. Decisions regarding accreditation are governed by
the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and involve theMember State, the UN Secretariat, and the host country, i.e.,the United States Government.

Permanent Missions to the UN
Every Member State of the UN maintains a Permanent Mission to
the UN in New York. A Permanent Mission to the UN is the equivalent of an embassy to another country.
Each Permanent Mission is headed by a Permanent Representative(PR) to the UN, who holds the rank of ambassador. Some of thelarger Permanent Missions may have more than one ambassador,
but there is only one Permanent Representative per Member State.
Most Permanent Missions operate with a mix of diplomats(delegates), posted for a period of two to five years, and long-term
support staff. The size of the Missions varies greatly, from a singledelegate for the smallest to dozens for the larger. During peaktimes of the GA session additional delegates may be sent fromtheir capitals to reinforce their Permanent Missions.

2 PARTICIPATION AND CREDENTIALS

29

The all-State
formula!

Not all states are membersof the United Nations. This
is at times taken into consideration in organizing events.
UN conferences sometimes
use the “all-State formula,”which includes the Holy See,
the State of Palestine, theCook Islands and Niue as fullparticipants.

2.2

2.2 Observers
The granting of observer status is not addressed in the Charter.
Participation in the GA as an Observer has developed throughpractice. The first country to be recognized as an Observer was
Switzerland in 1946.
Observer status is granted by a GA resolution based on the recommendation of the Sixth Committee. Admitted Observers have astanding invitation to participate in the sessions and the work of
the GA. Three categories of Observers can be distinguished:• non-Member States with a Permanent Observer Mission at UN
Headquarters in New York. To date, the Holy See and the State ofPalestine are Observers under this category.
• intergovernmental organizations. There are approximately 85
intergovernmental organizations with observer status, about
20 of which maintain permanent offices in NY.
• other entities with permanent offices at the UN. There are
currently five such entities including the International Committeeof the Red Cross (ICRC).
In 1994, the GA adopted a decision to limit a proliferation of
Observers, stating that “the granting of observer status in the GA
should in the future be confined to States and to those intergovernmental organizations whose activities cover matters of interest
to the Assembly.”

Different ways of participating
Not all Observers have been granted the same rights. The Holy
See and the State of Palestine can participate in all aspects of the
GA’s work but do not have the right to vote or to table resolutions.
However, they can co-sponsor resolutions, have the right of reply
and the right to raise points of order on issues concerning the Holy
See, Palestine and the Middle East respectively. They can usuallyalso attend closed GA meetings.

EU observer statusi

In May 2011 the GA adjusted
the observer status of theEuropean Union. The changes
include an upgraded speaking
slot, a limited right of reply
and the permission to orally
present draft resolutions andamendments on behalf of the
EU Member States. The EU
cannot vote, call for a vote orraise points of order. No draft
resolution can be tabled in
the name of the EU.

The participation of other Observers is more restricted. They canspeak in formal meetings but are not always invited to participate
in closed meetings. They cannot co-sponsor resolutions andcannot raise points of order, nor do they have the right of reply.
In formal GA meetings, the EU speaks among Member States
who represent groups. Other Observers always speak after theMember States and in the following order: Holy See, State ofPalestine, followed by other Observers.

30

2.3

2.3 UN Entities and Civil Society
The UN Secretariat and the UN system provide inputs for SecretaryGeneral reports and play a role in the implementation of GA
resolutions. The participation of civil society in the GA, unlike its
participation in ECOSOC, is not addressed in the Charter. It has
increased in the recent past, mostly by participation of organizations
with ECOSOC consultative status.
UN entities and civil society can participate in open GA meetings.
The term “participation” has different meanings: it can refer toattending, i.e., simply being present in the room, or to speaking.
DGACM (see section 1.7.) directly supports the work of the GA
and thus participates in all GA meetings. DGACM speaks only if
requested to provide clarification on procedural questions and on
administrative matters.

Participation of UN entities and civil society in GA meetings:
Formal GA meetings
UN entities

CAN THEY ATTEND?

CAN THEY SPEAK?

Yes, if the meeting is
open and seating isavailable

In the Plenary, only the SG or a member of
the Secretariat designated by him speaks.
The heads of other UN entities need a
special agreement, e.g., a GA resolution.
In the Main Committees, other UN
Secretariat officials and the heads of somesubsidiary bodies can be invited to speak.

Civil society

Yes, if the meeting is
open and seating isavailable

In the Plenary civil society representatives
can only speak if specified in a GA
resolution/decision.
In some of the Main Committees, civil society representatives can be invited to speak.

Informal GA meetings
UN entities

Civil society

Yes, if the meeting is
open and seating isavailable

It is at the Chair’s discretion to give thefloor to UN entities.

Yes, if the meeting is
open and seating isavailable

It is at the Chair’s discretion to give thefloor to civil society representatives.

The Chair may also choose to invite UN
representatives as keynote speakers or
panelists.

The Chair may also choose to invite
civil society representatives as keynote
speakers or panelists.

(See section 5.4 for the participation of UN entities in GA high-level meetings).

2 PARTICIPATION AND CREDENTIALS

31

Badges
The color-coded letter on the UN grounds-pass (badge) identifies role and rank. Together withthe “Blue Book” (the directory of the Permanent Missions to the UN) and the UN Telephone
Directory, these badges are key to the “who is who” at the UN (see Appendix VIII).

FUNCTION

LETTER ON THE BADGEPGA
PGA-elect
PGA in office

D (obtained through the Permanent Mission)
No badge (escorted)

Permanent Missions
VIP

White badge with or without photo

Permanent Representative

Gold D

Deputy Permanent Representative

Silver D

Minister Counsellor

Yellow D

Counsellor, First Secretary,
Second Secretary, Third Secretary,
Adviser, Attaché
Support Staff

Red D

White D

Observers
Head of Observer delegation

Gold O

Observer delegates

Red O

UN Entities
SG/Deputy SG

No badge (escorted)

UNDP Administrator

Yellow S

Under-Secretary-General (USG)

Yellow S

Assistant Secretary-General (ASG)

Yellow S

Directors D1 and D2
Professional Staff P1-P5

White S

General Service Staff G1-G8White S

Civil Society
Accredited NGOs

Brown N

Affiliated NGOs

Brown AMedia
Accredited press

White P

Affiliated press

Green P32

2 PARTICIPATION AND CREDENTIALS

33

The General Assembly at Work

3

3 The GA at Work
During a session, the GA considers all items on its agenda.
“Considering” an agenda item usually includes debating the item
and adopting one or more resolutions and/or decisions. Much of
the work of the GA follows a cycle of debate, decision, implementation and reporting.
Debates of an agenda item are informed by reports submitted by
the Secretary-General, a subsidiary body of the GA or anotherprincipal organ. The resolutions or decisions adopted can include
policy recommendations and identify actions to be taken by
Member States and by the UN System. Resolutions/decisions
can request further Secretary-General reports.

The cyclical work of the GA
Drafting of reports
Cycle ofSG reports

Request for reports

Submission of reports

1 Inclusion of the item in
the GA Agenda

5 Closing of the item

Cycle ofconsideration of
agenda items

4 Adoption of resolutions anddecisions (optional)

3.1

2 Opening of the item

3 Debate of the item

3.1 The GA Agenda
Establishing and adopting the agenda is the first order of businessin each GA session. The agenda must be adopted by Friday of
the first week of the GA session for any subsequent meetings totake place. Most of the more than 170 items on the agenda areconsidered on a regular basis, and only a few new items are added
or deleted each year.
In establishing the GA agenda, the UN Secretariat first compiles
a series of preparatory documents leading up to the draft agenda(see Appendix II). Then, the General Committee discusses thedraft agenda and submits its recommendations to the GA, which
adopts the agenda.

36

Agenda items
The UN Secretariat compiles a preliminary list of mandated,recurring and new agenda items.

PGA’s baptism
by fireMandated agenda items are mentioned in the Charter, the GA
Rules of Procedure or GA resolutions establishing subsidiarybodies. They are, for example, reports by the principal organs of
the UN, reports by the subsidiary bodies of the GA, elections tobe held, and all items pertaining to the budget.

At the first formal General
Committee meeting, thePGA reads out the list of allagenda items proposed forthe session. This can takeseveral hours.

Recurring agenda items have been called for in previous GA
resolutions. A request for a Secretary-General report is considered
an implicit request for the inclusion of the item in the agenda of afuture session. The GA regularly makes efforts to rationalize andstreamline the agenda. This can be done by making the itema “sub-item” under a related agenda item, by considering the item
only every second, third or fourth year or by deleting the item fromthe agenda altogether.
New agenda items can be proposed by a Member State, one ofthe other principal organs of the UN, or the Secretary-General.
The list of agenda items is organized under headings that
correspond to the biennially approved “Priorities of theOrganization”, which can be summarized as follows:• promotion of sustained economic growth and sustainable
development in accordance with the relevant resolutions of
the General Assembly and recent United Nations conferences• maintenance of international peace and security• development of Africa• promotion of human rights• effective coordination of humanitarian assistance efforts• promotion of justice and international law• disarmament• drug control, crime prevention, and combating international
terrorism in all its forms and manifestations• organizational, administrative and other matters

The role of the General Committee
The General Committee formally meets for the first time the
day after the opening of the new GA session (see sections 1.5
and 5.1). It usually works by consensus. If it decides by a vote,a simple majority rule applies. All Member States can attend
the meetings of the General Committee. Non-members of theCommittee who have proposed new agenda items can participate
in the relevant discussions. They cannot vote.
During its first meetings, the General Committee discusses thedraft agenda and the organization of the session and immediately
submits its report to the GA. This report contains recommendations on the inclusion of agenda items, on the allocation of agenda
items and on the organization of work of the GA.

3 THE GA AT WORK

37i

Recommendations on the inclusion of items
The mandated standard items and recurring items are always
recommended for inclusion in the agenda.
Newly proposed items can be recommended for rejection or forinclusion in the agenda. Some items are included with an understanding that no consideration will take place until further notice.
Others can be recommended for inclusion in a future session.
Finally, the consideration of the proposal can be postponed to alater date.

Introducing a new agenda item
The formal submission of an agenda item is done by letter,accompanied by an explanatory memorandum (called an“annex”) and possibly a draft resolution. Member States
address the letter to the SG. The SG and the other principal
UN organs address the letter to the PGA.
Only items of “urgent and important character” can be proposed less than 30 days before the opening of the session.
New items proposed during the session are rare and their
inclusion in the agenda is individually approved, usually basedon a recommendation by the General Committee.

Non-GA meetings
in the GA Hall!

When not in use by the GA,
the GA Hall is a UN conference room like any otherand can be used for non-GA
events. Such events only lookand feel like GA meetings,
but they are not.

Recommendations on the allocation of items
Each agenda item is allocated to a Main Committee of the GA(see Chapter 4) or to the Plenary. There are no set rules. The allocations are based on well-established practice, and agenda items
almost never “change committees.” The allocation of new items
is decided on a case by case basis.
Occasionally, an agenda item is allocated to more than one Main
Committee, or to both a Main Committee and the Plenary. In suchcases, the General Committee recommends in detail which aspectof an item should be considered by which body.
Recommendations on the organization of work of the GA
The General Committee suggests time frames for the work of
the Main Committees, recommends voluntary time limits forspeeches by Member States, and makes suggestions about otherorganizational matters based on the GA revitalization resolutions.

Opening and closing of the GA agenda
The adoption of the agenda opens all items for consideration.
Items are usually closed by an oral decision whenever theirconsideration has been completed. Some items remain open
until the last day of the session. Reopening a closed agenda
item requires a separate GA decision.

38

3.2

3.2 GA Meetings
A GA session consists of a number of GA meetings. A standard
GA meeting lasts three hours. Two plenary meetings can be scheduled on a given day. The morning meeting takes place from 10 a.m.
to 1 p.m. and the afternoon meeting from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The
only regular exceptions are the meetings of the general debate(see section 5.3).
Extending GA meetings incurs additional costs for interpretationand technical support. Extensions are very rare and granted onan ad hoc basis by the interpretation team at the request of thesecretariat.

Formal and informal meetings
There are two types of GA meetings, formal and informal. Both the
Plenary and the Main Committees, as well as working groups and ad
hoc committees, hold formal and informal meetings.
Formal GA meetings consider only the items on the GA agenda.
Debates, the adoption of resolutions/decisions and elections
always take place in formal meetings. All formal GA meetings aregoverned by the GA Rules of Procedure. All formal GA meetings
held during a session are numbered consecutively.
Informal GA meetings are held for a variety of purposes, such as
briefings by the Secretary-General or the PGA, briefings by other
UN entities, interactions with civil society, thematic debates, consultations and negotiations. Informal meetings are not governedby the GA Rules of Procedure, but are often guided by them. No
decisions can be taken in informal meetings.

Open and closed meetings
In addition to being formal or informal, a GA meeting can be open
(also called a “public meeting”) or closed (also called a “private
meeting”). All GA meetings are open unless decided otherwise. In
recent years, formal meetings have always been open.
Open meetings are open to Member States and Observers, UN
entities and civil society representatives, members of the generalpublic, and the media. Attendance can be constrained by security
measures and by seating availability. Open formal plenary meetings are webcast, and meeting records are available online (seeAppendix V).
Closed meetings are attended by Member States, Observers, andinvited participants. There are different levels of restriction: themost restricted closed meetings are only attended by Member
States, the Holy See, the State of Palestine and the EU. A GA
meeting is closed either by a provision in a GA resolution or by anoral decision. Some GA meetings, such as Secretary-General briefings and consultations on Security Council reform, are traditionallyclosed, and a formal decision to close them is not taken every time.

3 THE GA AT WORK

39

Many names for
GA meetings!

Although there are only two
types of GA meetings, formal
and informal, a variety ofpurely descriptive terms is inuse, particularly for informal
meetings. Examples are “interactive debate”, “panel discussion”, “thematic debate”,“roundtable”, “dialogue”, andmany more.

The Journal of the UN indicates which meetings are open andwhich are closed. However, a decision to close an open meetingcan be taken during the meeting.

The cost of meetings
The UN budget includes provisions for two GA plenary meetings(formal or informal) on any given working day. This includes all
conference services such as interpretation, documentation,
meeting support and technical support. There are separate
provisions for Main Committee meetings.
Any GA meeting held in parallel with another GA meeting will
incur additional costs, due in particular to the additional interpreters and technical support staff needed. These are called“conference service implications.” Parallel meetings occur
almost exclusively during the high-level week (see sections
5.2 through 5.4).
The cost for one day of two additional GA meetings with fullconference services is around 30,000 USD on a weekday,
and close to 80,000 USD on a weekend (security costs notincluded). Sundays are more expensive than Saturdays. Costs
can be cut by forgoing press releases (about 3,500 USD) andwebcasting (close to 1000 USD). Due to the additional security
requirements and the extended length of meetings during thegeneral debate, the costs for a day of general debate taking
place on a weekend can be more than 600,000 USD.

Who convenes GA meetings?
Formal GA meetings
By adopting the agenda, the GA mandates the PGA to convene
all formal plenary meetings required for the consideration of theitems on the agenda. The PGA can convene additional formal
plenary meetings under an existing agenda item if a situation warrants it. For example, he/she could convene a meeting under oneof the humanitarian relief agenda items when a natural disasteroccurs. By a separate resolution/decision, the GA can mandate
additional formal meetings such as high-level meetings (seesection 5.4) and commemorative meetings (see section 5.7).
A Member State can request a formal plenary meeting to beconvened without reference to an agenda item if its Head of State(but not its Head of Government) wishes to address the GA.
In the Main Committees, the Chair convenes formal meetings asnecessary to accomplish the Committee’s work.
The Secretary-General cannot convene formal GA meetings.
Informal GA meetings
In general, informal GA meetings are convened by the PGA or
the Chairs of the Main Committees. The GA occasionally mandates
an informal plenary meeting by a resolution/decision.
40

A Member State or the Secretary-General cannot convene an informal
GA meeting, but can suggest to the PGA/Chair to do so. The
decision is up to the PGA/Chair, who sometimes consults Member
States on the issue.

How are GA meetings scheduled?
Both the Plenary and the Main Committees have a programmeof work containing the schedule of formal meetings taking place
during the main part of the session. Agenda items allocated to a
Main Committee are scheduled both in the Plenary programme ofwork and in the Committee programme of work (see Chapter 4).
GA programme of work (Plenary)
The first draft of the GA programme of work including the schedule of plenary meetings of the GA during the main part of the session is issued in July as part of the Secretary-General’s report on“Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly.” In the weekof the general debate, the PGA circulates a note containing thefinal programme of work. The programme of work is constantly
being reviewed and updated to reflect the progress of work in theMain Committees, the schedule of the PGA, and the meetings ofother principal organs.
Whenever possible, formal GA meetings are scheduled on
Mondays and Thursdays. Given the tight timetable for SecretaryGeneral reports and GA documents, it is almost impossible tomove a scheduled plenary meeting to an earlier date. Postponing
meetings is easier. On all scheduling questions concerning the
Plenary the PGA is the final arbiter.
Informal meetings are not included in the programme of work.
They are scheduled as needed, based on the availability ofconference services. They are announced in the Journal of the
UN and, depending on the occasion, through a letter or a noteverbale from the PGA or the Office of the PGA sent to Missions
per email.
The Journal of the UN
The daily Journal of the United Nations contains the most
up-to-date information on meetings scheduled at the UN in
New York. It also includes procedural summaries of and links
to the documents considered in formal meetings. Printed
and online versions are available, the latter also on Twitter(@Journal_UN_ONU). For more information see Appendix I.
Requests to have an informal meeting listed in the Journal
must be made to the editor at journal@un.org by no later
than 6:30 pm the previous day.

3 THE GA AT WORK

41

Missed a meeting?

i

The Department of PublicInformation (DPI) posts press
releases online for every open
formal GA meeting as well as
for thematic debates about
two hours after the meeting(see www.un.org/news). The
press releases are not formal
records but they provide an
excellent summary of themeetings. Consult Appendix
V to see what meeting record
is available for what type of
meeting, where it is available, and how soon after the
meeting it can be expected.

42

1 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND ITS PRESIDENT

43

3.3

3.3 Conduct of Business
The proceedings of all formal GA meetings are governed by therules set out in the section “Conduct of Business” in the GA Rulesof Procedure. The PGA and the Chairs of the Main Committees
with the support and advice of DGACM ensure compliance withthese rules.
During a meeting Member States can request the application ofa specific rule or they can raise a point of order to complain if they
deem a rule is not being complied with.

Requesting the flooriDelegations press the buttonon their desk console torequest the floor. The name of
the Member State will thenappear on an electronic list
viewed by the President andthe Secretariat. To cancel arequest, the button is pressedagain.

The explanations in this and the following sections are offered as
guidance. The GA Rules of Procedure are the only definitive sourceon the conduct of business.

Role of the Office of Legal Affairs (OLA)
OLA can be called upon by the PGA/Chair or by a Member Stateto provide clarification on any question pertaining to the GA Rulesof Procedure. As the GA is the master of its own procedures, OLA
only gives advice and does not make definitive pronouncements.

Addressing a point of order
If a Member State raises a point of order, the proceedingsof the meeting are interrupted and the point of order isaddressed immediately as follows:• the PGA/Chair rules on the point of order and the meeting
continues• a Member State can challenge the ruling• DGACM or OLA may be requested to provide clarification on
the specific provision in the GA Rules of Procedure• in rare cases, the challenge is put to a vote, carried by asimple majority; there is no debate on the point of orderand there are no explanations of vote• the meeting continues based on the outcome of that vote.
Points of order can also concern complaints about meeting
services such as the temperature in the room, interpretation,
documentation and the functioning of microphones. These do
not require a ruling by the PGA/Chair.

44

Rulesconcerning
allformal
formalmeetings
Rules
concerning all
GAGAmeetings
Quorum The quorum is the number of Member States who need to bepresent for the PGA/Chair to open a meeting and for the GA to takedecisions.
The quorum for opening a GA meeting is one third of the Member
States in the Plenary and one fourth of the Member States in theMain Committees. This rule is usually waived at the beginning of asession, based on the recommendation of the General Committee.
The quorum for the adoption of resolutions/decisions and elections(see section 3.6) is a simple majority of Member States.

Point of order Points of order can be raised by Member States at any point in themeeting.

Suspension A meeting can be suspended for a limited amount of time upon theof a meeting request of a Member State or by the PGA. A suspended meeting is
usually resumed on the same day.

Adjournment A meeting can be adjourned upon the request of a Member State orof a meeting by the PGA. An adjournment calls a meeting to a close. Any continued consideration of an item will take place at another meeting
usually on another day.

Adjournment Adjournment of debate ends parts or all of the consideration of theof debate agenda item concerned. This can mean ending the debate, blocking
action on a specific draft resolution/decision or ending the consideration of the item as a whole (i.e., closing the item for the remainderof the session).
Member States requesting adjournment of debate specify which partof the consideration is to be ended.
The motion to adjourn debate is put to an immediate vote, carried bya simple majority, after a maximum of two delegations have spoken
in favor and two against.
The term “no-action motion” is used when a motion for adjournment

No-action motion of debate is made to block action on a specific draft resolution ordecision.
(Rules 83–91 of the GA Rules of Procedure apply).

3 THE GA AT WORK

45

3.4

3.4 Debating GA Agenda Items
The consideration of an agenda item starts with a debate in a formal meeting. Only one debate is scheduled for each agenda item,
either in the Plenary or in a Main Committee, with the exceptionof the few items allocated to more than one Main Committee orto a Main Committee and the Plenary. Once closed, a debate isusually only reopened if a new report is submitted or if a situation
has changed. Related items can be the object of a joint debate.
The length of debates varies from less than one full meeting toseveral days.
No delegation makes more than one statement in the same
debate, with the exception of explanations of vote and the rightof reply.
The PGA is free to speak in the Plenary whenever he/she chooses,
but usually only makes statements on items of particular importance to him/her. The PGA addresses the Main Committees on theinvitation of their Chairs.
The general debate at the beginning of the GA session is usually
the first debate of the session and — with the exception of thehigh-level meetings — the only one in which Heads of State andGovernment regularly participate (see section 5.3 and section 5.4).

“Takes note of”i

The Genesis of an SG report
A GA session generates an average of 250 requests for SG
reports, which are produced on a tight schedule. The basic
steps are as follows:

When the GA “takes noteof” a report in a resolution,
it acknowledges that it hasreceived it. “Takes note” isa neutral term and does notindicate approval or disapproval of the report’s content
or recommendations.

• in January DGACM designates the author departments incharge of producing drafts• depending on scope and mandate, the author department
consults with Member States, other UN entities and within
the UN Secretariat• the draft is cleared by the Office of the SG• ten weeks before the GA considers the related agenda item,the draft is submitted to DGACM. This gives DGACM
four weeks to translate, edit and circulate the report. The“six-week-rule” requests that all official documents beavailable in the six official languages at least six weeks
before a meeting.
This timeline makes it almost impossible to move a GA meeting to a date earlier than scheduled. Information on the statusof the preparation of reports can be found in an addendum to
the GA draft programme of work for the upcoming session,
published in July.

46

Documents and reports
The debate on an agenda item is informed by all documents andreports requested and submitted under that agenda item. For any
given agenda item, several reports may be submitted.
When are reports introduced?
The introduction of a report is an oral presentation of the content
by its author. In the Plenary, reports are not introduced, with the
exception of the Secretary-General’s report on the “work of theOrganization” at the beginning of the general debate and thereports by the principal organs (Security Council, ECOSOC, andthe International Court of Justice), which are introduced by theirrespective Presidents.

Find GA documentsi

All documents listed underan agenda item are available online in the Official
Document System (ODS, see
Appendix III). Hard copies
are only made available forformal plenary meetings taking place in the GA Hall. Main
Committee documents are
not available as hard copies.

The heads of the Human Rights Council and the International
Atomic Energy Agency present reports based on a specific resolution or agreement. The heads of the International Criminal Court,
International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia and International
Residual Mechanisms for Criminal Tribunals (residual issues ofthe former International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda) do nottechnically introduce reports, but address the Plenary as the first
speaker in the debate.
In the Main Committees, the author departments may be invited
to introduce the Secretary-General’s report in a formal meeting.
Also, subsidiary bodies and experts who have a formal invitation or
mandate to report to the GA introduce their reports. The introduction of a report may be followed by “question time” before thedebate of the item begins.

Statements and speeches
The speakers list
The speakers list for all debates opens on the day the agenda isadopted and remains open until the PGA or the Chair of a
Main Committee recognizes the last speaker for the debate on
a given item.

Check againstdelivery

Before the debate takes place, Member States and Observers
register for the speakers list by contacting the secretaries of the
Plenary or of a Main Committee by phone, through e-Speakers, or
via letter or email. The Delegate’s Handbook includes all contact
details (see Appendix I). During the debate the Member States
approach a GA Affairs officer, sitting next to the podium, to add
their names to the list.
The speaking order in formal meetings is as follows: First, visiting
Heads of State and Government or government Ministers speak,followed by the chairs of groups of Member States, speaking
on behalf of the whole group (e.g., G-77, NAM), and the EU.
Individual Member States follow on a first-come, first-served
basis. Delegations can agree to switch speaking slots as long as
they let the GA Affairs Officer know in advance. With the exception of the EU, Observers speak after the Member States. The
general debate follows a different order (see section 4.3).
3 THE GA AT WORK

47

Paper copies of statements
often bear the disclaimer“check against delivery”
to allow for last minuteadjustments and changes.
The official verbatim recordof the meeting reflects the
speech as delivered (seeAppendix V).

iGet that picturei

At every formal plenary
debate in the GA Hall, UN
Photo takes a picture andvideo of each speaker. Visuals
are available at the UN Photo
Library online or at theiroffice upon presentation ofa valid ID.

Length of speeches
There is a 15-minute time limit for speeches in the Plenary and in
the Main Committees. For the general debate the time limit (traditionally also 15 minutes) is agreed upon at the beginning of eachsession. The PGA can call a speaker to order if he/she exceeds theagreed time limit.
Some of the Main Committees agree on shorter time limits, with
an implicit tolerance for longer group statements. Due to time
constraints the speaking time during high-level meetings is often
limited to five minutes. Experience shows that speakers in suchmeetings tend to take closer to nine minutes on average.
Distribution of speeches
Delegations are urged to provide at least 6 paper copies of thetext of a statement to interpreters and record keepers before thespeaker takes the floor, and a minimum of 30 paper copies to aconference officer before the meeting.
Statements can be circulated electronically through the PaperSmart
Portal. PaperSmart services are available for all plenary meetingsand some informal GA meetings. To be circulated electronically intime, statements have to be sent to the Secretariat at least one
hour prior to delivery.
Some Member States provide paper copies of the text for distribution in the room while the statement is made. In the Plenary
300 copies must be provided to conference officers, in Main
Committees 250. Paper copies of statements are generally distributed only in formal meetings. In informal meetings distribution
depends on the availability of conference services.
Speeches are not automatically uploaded on the GA website. Thisis done only for the general debate. All speeches in formal Plenary
meetings are webcast and verbatim records are provided (seeAppendix V).
Language and interpretation of speeches
Simultaneous interpretation of speeches is available to and fromall six official UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French,
Russian, and Spanish). If a speaker wishes to deliver his/herstatement in any other language, the delegation must provide
either its own interpreter or a written translation of the text in
one of the six official languages. In the latter case, the simultaneous interpretation into the other five languages will be based onthat written text.
English and French are the two working languages of the UN
Secretariat. In most cases, English or French will be the relay
language between that of the speaker and of the listener (e.g.,a speech delivered in Arabic may first be interpreted into Frenchand only then into Chinese). Making a speech available to interpreters in advance greatly helps them do their work and ensuresaccurate interpretation.

48

Rules Concerning GA Debates
Speeches
Right of reply

No Member State may address the GA without the permission of
the PGA/Chair. The PGA/Chair may call a speaker to order.
A Member State can request to reply to a statement of anotherMember State. The request is made to the GA Affairs officer
handling the speakers list, who will notify the PGA/Chair.
The right of reply can also be requested in response to a statement
made under the right of reply or an explanation of vote. A Member
State cannot request the right of reply more than twice on the same
agenda item on a given day.
The first intervention is limited to 10 minutes, the second to 5
minutes. A statement under the right of reply is given from thefloor at the end of the debate or at the end of the day.

Closure of the listof speakers

During a debate, the PGA/Chair can declare the list of speakers
closed, if no Member State objects.
After the closure of the list of speakers, the floor is given only tothe remaining speakers and to Member States requesting the rightof reply.

Closure ofdebateA Member State may request closure of debate at any time, regardless of whether or not everyone on the list of speakers has spoken.
The request is put to an immediate vote, carried by a simple majority, after a maximum of two delegations opposing the closure havespoken. If the motion passes, the PGA declares the debate closed.
Otherwise, the PGA declares the debate closed after the last speakerhas been given the floor.
Usually, it is the main sponsor of a draft resolution/decision who
requests the closure of debate to ensure that the adoption of
the resolution/decision is not delayed.

(Rules 83–91 of the GA Rules of Procedure apply).

3 THE GA AT WORK

49

50

1 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND ITS PRESIDENT

51

3.5

3.5 GA Resolutions and Decisions

Consensus vsunanimityi

In the GA, a decision made byconsensus does not require avote. A unanimous decision
is a decision on which all
Member States present votethe same way.

The debate of an agenda item is usually followed by the adoption of resolutions/decisions. GA resolutions reflect the degree ofintergovernmental agreement, the evolution of political ideas andthe state of global cooperation on a given topic.
This section deals with the process leading to the adoption of aresolution or decision. It involves drafting a text, tabling a draft
resolution and deciding (“taking action”) on it. Various forms of
consultations and negotiations take place during the process in
an attempt to reach consensus or at least get as close as possible
to it.

GA resolutions and GA decisions
GA resolutions and GA decisions have the same legal status.
GA resolutions reflect the views of the Member States, provide policy recommendations, assign mandates to the UN
Secretariat and the subsidiary bodies of the GA and decideon all questions regarding the UN budget.
With the exception of decisions regarding payments to theregular and peacekeeping budgets of the UN, GA resolutions/decisions are not binding for Member States. The implementation of the policy recommendations contained in resolutions/decisions is the responsibility of each Member State.
Most resolutions are recurrent, i.e., they are adopted every
year or in a multi-year rhythm under the same agenda item.
GA decisions are divided into “elections” and “otherdecisions.” Most “other decisions” pertain to procedural
questions and are generally very short.
On simple procedural matters “oral decisions” can be taken.
An oral decision is normally proposed by the PGA or the Chairof a Main Committee and is acted on immediately afterwards.
Adoption is usually by consensus.

Drafting a resolution text
Most draft resolutions are initially written by a Member State.
Upon request, the UN Secretariat may assist Member States inthe drafting process. The Member State initiating and drafting a
resolution text is called the “sponsor” of the resolution, or the“main sponsor” if there are co-sponsors. As recurrent resolutions
contain only few changes from year to year, sponsors are strongly
encouraged to to use track changes to highlight the parts of thetexts that are different from previous resolutions.
Sometimes, reports of the Secretary-General or of a subsidiary
body contain recommendations for draft resolutions.

52Co-sponsoring
Upon invitation of the main sponsor, Member States canformally express their support for a draft resolution by“co-sponsoring” it. Co-sponsoring is done electronically,
through the e-deleGATE portal (see Appendix I).
The “L-document” (see below) lists only the delegations who
co-sponsor the draft before it is submitted to the Sectetariat
for processing. An addendum to the “L-document” lists
Member States who co-sponsor between the text’s submission
and adoption. Their names are read out by a GA Affairs Officer
before the adoption of the resolution. The list is closed immediately after the resolution is adopted.
All co-sponsors will be included in the verbatim record of themeeting of the adoption. However, the list of co-sponsors is
not part of the final published version of the resolution.
There are no co-sponsors of GA decisions and of draft resolutions/decisions tabled by the PGA.

Tabling the draft resolution (L-document)“Tabling” is a technical term for formally submitting a draft resolution text to the GA. The GA Rules of Procedure refer to draft
resolutions as “proposals.”
Only Member States or the PGA can table draft resolutions. Whena group of Member States tables a resolution, it is usually done by
the group’s chair on behalf of the group.
A draft resolution must be tabled under a specific agenda item.
This is possible from the moment the GA agenda is adopted. No
resolution can be tabled after the agenda item is closed, unlessthe GA formally decides to reopen it (see section 3.1). It is recommended that all draft resolutions be tabled before the debate on
the respective item takes place.
To be tabled, the draft text needs to be submitted in person to a
GA Affairs Officer in the GA Hall during any formal GA meetingor at the DGACM offices. The submission must include one
electronic version and one hard copy of the draft text, signed
and dated on every page. Before submission, main sponsors must
initiate the text for e-Sponsorship in the e-deleGATE portal if theywant co-sponsors to appear on the L-document.
The text also must indicate the agenda item under which the draft
resolution is tabled. The draft text is considered formally submitted
when the submission certificate has been signed by the sponsor
and DGACM.
Once tabled, the text is formatted by the secretariat into an official
GA document, called an “L-document”, which is translated into all
six official languages and circulated to all Member States. The secretariat requires a minimum of two full business days to process

3 THE GA AT WORK

53

L-documenti

The “L” in L-documents
stands for “limited
distribution.” In the era
before email, hard-copiesof L-documents were only
distributed to the Permanent
Missions and not sent toMember States’ capitals.

Resolution numbers!

When a draft resolution ordecision is tabled, it is given
an L-document number. Once
adopted, the final version,
which may have been amended, is given a different document number and may not be
available for several weeks.
Until then the L-document
number remains the relevant
reference number.

a draft resolution. L-documents of the Plenary are listed on the GA
website.

Consideration and action on a draft resolution
Once issued as an L-document, a draft resolution/decision can beconsidered by the GA. This means that the L-document is introduced and a decision on its adoption is taken. The latter is called“taking action.”
DGACM will consult with the sponsors to decide on the date of
the formal plenary meeting that will consider the L-document. If
there is more than one resolution introduced under the same agenda
item, the resolutions are scheduled for action in the order they weretabled. Until action is taken, the main sponsor can withdraw thedraft resolution/decision anytime, as long as no amendments havebeen proposed by another Member State. A withdrawn draft resolution can be reintroduced by another Member State.
The “24-hour rule” requires that a draft resolution be circulated
to all Member States on the calendar day preceding the meeting scheduled for its consideration for adoption. This rule can bewaived by an oral decision.
Formal introduction of the L-document
At the formal meeting considering the L-document, the sponsorof the draft resolution/decision can introduce the draft text,
summarizing its content and purpose and pointing out possible
spelling errors and other mistakes. The introduction can befollowed by action on the draft resolution/decision. Taking action
can also be deferred, if further consultations and negotiations
are warranted. Usually there is no action on resolutions/decisions
before the debate on the agenda item has been concluded.

Voting on resolutionsi

Voting on resolutions/decisions is done electronically.
The results are displayed onwall panels.
In conference rooms without
electronic facilities, voting
takes place by a show ofhands or by “roll-call”: thename of each Member Stateis read out and delegations
answer “yes,” “no” or“abstention.”
Roll-call and voting by showof hands are very rare.

In the Plenary, Member States do not make statements in
response to the introduction of the L-document, with the
exception of exercising the right of reply or if the debate on theitem continues. Upon action on the draft resolution, explanationsof vote can be made.
Taking Action
A draft resolution/decision can be adopted by consensus or by avote. Decisions in the GA are taken by simple majority or by a
two-thirds majority. The GA Rules of Procedure list “ importantquestions” requiring a two-thirds majority:• maintenance of international peace and security• the admission of new members• the suspension and expulsion of members• all budgetary questions.
The GA decides by a simple majority to include additional issues
among the “important questions.”
A majority is calculated based on the number of “memberspresent and voting” (i.e., casting an affirmative or negative vote).

54

Rules Concerning the Adoption of GA Resolutions/Decisions
Decision on A Member State can request a decision on whether the GA has thecompetence competence to adopt a draft resolution/ decision on a given issue.
The decision is carried by simple majority.

Voting on It is assumed that all tabled draft resolutions/decisions will be
resolutions adopted without a vote. A vote must be requested. Usually the
PGA/Chair is informed of a vote beforehand.

Voting on Amendments to a tabled draft resolution/decision are either formallyamendments submitted and issued as L-documents by the day before thescheduled action, or proposed orally from the floor, if no Member
State objects.
If there are several amendments proposed, the PGA/Chair decides on
the sequence of consideration. If amendments are adopted, the draft
resolution will be considered as “draft resolution L.XX as amended.”

Voting on A Member State can request a separate vote on parts of a draft
paragraphs: resolution before the adoption of the whole text. This can pertain to“paragraph vote “parts of a paragraph, an entire paragraph or several paragraphs.

“division of proposal”

If challenged, the request for a paragraph vote will be put to an
immediate vote, carried by a simple majority, after a maximum of“separate vote”
two delegations have spoken in favor of and two against the request.
“divided vote”

A paragraph vote will be immediately followed by the consideration of
the whole draft resolution/decision. Adoption without a vote remains
the assumption.
If all operative paragraphs are rejected, the draft resolution/decision isconsidered rejected as a whole. These cases are rare.

Explanation of vote Before and after action is taken on a draft resolution/decision,

Member States can explain their vote or — in the case of an adoption
by consensus — their position. The main sponsor and the co-sponsors
of a draft resolution cannot make explanations of vote.
An explanation of vote concerning a paragraph vote is made only after
action is taken on the whole resolution/decision.
Member States are asked to refrain from making explanations of voteon the same draft resolution/decision in both the Main Committee
and the Plenary unless their vote has changed.

Reconsideration A Member State may request the reconsideration of a resolution orof an adopted decision during the same GA session.
resolution/decision

The request will be put to an immediate vote, carried by a two-thirds
majority, after a maximum of two Member States have spoken
against the request.

(Rules 83–91 of the GA Rules of Procedure apply).

3 THE GA AT WORK55

Abstentions are not counted as “voting.” For majority requirements in elections see section 3.6.
In the case of a tie in the Plenary, the vote is repeated once. The
draft resolution/decision is rejected if the second vote also results
in a tie. In the case of a tie in a Main Committee, the draft resolution/decision is rejected without a second vote.

Negotiation and consultation practices
There is a myriad of practices for consulting Member States on a
draft resolution or decision before its formal adoption. Three basicmodels can be distinguished.
Negotiations before tabling
The main sponsor consults with Member States and holds informal
negotiations on the draft before tabling the “best version possible.” This allows for action to be taken immediately after the
introduction of the L-document. This is the normal practice in the
Plenary.

What is a PBI?

i

PBI is the acronym for “programme budget implications.”
A PBI is a statement preparedby the UN Secretariat
detailing the administrative,
financial and programmatic
implications of the adoptionof a draft resolution. The
colloquial expression “thisdraft resolution has a PBI”
means “the implementationof this resolution would
involve expenditures not yet
included in the programmebudget.” Draft resolutions
sometimes use the phrase“within available resources”
in order to avoid PBIs.
However, this does not oblige
the Secretariat to refrainfrom issuing a statement
on PBIs, as there are limits
to what can be absorbed in
the existing budget of the UN.
All draft resolutions with PBIs
must be considered by the Fifth
Committee before they can be
adopted by the Plenary.

Negotiations after tabling
In the Main Committees, draft resolutions or decisions are usuallytabled without prior consultations. After the introduction of the
L-document, informal negotiations take place, led by either themain sponsor or by a facilitator appointed by the Chair of a Main
Committee (for details see Chapter 4).
PGA-led consultations
GA resolutions can mandate the PGA to lead consultations ona specific issue or on resolutions/decisions such as an outcome
document or the modalities for a high-level GA event. In suchcases, the PGA appoints one or more Permanent Representatives
as facilitators.
If consensus is reached, the PGA can table the resolution/decisionin his/her name. If no consensus is reached, a procedural decision
is adopted, sometimes requesting further consultations at a futuresession of the GA.

56

Compilation texts
During consultations, the facilitator or sponsor of a draft resolution can circulate “compilation
texts” that reflect the evolution of the negotiations and the different positions of Member Statesin detail. After each round of negotiations, revisions of the text are compiled.
This illustration shows the standard elements for compilation texts. Please note that theexample given here is completely fictional.

Compilation Text as of 21

October 2016 (Rev 3)

Third revision of thecompilation text

The General Assembly,(Alt)
Alternative
text to replace
the original
paragraph

PP1 Reaffirming its previous
resolutions relating to theissue of chocolate, includin
resolutions 46/77 of 12 Decgember 1991 and 63/309
of 14 September 2009;
PP2 Recognizing the roleof the General Assemblyin addressing the issue of
Chocolate, in accordancewith the Charter of the Uni
ted Nations;
PP2 (Alt) Recognizing also
the need to further enhance the role, authority,
effectiveness, and efficienc
y of the General Assembly; [Proposed: Liechtenstei
n]OP1 Takes note of the repo
rt of the Secretary-Gener
al on “Chocolate for All”;
OP2 Expresses its support
for the active ongoing [Replace:EU] promotion of Swiss[Delete: EU, G-77] chocola
te for the physical and mental [Add: ROK] well-beingof people.

[Square brackets]
Attribute proposals
to Member States

OP3 calls upon the Secretar
y-General to mainstream
the use of chocolate by prov
ing chocolate in all meeting
ids as a tool to increase hap
piness throughout the Uni
Nations system and its ope
ted
rational activities.

(bis)
Additional
paragraphs(bis, ter, quat,
quin, etc.)

OP3 (bis) Recognizes the
positive contribution ofincreased consumption
chocolate to the economy
ofof cocoa farmers in develop
ing countries.
[proposed: G-77 / suppor
ted: Mexico]
OP4 Encourages Member
States to promote the con
sumption of chocolate.
[Comments: US, JPN, CAN
Z will get back on the paragraph after checking
with their Ministry of Hea
lth]
OP5 Decides to declare 202

0 the International Year of

OP6 Requests the Secretar

Chocolate. (agreed ad ref)y-General to submit a repo
rt on the implementation
present resolution includinof theg recommendations for futu
re action at the 84th sessionof the GA. (agreed)(agreed)Paragraphs on whichconsensus has beenreached1
GENERALASSEMBLY AND ITS PRESIDENT
3 THE GAAT WORK

57“agreedad referendum”
Paragraphs thathave been agreed onin principle but are
awaiting a final “ok”
from delegations

“Formal informals”
and “informal
informals”!

Negotiations and consultations on draft resolutions/decisions take place ininformal meetings.
“Formal informals” are informal
GA meetings convened by afacilitator appointed by the
PGA or a Chair. These meetings may have interpretation,
depending on availability.
“Informal informals” areconvened by the mainsponsor or by a facilitator.
Technically, “informal informals” are not GA meetings.
There are no meeting records
and no interpretation.

Making a GA resolution
All GA resolutions relate to a GA agenda item, have a title, andcontain a number of preambular paragraphs (informally called“PPs”), followed by a number of operative paragraphs (informallycalled “OPs”). The two illustrations on pages 57 and 60 show how
a text evolves during negotiations, and how it looks as a GA resolution after adoption in the Plenary..
“Agreed language”“Agreed language” refers to paragraphs, sentences, or expressions that are part of previously adopted resolutions/decisions.
“Agreed language” is often the fallback position if no agreement on
new text can be reached. “Agreed language” from subsidiary bodies of the GA with smaller memberships does not have the same
standing as language from GA resolutions/decisions. “Agreed
language” from a resolution that has been adopted by consensus
carries more weight than language from a resolution that has been
adopted by vote.
“Silence procedure”
At the end of negotiations on a resolution, when a tentative
agreement has been reached, delegations may need to get final
approval from their governments. The draft resolution is declared
to be“in silence procedure” for a specified time. If no Member
State puts forward an objection by the given deadline, the draft
text is considered “agreed.”

Adopted GA resolutions
Once adopted, the resolution will be issued as a GA document inall six languages and published on the Official Documents System(ODS — see Appendix V). Decisions are also available on the
e-deleGATE platform soon after they are adopted. The definitivereference for all resolutions and decisions adopted during a session is called “Official Records of the General Assembly — sessionxx”, which is always assigned the document number A/xx/49. It is
published after the end of the period covered and contains three
volumes:

Mistakes in the finali• Volume 1: all resolutions adopted in the main part of the session.
• Volume 2: all decisions adopted in the main part of the session.
• Volume 3: all resolutions and decisions adopted during theresumed part of the session.

Any technical mistake foundin the final version of an
adopted resolution mustbe brought to the attentionof the General Assembly
Affairs Branch of DGACM.
Depending on the gravityof the mistake, the resolution
may be “re-issued fortechnical reasons.”

58

GA Resolution
All GA resolutions relate to a GA agenda item, have a title and contain a number of preambularparagraphs (PPs) followed by a number of operative paragraphs (OPs). PPs list related resolutions
and make reference to the larger context. The present or past participle of a verb is generally
used. PPs are not numbered. OPs deal mainly with the substance. They are numbered.
OPs can “request” action by the SG or subsidiary bodies and “invite”, “urge” or “encourage”
action by Member States.
This illustration shows the different elements of a GA resolution. Please note that the example
given here is completely fictional.

A/RES/74/333

United Nations

Distr.: General9yblGeneral Assem

Agenda item
under which
the resolution
has beentabled15 December 201

sion
Seventy-fourth ses
1
Agenda item 11

eral Assembly

ted by the Gen

Resolution adop
[on the report ofDate of thesubmission
for issuanceof the final
version of theresolution

Reference, if theitem has been
allocated to a
Main Committee

ittee (A/74/444)]

the Second Commocolate for theomotion of ch
74/333 The prbeing of people
llwe
al
nt
me
physical andNumber and title

Document symbol

embly,The General Ass

Preambularparagraphs(PPs).

Operative
paragraphs(OPs).

includingue of chocolate,relating to the iss
09;
vious resolutions d 63/309 of 14 September 20
pre
its
ing
rm
Reaffir 1991 anof 12 Decembe
ue of chocolate,resolutions 46/77
addressing the iss
ral Assembly in
ne
Ge
the
of
e
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60

Number and dateof the formal
plenary meeting
when theresolution was
adopted3.6

3.6 Elections and Appointments
The General Assembly holds approximately a dozen elections ofMember States or individuals to various UN bodies each year.
The GA elects the non-permanent members of the Security
Council, the members of ECOSOC and, jointly with the Security
Council, the members of the International Court of Justice. The
GA also elects the members of its own subsidiary bodies. It
appoints, on the recommendation of the Security Council, theSecretary-General and elects the PGA and the Vice-Presidents(see section 1.3).

Gender

The General Assembly Affairs Branch (GAAB) in DGACM supports
all elections and maintains a website called “Candiweb”, about tobe replaced by a new system called “Unite”, which consolidates
information on candidatures and elections. For all content relating to candidacies, Candiweb depends on input from the regionalgroups and Member States.

Electoral parameters
Each of the current 193 Member States has one vote. Member
States that are in arrears with their financial contributions can besuspended from voting (see section 2.1). All elections take place informal plenary meetings. Some elections to subsidiary bodies firsttake place in the Fifth Committee and are subsequently confirmedby the Plenary.
Regional Groups and geographical representation
The distribution of seats among Member States is based on theprinciple of equitable geographical representation. In order tofacilitate balanced distribution, Member States are informallydivided into five regional groups: Group of African States, Groupof Asia-Pacific States, Group of Eastern European States, Groupof Latin American and Caribbean States (GRULAC), and Western
European and Other States Group (Group of Western European
and Other States) (see Appendix X).
For most bodies a specific number of seats is allocated to eachregional group. The chair of each regional group maintains “election
charts” containing all candidacies from that group.
While elections are intensely contested among Member States,
regional groups often agree to present the same number ofcandidates as there are seats allocated to them. This is called a“clean slate.” A regional group may choose to follow an internalrotation system for certain seats.
Majority
With the exception of the cases where absolute majorities are
required, candidates are elected by the required majority ofmembers “present and voting” (i.e., casting an affirmative or
negative vote).
Abstentions and invalid ballots are not counted as “voting.” A ballot
is invalid if it contains more names of candidates than the number
3 THE GA AT WORK

61

i

While not mandated, an
equal gender distributionof mandates and posts is
a prominent concern in the
United Nations. In the 71st
session, the GA “invited”
Member States to submit
female candidates for PGA
and expressed a need forgender balance in the Officeof the PGA.
Women are underrepresented. No woman has everbeen Secretary-General. As
of September 2017, there
were 147 male and 40 female
Permanent Representatives tothe UN in New York (6 posts
vacant).

The tie-breakerprovisioni

Under specific circumstances,
the PGA draws lots to decide
between two candidates.
The so-called tie-breakerprovision applies if there is
only one seat to be filled bya simple majority and if tworounds of balloting have been
inconclusive.
Tied votes in elections for
non-permanent Security
Council seats haveoccasionally been resolved
by an informal agreement
between two Member States
to shorten the mandate to
one year each.

Hearingsi

The 2016 selection andappointment of a new
Secretary-General (formally speaking, the SG is
not “elected”) took place ingreater public circumstances
than known heretofore. For
the first time, the General
Assembly engaged in theprocess before the Security
Council had made its
recommendation. Candidates
were invited by the PGA topartipate in an interactive
dialogue and all 13 decided to
do so. Two separate rounds of“hearings” were conducted.
The format was identical:
Each candidate gave an opening statement outlining thevision, intentions and focusof his or her term in office,followed by a question-andanswer period. The meetings
were open to Member States
and civil society, which also
participated from outside of
UN Headquarters via video
link. The discussion wasmoderated by the PGA. The
meetings were webcast by
UN TV.

of seats assigned to the regional group in question, or if all nameson the ballot belong to the wrong geographic group.
There are different majority requirements for GA elections:• a simple majority is required for the election of the PGA, theVice-Presidents, all subsidiary bodies and the appointment of theSecretary-General• a two-thirds majority is required for elections to the Security
Council and ECOSOC• an absolute majority (majority of all Member States, i.e.,currently 97) is required for elections to the International Courtof Justice and to the Human Rights Council.
Voting by ballot
Unlike votes on the adoption of GA resolutions, elections are heldby secret paper ballot.
Ballot papers are distributed to delegations present in the room.
If elections are based on a formal nomination process, the ballot
papers contain the names of the nominees. Otherwise, ballot
papers have blanks for all seats allocated to each regional group.
Once the ballots have been collected, they are counted by tellers.
Tellers are delegates called upon and supported by the Secretariat.
The PGA suspends the meeting during the counting and resumes
it to announce the results.
Voting by acclamation (clean slates)
If a clean slate is presented for an election, the secret ballot canbe dispensed of and the vote takes place by acclamation. This has
become standard practice for the election of the President andVice-Presidents of the GA and for elections to most subsidiaryorgans.

Elections to principal organs
For the election of the President and the Vice-Presidents of theGeneral Assembly see section 1.3 and 1.4.
Appointment of the Secretary-General
The Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly, on
the recommendation of the Security Council. Thus, the electionof the Secretary-General is subject to the veto of any of the five
permanent members of the Security Council (P-5). Since 1992,
it has become customary for the Security Council to base its
recommendation on informal secret test-ballots (“straw polls”).
In 2015, the General Assembly decided to conduct informal
dialogues or meetings (commonly known as “hearings”) withcandidates for the position of Secretary-General, without prejudice
to any candidate who does not participate. In 2017, the GA decided
to do the same with candidates for PGA.
No candidate for Secretary-General has ever been from one of thepermanent members of the Security Council.
62

The Charter and the GA Rules of Procedure neither specify the
duration of a term nor limit the number of terms a SecretaryGeneral may serve. To date, no Secretary-General has held office
for more than two five-year terms.
Election of non-permanent members to the Security Council
The GA elects the 10 non-permanent members of the Security
Council. Five members are elected each year for a term of two
years, and no immediate reelection is possible. The regional
distribution of non-permanent seats is as follows:• 5 seats for the African and Asia-Pacific States• 1 seat for the Group of Eastern European States• 2 seats for the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States(GRULAC)• 2 seats for the Western European and Other States GroupElection to the Security Council requires a two-thirds majority.
Elections are held separately for each regional group. If the firstround of balloting is inconclusive, the second round is limited
to candidates who received the highest number of votes. The
number of candidates going forward is restricted to twice thenumber of open seats. If necessary, this procedure is repeated
two more times.
If a candidate is not elected after three such restricted roundsof balloting, the election reopens to other States from the same
regional group for a maximum of three rounds of unrestrictedballoting. This pattern is repeated until all seats are filled. The
longest-ever election to the Security Council took place in 1979,
when over the course of eleven weeks, 155 rounds of balloting
remained inconclusive until both candidates withdrew.
Election of ECOSOC members
The GA elects the 54 Member States of the Economic andSocial Council (ECOSOC). Eighteen members are elected eachyear for three-year terms. Members can immediately be reelected.
The regional distribution of the 54 seats is as follows:• 14 seats for the Group of African States• 11 seats for the Group of Asia-Pacific States• 6 seats for the Group of Eastern European States• 10 seats for the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States• 13 seats for the Western European and Other States Group.
For three decades all permanent members of the Security Council(P-5) have continuously been members of ECOSOC. Germany andJapan have a similar membership record.
Elections are held separately for each regional group. The election to ECOSOC requires a two-thirds majority. If the first roundof balloting is inconclusive, the same procedure as described for
Security Council elections applies.

3 THE GA AT WORK63

The Arab
Swing Seati

Since 1968, there has been
an informal agreement that
one of the five African-Asianseats is reserved for an Arabstate, alternating between
the Asian and African states.
This seat is also called the“Arab swing seat.”Elections to the International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice consists of 15 judges fromdifferent Member States who serve nine-year terms and can bereelected. Every three years, five judges are elected.
Although not binding, in practice the regional distribution of the
15 seats is as follows:• 3 seats for the Group of African States• 3 seats for the Group of Asia-Pacific States• 2 seats for the Group of Eastern European States• 2 seats for the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States• 5 seats for the Western European and Other States Group.
Usually, the permanent members of the Security Council are
represented on the Court.
The nomination of candidates is not done by governments
directly but either through the respective national groups in the“Permanent Court of Arbitration” in The Hague or by similar
mechanisms. Elections are held simultaneously in the GA andthe Security Council, in both cases by absolute majority.

Elections to subsidiary bodies
The GA elects the members of its subsidiary bodies such as
executive boards, committees, commissions, councils, and othersby simple majority, unless it is otherwise specified in the resolution establishing the subsidiary body. Two examples of subsidiarybodies are the Human Rights Council and the Peacebuilding
Commission.
Election of Human Rights Council members
There are 47 seats on the Human Rights Council. Members areelected for three years and can serve two consecutive terms, after
which immediate reelection is not possible. Members are electedby an absolute majority and election by acclamation is explicitly
excluded. The number of members elected each year varies from
14 to 18.
The regional distribution of the 47 seats is as follows:• 13 seats for the Group of African States• 13 seats for the Group of Asia-Pacific States• 6 seats for the Group of Eastern European States• 8 seats for the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States• 7 seats for the Western European and Other States Group.
Candidates submit voluntary pledges and commitments for thepromotion and protection of human rights in advance of theelections. A Council member that commits gross and systematic
violations of human rights may have its rights of membership
suspended by a GA decision of two-thirds of all Member States.

64

Election of Peacebuilding Commission Members
The Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) is a subsidiary organ of boththe GA and the Security Council. The Organizational Committee of
the PBC consists of 31 members, who serve renewable terms of
two years. The composition of the Organizational Committee is asfollows:• 7 members selected by the Security Council, including the
5 permanent members• 7 members elected by the Economic and Social Council(ECOSOC)• 5 of the top 10 contributors to UN budgets and to the UN Funds,
Programmes, and Agencies• 5 of the top 10 providers of military personnel and civilian police
to UN missions• 7 members elected by the GA.

3 THE GA AT WORK

65

Main Committees

The General Assembly allocates its work to six Main Committees
and a large number of subsidiary bodies, some of which carry thename “committee” (see section 1.5). All Member States are members of all Main Committees.
Main Comittees elect their Bureaux (1 Chair, 3 Vice-Chairs, 1
Rapporteur). Geographical representation is taken into account,often according to informal patterns that follow the patterns ofrotation decided on or suggested by the GA. The current rotation
decision of the GA covers the period up to the 73rd session. GA
guidelines propose patterns for the later years and suggest that
the Rapporteur of a Main Committee come from the Member
State that held the chair in the previous session.

4.1

4.1 The Work of the Main Committees

1, 4, 2, 3, 5, 6!

In official UN documents the
Fourth Committee is sometimes listed after the First
Committee. This has a historical reason. An unnumbered“Special Political Committee”
used to be listed rightafter the First Committee.
In 1993 the GA decided tomerge the “Special Political
Committee” and the FourthCommittee, which originallydealt with Trusteeship andDecolonization matters only.
The “Special Political andDecolonization Committee”
retains the name “FourthCommittee” but is officiallylisted in the second place ofthe Main Committees. Today
many publications list theMain Committees inchronological order.

While the GA Rules of Procedure fully apply, each Committee
has developed its own particular working methods, traditions andpractices. The Main Committees consider only the items that havebeen allocated to them (see section 3.1). On each of these items
the Main Committees adopt draft resolutions and decisions andsubmit a report to the Plenary. These reports include when theMain Committee debated the item, what official documents wereconsidered, who was invited to speak besides Member States,
and all resolutions or decisions that the Main Committee recommends to the Plenary. The processing of a Main Committee’sreports for the Plenary usually requires a few weeks.
Based on the Committee report, the Plenary proceeds without
debate to the adoption of the recommended resolutions anddecisions. If adopted by consensus in the Committee, the Plenary
decides by consensus as well; likewise, if adopted by a vote in
the Committee, the Plenary votes on the resolution or decision inquestion (see section 3.5). All Main Committee resolutions/decisions have to be confirmed in the Plenary.
In the Main Committee a simple majority decides all votes. In
the Plenary a two-thirds majority carries votes on “importantquestions” and all other questions are decided by a simple
majority (see section 3.5).
All formal meetings of the Main Committees are webcast.

Negotiating practices
Main Committee negotiations are conducted after an L-document
is introduced (see section 3.5). If consensus is reached, thenegotiated text will replace the original draft. This is done in two
ways. Either the sponsor withdraws the original L-document, anda new L-document is issued after a Bureau member has tabled thenegotiated text. Or, the sponsor submits the negotiated text as arevision of the original L-document (issued as L.xx/Rev.1). In bothcases, the resolution/ decision is normally adopted by consensus.
If the negotiations do not result in consensus, the sponsor
can either request action on the original L-document or on the68negotiated text (issued as L.xx/Rev.1). In both cases, the draft
resolution/ decision is normally submitted to a vote, often accompanied by proposals for amendments and requests for paragraphvotes.
The work of the Main Committees is facilitated by QuickPlace,a web-tool hosted by www.un.int (about to be migrated intoe-deleGATE). It provides L-documents, compilation texts, theschedule of negotiations and contact information of sponsors andfacilitators. Each Committee has its own login. In order to gain
access to the site, each delegate must have a password, whichmust be requested from the Committee secretariat. L-documentsof the Plenary are listed on the GA website.

The Main Committees’ work calendar
The Main Committees meet mostly during the main part of asession (mid-September to December). The time frame for theirwork is decided by the GA at the beginning of each session. A
programme of work for each Main Committee (i.e., the schedule offormal meetings) is issued as an information note by its secretariat
at the beginning of that Committee’s work. While the exact dateschange every year, the following parameters remain the same:• Committee work begins only after the general debate ends
• The work of the First Committee and the Fourth Committee arenever scheduled simultaneously• The Fifth Committee is always the last to conclude its work
• Usually only the Fourth and the Fifth Committees reconvene
during the resumed part of the session.
There are no meeting services or support available to a Main
Committee beyond its recess date without an approved extension.
All requests for extensions have to be formally made in writing by
the Chair of the Main Committee to the PGA, who will propose anoral decision to the GA at the next formal meeting.
During the main part of the session, the PGA meets regularly with
the Main Committee Chairs.

4.2

4.2 FIRST COMMITTEE (C1)

Disarmament and International Security
Committee
The First Committee considers disarmament and international
security matters. It is one element of the wider “UN disarmamentmachinery” that was created in 1978 by a Special Session of the
GA. The First Committee works in close cooperation with the
Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament (a permanent multilateral negotiating forum) and the UN Disarmament Commission (asubsidiary body of the GA).
Scope and organization of work
The agenda items allocated to C1 are considered under seventhematic clusters: nuclear weapons, other weapons of mass
4 MAIN COMMITTEES

69

destruction, outer space (disarmament aspects), conventional
weapons, regional disarmament and security, other disarmament
measures and international security, and the disarmamentmachinery. A joint panel discussion of C1 and C4 on security
challenges in outer space is scheduled for the 72nd session.
Schedule
An organizational meeting is usually held at the end of September.
C1 usually finishes its work by the end of October or earlyNovember.
Bodies reporting to C1• Conference on Disarmament (CD)• Disarmament Commission (DC)• Expert groups established based on a recommendation of C1
Debates and discussions
A general debate of usually eight days at the beginning of
the Committee’s work is followed by two weeks of thematic
discussions on each of the seven clusters. These include
exchanges with high-level officials in the field of arms control anddisarmament, including the Executive Secretary of the Preparatory
Commission for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization(CTBT-O) and the Director General of the Organization for theProhibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Some discussions
are organized as panel discussions. The Committee also holds
interactive discussions with the High Representative for
Disarmament Affairs (formal) and with representatives of otherdisarmament entities (both formal and informal).
The SG reports on the activities of the Regional Centers of the
Office for Disarmament Affairs (Lima, Lomé, and Kathmandu) areintroduced by their respective heads during the thematic discussion segment.
Resolutions and decisions
C1 adopts 50–70 resolutions and a few decisions annually. Abouthalf the resolutions are adopted by consensus. Usually, draft
resolutions are first negotiated parallel to the general debate in
informal meetings under the facilitation of the sponsor and tabled
when the texts are ready for adoption.
Tools
C1 is the only Main Committee entitled to verbatim records
coverage. C1 uses e-Speakers and e-Sponsorship for speakers
inscription and the introduction of draft resolutions and decisions,and an internal web board, available through the e-deleGATE
portal (the former QuickFirst) for the exchange of procedural andorganizational matters.
Side Events
Interested NGOs organize side events on specific issues.

70

Civil Society participation
On the last day of the General Debate there can be informal interactions with civil society organizations.
Elections
Chair 72nd session: Asia-Pacific States; 73rd session: Eastern
European States
Chair rotation according to GA guidelines: 74th session: Latin
American and Caribbean States; 75th session: Western European
and other States; 76th session: African States; 77th session:
Asia-Pacific States; 78th session: Eastern European States; 79th
session: African States
The Rapporteur is usually elected from the group that held thechair in the previous year.
SupportThe Office for Disarmament Affairs provides substantive support
to the Committee, and the Disarmament and Peace Affairs Branch(DPAB) in DGACM provides secretariat support.
Delegates
The heads of the delegations to the First Committee are in manycases the representatives to the Conference on Disarmament in
Geneva.

4.3

4.3 SECOND COMMITTEE (C2)

Economic and Financial Committee
The Second Committee discusses economic growth and development issues in the broadest sense. It covers part of the sameground as the Economic and Social Council, a charter organ withlimited membership.
Scope and organization of work
The agenda items allocated to C2 are organized in 11 clusters:
macroeconomic policy; operational activities for development;
financing for development; groups of countries in special situations; globalization and interdependence; eradication of poverty;
sustainable development; information and communication
technologies for development; agriculture development, foodsecurity and nutrition; human settlements and sustainable urban
development; and sovereignty of the Palestinian people over theirnatural resources. In addition, the Committee considers the issue
of global partnership on a biennial basis.
Schedule
The Committee normally begins its work in early October and aims
to conclude it in the last week of November. Short extensions areoften granted until early to mid-December.

4 MAIN COMMITTEES

71

Bodies reporting to C2
The United Nations Environment Assembly of the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Governing Councilsof the three Rio Conventions (Biodiversity, Climate Change andDesertification) and of the United Nations Human Settlements
Programme (UN Habitat) report to the General Assembly throughC2.
Debates and discussions
After a general debate at the beginning of the Committee’s work,
the individual items are debated during the first four weeks ofthe session. Immediately before general discussion of an item,
SG reports can be introduced by the author department and followed by a dedicated “question time.” The Committee also meetsannually in a joint meeting with the Economic and Social Council.
Negotiations on draft proposals are conducted throughout the
duration of the Committee’s session.
Resolutions and decisions
C2 adopts about 35–45 resolutions, mostly by consensus. The
majority of these are tabled by the Chair of G-77 and China, witha smaller number also tabled by individual States or a number ofStates. To assist negotiations, the Chair of the Committee assigns
a facilitator or co-facilitators for each draft resolution. Delegatesco-sponsor draft resolutions electronically through the e-deleGATE
portal.
Tools
The Committee has an internal web board (the former QuickPlace),
available through the e-deleGATE portal. It is used for circulationof messages from the Chair, advance drafts, information on
programme budget implications, updates to the programme, etc.
The Online Annex to the annual report of the ECOSOC Interagency
Task Force on Financing for Development provides an up-to-datepicture of the status of global development financing. It is continually updated.
Side Events
The Bureau traditionally organizes side events, usually in the formof a discussion. While GA decision 65/530 provides for a maximumof six side events at the 72nd session, the number was reduced tothree. In addition, a dialogue with the executive secretaries of thefive regional commissions is held annually.
Civil Society
Meetings of the Committee are as a rule open to participationby those possessing valid grounds passes and are also webcast.
During the 70th session, the Committee held an informal meetingwith civil society to review the agenda and methods of work.
Elections
Chair 72nd session: Eastern European States; 73rd session: Latin
American and Caribbean States72

Chair rotation according to GA guidelines: 74th session: African
States; 75th session: Asia-Pacific States; 76th session: Western
European and other States; 77th session: Eastern EuropeanStates; 78th session: Latin American and Caribbean States; 79th
session: Asia-Pacific States.
Rapporteur: no fixed rotation pattern.
SupportThe Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) provides
most of the substantive support for the work of the Second
Committee. On some agenda items, other UN entities take thelead in providing substantive support (see Delegate’s Handbook).
The ECOSOC Affairs Branch (EAB) in DGACM provides proceduraland technical advice and support. EAB also acts as the conduit for
advice on potential PBI of draft resolutions provided by the Officeof Programme Planning Budget and Accounts.
Delegates
Delegates dealing with the Second Committee often also cover
the work of ECOSOC, its subsidiary bodies and the Funds andProgrammes.

4.4

4.4 THIRD COMMITEE (C3)Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee
The Third Committee deals with human rights, humanitarian affairs
and social issues. This includes questions relating to the advancement of women, the protection of children, the treatment ofrefugees through the elimination of racism and discrimination, thepromotion of fundamental freedoms and the right to self-determination, indigenous issues and a range of social matters such as
issues related to youth, family, ageing, persons with disabilities,
crime prevention, criminal justice, and international drug control.
Scope and organization of work
Of the dozen agenda items allocated to C3, “Promotion andprotection of human rights” is considered the most important andmakes up about half of the work of the Committee.
The Report of the Human Rights Council is a shared agenda item,
i.e., allocated to the Plenary and to C3. The division of responsibility
is spelled out in the recommendations of the General Committee(see section 3.1).
Schedule
Traditionally, C3 concludes its work before Thanksgiving Day.
Bodies and mechanisms reporting to C3
There are no subsidiary bodies reporting through C3. However, theSpecial Procedures of the Geneva-based Human Rights Council(i.e., special rapporteurs, independent experts or chairs of working
groups) report to the Third Committee and engage in interactive

4 MAIN COMMITTEES73

dialogues with it. Most human rights treaty bodies are invited topresent an oral report and engage in an interactive dialogue with C3.
Debates and discussions
There is no general debate at the beginning of the Committee’swork. The agenda items are debated individually during the firstpart of its work. Immediately before the debate on an item, SG
reports are introduced by the author department and may befollowed by “question time.” Each year, interactive dialogues takeplace with the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the HighCommissioner for Refugees.
Resolutions and decisions
The Third Committee adopts about 60 resolutions. About a third
are adopted by vote.
Most draft resolutions are tabled by Member States with one or
two main sponsors and a group of co-sponsors. States co-sponsor
draft resolutions through the e-deleGATE portal. Negotiations areusually facilitated by the main sponsor.
After the tabling of the draft resolution, negotiations continue,
based on the tabled draft resolution (the L-document). The outcome of the negotiation is tabled as a revised L-document andscheduled for action. Oral amendments can be made from thefloor before the adoption of the resolution.
Tools
C3 uses PaperSmart, an online platform providing delegates withaccess to relevant documents (e.g. resolutions, statements andreports). The Committee has an internal web board (the former
QuickPlace), available through the e-deleGATE portal .
Side Events
The Bureau does not organize side events. Member States do.
Civil Society
There are no particular exchanges of C3 with civil society
organizations.
Elections
Chair 72nd session: Western European and other States; 73rd
session: Asia-Pacific States.
Chair rotation according to GA guidelines: 74th session: Western
European and other States; 75th session: Eastern EuropeanStates; 76th session: Asia-Pacific States; 77th session: Latin
American and Caribbean States; 78th session: Western European
and other States; 79th session: African States.
Following the current rotation agreement that ends with the 73rd
session, the Rapporteur is elected from the regional group thatheld the chair in the previous year.

74

Support
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
is the main substantive secretariat to the Committee. Dependingon the agenda item, other UN entities take the lead in providing
substantive support (see Delegate’s Handbook). The ECOSOC
Affairs Branch (EAB) in DGACM provides secretariat support.
Delegates
Delegations of Member States to C3 often include delegates from
capital and Geneva-based delegates to the Human Rights Council
in addition to New York-based delegates. Likewise, national delegations to Human Rights Council meetings in Geneva often includedelegates from capital and New-York-based C3-delegates.

4.5

4.5 FOURTH COMMITTEE (C4)

Special Political and Decolonization
Committee
The Fourth Committee covers a diverse set of issues, the two
major ones being “decolonization” and “the Middle East.”
Scope and organization of work
The scope of the Committee’s work includes a cluster of fivedecolonization- related items; the effects of atomic radiation;questions relating to information; a comprehensive review of thequestion of peacekeeping operations as well as a review of special
political missions; the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA); the report of theSpecial Committee on Israeli Practices; and international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space. Under the last item, ajoint panel event of C1 and C4 is scheduled to discuss challenges
to space security during the 72nd GA session.
Schedule
The work of the Committee usually runs from late September to
mid-November. The Committee reconvenes briefly in spring (after
the meeting of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations) to adopt the resolutions and decisions relating to peacekeeping. The debate on the same agenda item takes place in themain part of the session.
Bodies reporting to C4
The following subsidiary bodies report through the
Fourth Committee:• Committee on Information• Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS)• Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (also called“C-34”)• Special Committee on Decolonization (“Special Committee
on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the
Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial
Countries and Peoples”, also called “C-24”)

4 MAIN COMMITTEES75

• Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the
Human Rights of the Palestinian People and other Arabs of the
Occupied Territories• United Nations Relief and Works Agency for State of Palestine
Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)• United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic
Radiation (UNSCEAR).
Debates and discussions
There is no general debate at the beginning of the Committee’swork. All items on decolonization are debated jointly. The representatives of subsidiary bodies usually introduce their reports, and theauthor departments of SG reports can also be invited to do so.
These presentations are sometimes followed by a question-andanswer session. Petitioners (civil society representatives and otherstakeholders) are allowed to address the Committee on decolonization issues.
Resolutions and decisions
The Committee usually adopts about 30-35 draft resolutions andseveral draft decisions annually. All draft resolutions related to thequestions of UNRWA and Israeli practices and some under the decolonization cluster are adopted by vote. Draft proposals submitted
under the other agenda items are mostly adopted by consensus.
Resolutions are usually first negotiated and then tabled. When thedraft text is related to the work of a subsidiary body, the Member
State chairing the subsidiary body often facilitates the negotiationsof the text. Delegates co-sponsor draft resolutions electronicallythrough the e-deleGATE portal.
Tools
C4 uses PaperSmart, an online platform providing delegates access to relevant documents (resolutions, statements and reports).
The Committee has an internal web board, available for delegates
through the e-deleGATE portal (the former QuickPlace). It uses thee-Speakers, e-Sponsoring and e-Petitioner portals.
Side Events
Member States organize side events. The Bureau does not.
Civil Society
Civil society organizations do not participate in C4, with one exception: Under the decolonization item (“Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries andPeoples”), the Committee organizes hearings of petitioners fromthe 17 Non-Self-Governing Territories of the UN. In these hearings,
civil society organizations and private individuals can be heard.
Elections
Chair 72nd session: Latin American and Caribbean States; 73rd
session: African States
Chair rotation according to GA guidelines: 74th session: AsiaPacific States; 75th session: African States; 76th session: LatinAmerican and Caribbean States; 77th session: African States;76

78th session: Asia-Pacific States; 79th session: Eastern EuropeanStates
C4 follows the rotation arrangement outlined by the GA.
SupportDepending on the agenda item, different UN entities take thelead in providing substantive support (see Delegate’s Handbook).
The Disarmament and Peace Affairs Branch (DPAB) in DGACM
provides secretariat support.
Delegates
The delegates to the Fourth Committee are Middle East experts,
military advisers, and others.

4.6

4.6 FIFTH COMMITTEE (C5)Administrative and Budgetary Committee
The Fifth Committee prepares the GA resolutions on how mucheach Member State pays to the UN and how these resources areallocated. It considers the programme budget of the UN (biennial),
the peacekeeping budgets (annual) and human resources issues.
It also defines the share each Member State is obliged to pay
to the regular and peacekeeping budgets of the UN. These“scales of assessment” are considered in depth every three
years. The Committee is informed about the planning of Funds andProgrammes and about extra-budgetary activities of the Secretariat. The Fifth Committee is also responsible for administrative
matters. It considers management reform, governance, oversightand accountability issues.
Scope and organization of work
The GA does not decide on every aspect of UN activities, but all
decisions on the regular UN budget are to be taken by the GA. This
makes the task of C5 difficult. All draft resolutions with budget
implications must be examined by C5 before they can be adopted
in the Plenary. Therefore, it is always the last of the Main Committees to complete its work, very often in all-night and weekend
meetings. C5 considers draft resolutions on the basis of a reportby the Secretariat and an assessment report by the Advisory
Committee on Adminstrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ),a body of experts.
Schedule
C5 works in three sessions. The main part of the session ends inlate (often very late) December, as the regular budget of the UN
has to be decided on before the end of the calendar year. There
are two resumed sessions: the first one takes place in March toconsider any items not concluded in the main part of the session;
the second one, in May, is devoted to UN peacekeeping. The
Bureau meets regularly once a week during the session and one
or more times per day towards the end of the session.

4 MAIN COMMITTEES

77

Bodies reporting to C5
The following subsidiary bodies report through the Fifth Committee:• Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions(ACABQ)• Board of Auditors• Committee on Conferences• Committee on Contributions• Committee on Programme Coordination (CPC)• Independent Audit Advisory Committee (IAAC)• International Civil Service Commission (ICSC)• Joint Inspection Unit (JIU).
Debates, consultations and resolutions
C5 works differently from the other Main Committees. Relevant
reports on an item are introduced in a formal meeting, followed
by a discussion in an informal meeting. “Coordinators”, agreed onby the Bureau with respect to geographical distribution, act onbehalf of the Chair as facilitators for the respective items. Informal
consultations usually begin with a question and answer session in
the presence of high-ranking officials of the Secretariat or the UN
entities concerned. Following this, the coordinator, after consulting the secretariat, distributes a skeleton draft resolution andsets a “language deadline” by which time or date Member States
propose additional paragraphs in writing. The draft resolution isthen considered in informal consultations, also called first andsecond readings, and if no progress can be achieved, in “informal
informals.” If consensus is reached, the proposal is first adopted
informally, then tabled by the Chair and formally adopted by theCommittee.
C5 works by consensus and only rarely votes. There is no cosponsorship.
Tools
Hardcopy parliamentary documentation is provided in the meetingroom upon request. Committee members are provided access toeRoom, an electronic documentation tool, with a password given
to the Permanent Mission. eRoom is soon to be replaced.
Side Events
There are no side events.
Civil Society
There is no civil-society participation.
ElectionsC5 elects the members of the following subsidiary bodies:• The Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary
Questions• The Board of Auditors• The Committee on Contributions• The Investments Committee• United Nations International Civil Service Commission78• United Nations Staff Pension Committee• Independent Audit Advisory Committee
Chair 72nd session: African States; 73rd session: Western
European and other States.
Chair rotation according to GA guidelines: 74th session: AsiaPacific States; 75th session: African States; 76th session: Eastern
European States; 77th session: Western European and other
Sates; 78th session: African States; 79th session: Latin American
and Caribbean States.
The Rapporteur is normally elected from the regional group thatheld the chair in the previous session. Occasionally, elections of
the Bureau chair have been delayed and may take placeat the opening of the session over which they will preside.
SupportThe secretariat of C5 in the Department of Management (DM)provides substantive and secretariat support.
Delegates
Most of the delegates to the C5 are diplomats. Some delegations
include Finance and Defense Ministry staff.

4.7

4.7 SIXTH COMMITTEE (C6)
Legal Committee

The promotion, codification and progressive development ofinternational law is mandated by the UN Charter, and the Sixth
Committee is the primary forum for the consideration of international law and other legal matters concerning the UN. The highlightof the Sixth Committee’s work is the “International Law Week”
beginning at the end of October, when top Legal Advisers from
Member States’ capitals meet in New York to consider the reportof the International Law Commission.
Scope and organization of work
Issues allocated to C6 include the promotion of justice and international law, accountability and internal UN justice matters, drug
control, crime prevention and combating international terrorism.
Counter-terrorism issues are also dealt with by other UN bodies,
not all of which report to the GA.
The Committee also considers requests for observer status in
the GA.
Core items of the Committee’s work are the reports of the various
subsidiary organs, ad hoc Committees and expert bodies dealing
with legal matters under the purview of the GA. Some items are
considered on an annual basis, others biennially or triennially or
staggered over a longer period. The Committee establishes
working groups as appropriate.
4 MAIN COMMITTEES

79

Schedule
The Committee meets for about six weeks during the regular session of the GA, usually beginning its work after the general debate
and finishing in mid-November. After the regular session, the bodies dealing with legal matters under the Committee’s charge meetand report back at the next session. Occasionally, on the decisionof the GA, C6 reconvenes to address a substantive question, andit reconvenes for elections.
Bodies reporting to C6
The following subsidiary bodies report through the Sixth Committee:• Committee on Relations with the Host Country• International Law Commission• Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on
the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization• United Nations Commission on International Trade Law• United Nations Programme of Assistance in the Teaching, Study,
Dissemination, and Wider Appreciation of International Law• Ad hoc Committees established by the GA in the context of thework of C6, such as the Ad Hoc Committee on measures toeliminate international terrorism.
Debates and discussions
There is no general debate at the beginning of the work of theCommittee. All agenda items are debated one by one, following
a program of work adopted at the first meeting. SG reports are
introduced by the representative of the SG on an ad hoc basis.
The reports of subsidiary bodies, ad hoc Committees and expert
bodies are introduced by their chairs or their representatives. The
report of the International Law Commission is introduced by its
Chair, in clusters of issues. C6 also holds an interactive dialogue
with members of the Commission.The topics are identified inconsultation with Member States.
The President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has astanding invitation to address C6 during “International Law Week.”
However, there is no debate on the ICJ in the Committee, as theagenda item on ICJ is allocated to the Plenary.
Resolutions and decisions
On average, the C6 adopts about 15-25 draft resolutions anddecisions. Draft resolutions are sponsored by Member States
or coordinated and tabled on behalf of the Bureau by a Member
State. Negotiations are usually conducted as informal consultations before tabling. Draft decisions tend to be tabled by the Chairfollowing consultations with delegations.
Tools
Plenary debates are webcast. To facilitate communication among
delegations and with the Secretariat, C6 uses various tools,
such as PaperSmart, Unite Connections and a C6-website(6th commitee@un.org). Some are password-protected. The
Codification Division of OLA maintains websites relating to thework of C6 and its related bodies.

80Side Events
Two afternoons at the beginning of the “International Law Week”
are earmarked for meetings of Legal Advisers, who may discussa variety of legal issues. During “International Law Week” a lotof side events are organized by Member States, and often inconnection with upcoming elections to judicial UN bodies. Someside events are held in cooperation with non-governmentalorganizations involved in international law.
Civil Society
Participation in C6 meetings is open to organizations with
Observer Status with the GA. On some occasions where C6
was engaged in processes ruled by their own rules of procedure(for example the establishment of the International Criminal
Court), civil society participated in the Committee’s work.
Elections
Chair 72nd session: Asia-Pacific States; 73rd session: African
States.
Chair rotation according to GA guidelines: 74th session: Eastern
European States; 75th session: Latin American and Caribbean
States; 76th session: Asia-Pacific States; 77th session: African
States; 78th session: Latin American and Caribbean States; 79th
session: Western European and other States
SupportThe Codification Division of the Office of Legal Affairs (OLA)
provides both substantive and secretariat support. Before C6
begins its work, usually before the high-level week, the Secretariat,
with the support of the Bureau, organizes informal briefings on
issues before the Committee. It also assists in facilitating briefings
between sessions, including the work of the International Law
Commission.
Delegates
The delegates of the Sixth Committee are legal advisors or diplomats with solid knowledge of legal matters. About half of them
are also the counter-terrorism “focal points” of their Permanent
Missions.

4 MAIN COMMITTEES

81

Key General Assembly Events

5.1

5.1 The Opening Week

The Oath of Officei“I solemnly declare that
I shall truthfully perform
my duties and exercise thefunctions entrusted to me
as President of the General
Assembly of the United
Nations in all loyalty, discretion and conscience, andthat I shall discharge thesefunctions and regulate myconduct with the interest of
the United Nations only inview and in accordance with
the Charter of the United
Nations and the code of
ethics for the President of theGeneral Assembly, without
seeking or accepting any
instruction in regard to theperformance of my duties
from any Government orother source external to theOrganization.”

The regular annual session of the GA begins on Tuesday of the third
week in September, when its first formal meeting is held. The day
before, on Monday, the last formal meeting of the previous session
takes place.

Monday: Last formal plenary meeting of the old GA session
The last plenary meeting usually deals with a large number of
agenda items and formally closes the session. The proceedings
are as follows:• outstanding draft resolutions are acted on and the corresponding
agenda items are closed• agenda items that have not been considered and that are to be
included in the next agenda are formally deferred by an oral decision• agenda items that have been considered but have remained
open are closed in one single gaveling• the outgoing PGA makes a concluding statement, taking stock of
his/her presidency.
• the new PGA takes the oath of office.
• a minute of silent prayer or meditation is observed• the PGA ceremoniously hands over the gavel to the next PGA
and declares the session closed
Member States do not usually take the floor after the PGA’s
concluding statement.

Tuesday: First formal plenary meeting of the new GA session
The first meeting of the Plenary is quite short, typically only
45 minutes. The proceedings are as follows:• the new PGA declares the session opened• a minute of silent prayer or meditation is observed• the PGA makes a statement, outlining the upcoming work, scheduled GA events, mandates and priorities for his/her presidency

UN Daysi

UN Days (or UN Weeks, Years
and Decades) focus attention
on issues of importance tothe UN. They are establishedby a GA resolution. They arewidely observed by Member
States, civil society and UN
entities. Related formal GA
meetings and additional funding for related UN activities
have to be mandated by the
GA. A complete list of UN
observances is available on
the UN website.

• housekeeping matters are dealt with, e.g., the appointment of
the members of the Credentials Committee and the granting of
permission to some subsidiary bodies to meet during the mainpart of the session• the PGA adjourns the meeting.
Member States do not usually take the floor in the first meeting.

Wednesday: General Committee meetings
The General Committee considers all organizational matters of
the new session (see sections 1.5 and 3.1).

Friday: Second formal plenary meeting of the GA session
The second plenary meeting deals with the report of the General
Committee and adopts the agenda for the new session (see section
3.1). The moment the agenda is adopted, all agenda items areformally opened. No formal GA meeting can take place before
the adoption of the agenda.

84

5.2

5.2 The High-Level Week
“High-level week” is a descriptive term for the second week of
the GA session, when Heads of State and Government attend
the general debate. In recent years one or several GA high-levelmeetings have been scheduled during the high-level week. The
following formal meetings are scheduled in the first weeks ofthe session:

MondayTuesday
WednesdayThursdayFriday

THIRD WEEK IN SEPTEMBER
Closing of the previous session of the GA
Opening of the new GA session
General Committee meeting
General Committee meeting, continued (if needed)
Adoption of the agenda
FOURTH WEEK IN SEPTEMBER

MondayTuesday
WednesdayThursdayFridayOpening of the General Debate
General Debate
General Debate
General Debate

MondayTuesday
WednesdayThursdayFridayFIFTH WEEK IN SEPTEMBER
General Debate
General Debate
General Debate
General Debate (if needed)
General Debate (if needed)

High-level
week

i

Logistics during the high-level week

Side events

Most high-level delegations schedule bilateral meetings, groupmeetings, and side events, etc., in addition to attending thegeneral debate and GA high-level meetings. Conference rooms
are booked months in advance, and dozens of temporary cubicles(“booths”) are set up for bilateral meetings.

Side events are unofficial
events taking place at the
UN and are organized andconvened by Member States
or UN entities. Civil society
organizations can hold side
events at the UN only incollaboration with a Member
State or a UN entity. Mostside events take place in themargins of an official UN
event. Events organized by
the SG are called “SG events”
and often have high-level
attendance.

DGACM issues an information note in August on the organizational
aspects of the high-level week. There are also two very informative informal briefings in early September: one on the work of the
GA organized by DGACM, the other on the priorities and scheduleof the Secretary-General organized by the Department of PublicInformation.

Traditional events during the high-level week
Every year the Secretary-General hosts a lunch for Heads of Stateand Government on the occasion of the opening of the general
debate.
The President of the United States, the host country, traditionallyhosts a reception on the evening of the first day of the general
debate.

5 KEY GA EVENTS

85

5.3

5.3 The General Debate
The general debate is the annual meeting of Heads of State andGovernment at the beginning of the GA session — one of thehighlights of the UN year.
The general debate opens on the Tuesday after the opening of the
new GA session. The opening of the general debate is normallythe third formal meeting of the GA. The dates of the general
debate can be changed only by a decision of the GA.
According to the GA Rules of Procedure, the general debate is
to be held without interruption for nine working days. However,in practice, seven days is usually sufficient to accommodate all
speakers. The morning meeting runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., andthe afternoon meeting from 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the first day
and to 9 p.m. on the remaining days.
Due to the large number of VIPs attending, additional security
measures are taken in and around the UN premises. Access to
the UN is more restricted than usual, and only a limited numberof access passes to the GA Hall area are given to each delegation(see Appendix VIII).

The theme of the General Debate
The President-elect of the GA suggests a topic/theme of global
concern for the upcoming general debate, based on informal
discussions with Member States, the current PGA, and theSecretary-General.
Shortly after his/her election, the PGA-elect sends a letter to all
Member States announcing the theme for the upcoming general
debate and inviting them to focus their speeches on the proposed
theme.

Statements and speeches at the General Debate
The speakers list for the general debate formally opens for signingup at the end of May. Member States are informed by a noteverbale from the SG. Delegations inscribe in the speakers list
through e-Speakers in the e-deleGATE portal.
Speaking Order
The speaking order of the general debate is different from the
speaking order of other GA debates (see section 3.4).

86Speaking order of the General Debate
PGA

The PGA calls the meeting to order.

SG

The SG introduces the “Report of the Secretary-General on the workof the Organization” (technically, not part of the general debate).

PGA

The PGA opens the general debate and makes a speech.

BrazilSince the tenth GA in 1955, Brazil has always been the first Member
State to speak in the general debate (regardless of the level of representation). The practice does not extend to any other GA debates.

USA

Based on established practice, the USA as the host country is the second Member State to speak (regardless of the level of representation).

Member States

For all other Member States, the speaking order is based on levelof representation, preference and other criteria such as geographicbalance.

Observers

Only the Holy See, the State of Palestine and the EU are invited toparticipate in the general debate and their speaking slots are determined by the level of representation.

Length of speeches
Based on the recommendations of the General Committee, theGA traditionally agrees at the beginning of each session on a voluntary 15-minute time limit for statements. A set of three coloured
lights (green, yellow, and red) on the rostrum alerts speakers ifthey exceed this limit. The lights switch from green to yellow after
14 minutes and from yellow to red after 15 minutes.
During the general debate, each meeting lasts until all scheduled
speakers have spoken. Depending on how closely speakers
comply with the recommended time limit, the morning meetings
often run into the lunch break, and the afternoon meetings wellinto the night.
Distribution of speeches
For distribution of a statement during the general debate 350
copies (a larger number than for normal debates) has to beprovided in advance to the designated document receiving areaat the rear of the GA Hall. Member States can also request to havetheir statement posted on the PaperSmart portal (see section 3.4).
The right of reply
The right of reply in response to a statement is made in writing by
a Head of State. The letter is addressed to the Secretary-General,
who will circulate it to all Member States. During the general
debate, statements in exercise of the right of reply to any otherspeaker are made at the end of each day (see section 3.4).

5 KEY GA EVENTS

87

Walkouti

A delegation, or a group ofdelegations, may demonstrate their disagreementwith a speaker by getting up
simultaneously and leaving
the GA Hall during a speech.

GA-200i

GA-200 is a suite of rooms
behind the podium of the GA
Hall. GA-200 contains meetingrooms for the PGA and theSG, as well as a waiting andpreparation area for Heads
of State and Governmentand government Ministers
addressing the GA. The
renovation of GA-200 was
Switzerland’s accession gift
to the United Nations.

5.4

Navigating the general debate as a speaker
A Protocol or Conference Officer will escort speakers from theirdelegation seat to room GA-200 and guide them to the podium at
the appropriate time.
After delivering their speech, Heads of State shake hands with the
PGA and the Secretary-General on the podium. All speakers are
escorted back to room GA-200.
If a delegation is not ready or not present in the GA Hall at thescheduled speaking time, the next speaker is invited to speak.
The delegation who did not speak can reschedule with a GA
Affairs Officer.

5.4 GA High-Level Meetings
A GA high-level meeting is a GA event on a specific issue or topic
with the participation of Heads of State, Heads of Governmentand government Ministers. Because they are not part of theregular GA agenda, high-level meetings must be mandated by a
GA resolution or decision. In these resolutions/decisions high-levelmeetings are sometimes given other descriptive names. They are
chaired by the PGA. Sometimes, the outgoing and the incoming
PGA are both invited to co-chair a high-level meeting that takes
place at the beginning of a GA session.
GA high-level meetings consist of formal plenary meetings andinformal meetings and can last from one to several days.

How is a GA high-level meeting arranged?
The scope and purpose of each high-level meeting is different.
There are no firmly established practices for defining the modalities
of a high-level meeting. The following elements need to be considered: theme, date and duration, location (if not in NY), preparation,
outcome document, participation, format, cost (see Appendix VII).
The modalities are subject to the agreement of Member States.
A first proposal is usually requested from either the SecretaryGeneral or the PGA and can be dealt with as follows:• it can be accepted by a GA decision• it can be redrafted based on feedback from Member States andthen accepted by a GA decision• it can serve as a basis for further negotiations among Member
States. Such negotiations are usually led by a facilitatorappointed by the PGA and result in a modalities resolution.

When can a GA high-level meeting be scheduled?
High-level meetings are ideally scheduled during the resumed partof the session (January to mid-September). When deciding on
the date, the UN Calendar of conferences and meetings may beconsulted.

88Scheduling a high-level GA meeting during the main part of thesession (October–December) is very difficult, given the heavy
GA schedule.
Scheduling high-level meetings during the high-level week is evenmore difficult but attractive due to the presence of numerous
Heads of State and Government and government Ministers. The
following constraints need to be taken into account:• no formal GA meeting can take place before the GA Agenda has
been adopted. In practical terms, this means that no high-levelmeeting can be scheduled during the first week of the new
GA session• meetings on Saturday/Sunday will incur additional costs, and possibly have a programme budget implication (PBI) (see section 3.2)
• no two formal GA meetings can take place at the same time.
However, an informal GA meeting can take place at the sametime as a formal meeting; and two informal GA meetings cantake place at the same time. Parallel meetings will incur additional costs, and possibly have a programme budget implication(PBI) (see section 3.2)
• the date of the beginning of the general debate can only bechanged by a decision of the GA. Four days of general debate
are normally needed if Heads of State and Government are
all to speak during the high-level week
• given the high profile of the opening day of the general debate,
no other meetings are scheduled on that day• a high-level meeting can take place on any other day of thegeneral debate, but its formal parts must take place before andafter the general debate. For example, a high-level meeting could
formally open in the GA Hall before the general debate begins,and formally close in the GA Hall after the last speaker of thegeneral debate has spoken. This can be well after 10:00 p.m.
The informal parts (panels, roundtables) take place in anotherconference room in parallel to the general debate.

i

UN conferences are mandated by GA resolutions,but they are not GA events.
They adopt their own rulesof procedure and have theirown bureau and designatedsecretariat. The mandating
resolution can request the
GA to conduct elementsof the preparatory process
such as meetings of the
Preparatory Committee(“PrepCom”) or civil society
hearings. The GA may choose
to endorse the conference
outcome document.
A summit is a descriptive
term used for intergovernmental meetings attended
by Heads of State andGovernment. UN Conferences
and GA high-level meetings
can be “summits.”

5.5

5.5 Thematic Debates
Thematic debates are informal meetings of the GA convened by
the PGA. They are also called “interactive dialogues” or “interactive
debates.” Most thematic debates take place during the resumed
part of the session (January to mid-September). They usually are
one-day events, but occasionally have lasted several days. Thematic
debates often include keynote speakers and panel discussions
followed by interventions from the floor.
Thematic debates are an instrument for the PGA to create opportunities to listen to experts, to discuss new topics and to address
controversial issues outside the constraints of the formal agenda
and without the pressure of a negotiated outcome. In recent revitalization resolutions the GA has encouraged the PGA to continue

5 KEY GA EVENTSUN Conferences
and Summits

89

this practice. Most thematic debates are initiatives of the PGA
but occasionally mandated by a GA resolution/decision. Recent
thematic debates have focused on the Sustainable Development
Goals (see section 1.6). In its 71st session, the GA has requested
to limit them to “current issues of critical importance to the international community”.
The Office of the PGA takes the lead in organizing thematic
debates. There are no standard practices and many decisions areat the discretion of the PGA. Appendix VI provides practical lessons learned from previous thematic debates.

How interactive are thematic debates?
With the intention to allow for broader, more flexible and spontaneous exchanges, thematic debates are “interactive”: thespeaking order does not necessarily follow rank and status, andinterventions from civil society and UN entities are welcomed.
Ideally, speakers in an interactive setting respond to panelists andother participants.

NGLS

i

The United Nations NonGovernmental Liaison
Service (NGLS) promotes andfacilitates relations between
the UN and civil society.
NGLS is an inter-agency programme funded by a numberof UN agencies, Funds andProgrammes, private foundations and the governmentsof several Member States.
Among its many other activities, NGLS facilitates theselection and participation ofcivil society representatives
in GA meetings.

In practice there is rarely enough time for this. Also, many delegates prefer to deliver prepared statements, particularly on issues
perceived as sensitive. Yet another constraint is the often busy
schedule of Permanent Representatives, who can rarely attend ameeting from beginning to end. Sometimes, in the interest of time
the Chair may ask delegates to read abridged versions of theirstatements, and to post the longer versions on the PaperSmartportal (see section 3.4)
Experience shows that thematic debates are most successful ifsome of these practices are followed:• hiring a professional moderator who animates the debate andmanages an ad hoc speakers list
• offering to post the full speeches of participants online, allowinginterventions to be limited to comments and questions• indicating in the invitation letter that civil society representatives
and UN entities will be allowed to speak and that the standard
speaking order will not be followed• informing civil society and UN entities that neither attendance nor
an informal agreement guarantees that they will be given the floor• ensuring that all participants, including keynote speakers andpanelists, adhere to agreed time limits.

5.6

5.6 Civil Society Hearings
Civil society hearings (also called civil society dialogues) are informal meetings of the GA which can sometimes be opened by ashort formal meeting. They give civil society the opportunity
to engage with Member States on a specific issue.
Civil society hearings can be part of the preparatory process fora GA high-level meeting or a UN conference. In these cases the90hearings are usually mandated by a GA resolution. The PGA canalso take the initiative to convene a civil society hearing.
Working with the substantive office responsible for a given issue
and the Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS), the PGA
proposes a balanced and representative list of civil society participants and drafts the modalities for the event.
The format of civil society hearings often involves opening remarksby the PGA and the Secretary-General or their representatives,
followed by keynote speakers and interactive elements, such as
moderated panel discussions and exchanges with participants. All
civil society participants have the explicit right to ask for the floor.
The substantive office and/or NGLS may post speeches on theirwebsites.
Member States are consulted by the PGA on the modalities andthe list of civil society participants, usually on a non-objection basis.

5.7

5.7 Commemorative GA Meetings
Commemorative meetings are formal GA meetings on the occasionof anniversaries and remembrances. Such meetings require a GA
resolution or decision. Commemorative meetings are ceremonialin nature.
Individual Member States usually do not speak at commemorative
meetings. The standard format is as follows:• statement by the PGA• statement by the Secretary-General• statements by the Chairs of the regional groups• statement by the host country.
A formal commemorative meeting is sometimes preceded orfollowed by an informal meeting which can include statements ofMember States and prominent civil society representatives, film
screenings, and other elements.

5 KEY GA EVENTS

91

The Office of the PGA

6

6 The Office of the PGA
In executing his/her duties, the PGA is supported by the Officeof the President of the General Assembly (Office of the PGA, or
OPGA). The team supporting the PGA is also called “the Cabinetof the PGA.” Although the Office of the PGA is independent in
the execution of its mandate, for administrative purposes it is
attached to the Department for General Assembly and ConferenceManagement (DGACM). The administrative arrangements for the
Office of the PGA are subject to change and details should be
confirmed with the UN Secretariat.
There are no formal terms of reference for the Office of the
PGA. However, the GA has made many specific demands on
and recommendations to the PGA and his/her office. Its maintasks have evolved through practice, and relate to GA processes,
communication (see Chapter 6), specific initiatives and the
PGA’s travel.
The Office of the PGA:
• briefs the PGA on all issues pertaining to his/her activities• advises the PGA on GA processes• provides substantive support to PGA-appointed facilitators• drafts the PGA’s speeches• organizes thematic debates and briefings (see section 5.5)
• makes arrangements, for the PGA’s travels, including briefings
and schedule.
The work of the Office of the PGA is supported by the General
Assembly and ECOSOC Affairs Division (GAEAD) in DGACM.
GAEAD is often simply referred to as “DGACM.”
DGACM briefs and advises the PGA and his/her team on all
matters pertaining to the GA including ongoing and new mandates
given to the PGA by GA resolutions/decisions.
For each GA meeting DGACM prepares a procedural script for
the PGA and arranges for the translation of his/her speeches
and remarks.
When the PGA presides over a meeting, an officer of DGACM sitson his/her left to provide support on the proceedings throughout
the meeting (see section 1.7).

6.1

6.1. The Code of Ethics
By GA decision, the PGA and members of his/her office are to“observe the highest standards of ethical conduct” as laid out
in a “Code of Ethics”. It obliges the PGA to:• avoid the use of his/her office and its resources for private gain
• avoid conflicts between his/her interests and the interests of
the Presidency94• remain impartial• engage constructively with Member States but refrain fromreceiving instructions• show “greatest possible transparency” in discharging his/herfunctions, in “any external activity” and in commercial dealings• refrain from holding commercial offices during his/her term as
PGA.

6.2

6.2 The PGA Team
Each PGA decides on the organizational structure of his/her Officeand selects most of the staff. Over the years, the posts of Chef deCabinet, Deputy Chef de Cabinet and Spokesperson have become
standard.

Access

The total number of staff varies. In the last five years it was
between 20 and 42. Staff members come from a variety ofcountries. In the interest of enhancing the Office of the PGA’s
institutional memory, and to facilitate the transition, somestaff members are generally retained from one PGA team tothe next.

Depending on their contracts,
the members of the PGA
team have either UN staff ordelegates grounds-passes.
An additional “DGACM All
Areas” pass allows accessto GA-200.

Who can work in the Office of the PGA?
Staff in the Office of the PGA can be on four different types ofcontract: regular UN budget posts, additional UN posts fundedthrough the PGA Trust Fund, Secondees, and Associate Experts.
The rules, entitlements, and job conditions vary for the different
contract types (e.g., UN staff are not tax-exempt).
Regular UN budget posts
A total of ten posts are provided by the UN Secretariat:• four professional posts (consisting of two D-2 posts, one D-1
post, and one P-5 post) and one General Service post arecovered by the Organization’s budget. The PGA is free to selectthese staff members, but the UN’s internal criteria for post
grades should be taken into consideration. These five staff
members start receiving a UN salary at the beginning of thesession.
• two DGACM General Service staff members (one Administrative
Assistant to the President and one Administrative Assistant) are
assigned to the Office of the PGA. They liaise with DGACM on alladministrative matters. As they usually stay for several presidencies, they constitute an important part of the institutional
memory of the Office of the PGA.
• one Spokesperson and sometimes one Assistant to the
Spokesperson are provided to the PGA by the Department of
Public Information (DPI). The PGA can select the Spokesperson
based on the recommendations of DPI.
• three DGACM staff members (one P-4 post and one P-2 post)
are specifically assigned to support the Office of the PGA. All arelocated in DGACM.

6 THE OFFICE OF THE PGAi95

Additional UN posts funded through the PGA Trust Fund
Additional staff on UN contracts can be funded through the PGA
Trust Fund (see section 5.4). The selection rests with the PGA, but
UN internal criteria apply in the assessment of the post grade ofa proposed staff member.
Staff on UN contracts funded through the PGA Trust Fund start
receiving a UN salary at the beginning of the session.

Transition periodi

The transition period for the
PGA-elect starts aseveral
months before the opening of
the session. DGACM provides
support in arranging temporary offices and pays for basic
office supplies.

6.3

Secondees
Member States can second staff to the Office of the PGA.
Seconded staff are fully integrated into the Office of the PGA, but
retain their contracts and diplomatic status with the Permanent
Mission of the respective Member State. As their starting date ismore flexible than that of staff on UN contracts, secondees are
particularly useful during the transition period before the start of
the new session.
Associate Experts
The PGA can request additional support from the AssociatedExperts Programme. This programme is funded by Member States
through the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)
and gives young professionals a chance to work for the UN for two
to three years, generally in P-2 posts. The selection of AssociatedExperts rests with DESA. The Associated Experts Programme issimilar to the better known Junior Professional Officer (JPO).

6.3 Office and Infrastructure
The PGA has offices at UN Headquarters. They are located on
the second and third floors of the Conference Building. Additional
offices are on the 15th floor of the Secretariat building.
The PGA and his/her team also have use of room GA-200, adjacentto the GA Hall. The space is used primarily for the PGA’s official
meetings during the high-level week. For access restrictions see
Appendix VIII.

6.4

6.4 Technical Support
Getting the necessary technical support is crucial for a successfultransition period of a PGA-elect. The PGA’s administrative assistant is key in liaising with the service providers within the UN.
Arrangements are different for the transition period and for the
GA session.

IT Support
During the transition period, IT equipment and IT support areprovided by two different offices, the former by the Office ofInformation and Communication Technology (OICT) and the latterby the Information and Communication Technologies Service(ICTS), which is part of DGACM. During the session, ICTS provides
both equipment and support.

96

A designated desktop computer is assigned to each staff member.
Email can be accessed via smartphones and tablets, but log-in
to the full UN user account is only possible from the designatedcomputer.
Computers assigned during the transition period are temporary.
New computers are assigned when the PGA team moves into the
PGA offices on the first day of the session. Email addresses do
not change.
As the desktop computers in the PGA offices have to be reset for
the new PGA team, the allocation of office desks is shared withICTS in early September.
The email software currently used is Lotus Notes. Backups are
made each night. Lotus Notes automatically deletes any emails thatare not archived after three months. Deleted emails cannot be
retrieved. Individual exemptions from the automatic deletions are
possible, though rarely granted, by requesting a special waiver from
ICTS. Lotus Notes is about to be replaced by a new system, Unite
Mail.

Means of communication
Smartphones
During the transition period, the PGA-elect can request smartphones from DGACM for his/her staff. At the beginning of the
GA session, upon request of the Chef de Cabinet OICT provides
new smartphones with new numbers for the duration of thesession. The phone bills are charged to the regular budget of the
Office of the PGA. The PGA can determine restrictions of use
and service for staff members.
Desk phones
Each staff member has a personal desk phone. Desk phones (andtheir numbers) assigned during the transition period are temporary
and change when the PGA team moves into the PGA offices on
the first day of the session. As the desk phones in the PGA offices
have to be reset for the new PGA team, the allocation of officedesks is shared with the Executive Office of DGACM in early
September.
Com Center (fax)
The PGA circulates letters and notes verbales to the Permanent
Missions in New York through the UN’s e-Correspondence Unit.
The correspondence is sent by email to the GA Affairs Branch of
DGACM for transmission. Requests for same-day transmission
should be made no later than 5 p.m. ComCenter services are notavailable to Member States.
Mail Services
The UN Mail Operations Unit delivers inter-office mail and correspondence to the Permanent Missions within one to two working
days, or on the same day for urgent documents. External mail is

6 THE OFFICE OF THE PGA

97

The flagi

The Department of Safety
and Security (DSS) provides
the Office of the PGA withthe flag of the PGA’s homecountry as well as the flag of
the UN. Both are displayed in
his/her office throughout thesession. Flags for GA-200 areprovided by the Protocol andLiaison Service.

processed through the same unit and postage costs are charged
to the PGA budget.

Business cards and letterhead stationery
Business cards
All PGA staff members are entitled to UN business cards, provided by DGACM upon request of the Chef de Cabinet. Businesscards are produced after the desk phone numbers have been
assigned, and printing takes some time. iSeek, the intranet of theSecretariat, gives access to the “Business Card Generator” which
produces a printer-friendly PDF of a United Nations business card.
Letterhead stationery
Stationery with the letterhead of the PGA and stationery with theletterhead of the Office of the PGA are both available from the UN
printing service, upon request to DGACM, but are not available
electronically.
During the transition period, the PGA-elect may either use theletterhead of his/her Permanent Mission or create a letterheadusing the designation “President-elect of the xxth session of theGeneral Assembly.”

6.5

6.5 Funding and Finances
Funding sources
The PGA has two direct funding sources at his/her disposal:
Regular budget of the Office of the PGA
In 1998, Member States approved the establishment of an annual
budget for the Office of the PGA. The budget has not changed
since 1998, except for inflation adjustments. For the 2016/17
biennium it is $326,400.00.
The regular budget covers the PGA’s hospitality, official travelincluding travel expenses for UN security personnel accompanying the PGA and other expenditures relating to the PGA’s official
responsibilities. Mobile phone use and postage for the Office of
the PGA are also charged against this budget.
Trust Fund in support of the Office of the PGA
In support of the Office of the PGA, a Trust Fund was establishedin 2010. Member States and others may contribute to the TrustFund. So far, the Fund has mainly been used for staff costs and to
fund office travel and thematic debates. The GA wants contributions to the Office of the PGA to be channeled through the TrustFund and all contributions to the Trust Fund by Member States tobe vetted by the Ethics Office.
The Trust Fund is administered by DGACM in accordance with UN
financial rules and regulations, and all contributions are subject to“program support costs” (i.e., an overhead charge) of 7 percent. In
addition, the Trust Fund is charged 1 percent of the remuneration98

or net salary of every person that it funds. This reserve is for coverage against claims for service-incurred deaths, injuries or illness. It
is not refunded to donors.

Salary and entitlements of the PGA
The PGA is not a UN employee and does not receive a UN salary.
There is no official UN residence for the PGA.
UN Transportation provides a car and driver to the PGA for official
activities in New York.
The Permanent Mission of the PGA’s government may makearrangements for his/ her accommodation and personal expenses.
The Code of Ethics sets the rules for the PGA’s unofficial activities.

6.6

6.6 Safety and Security
The UN Department of Safety and Security (DSS) takes measures
for the protection of the PGA. Security is provided by the Security
and Safety Service (SSS) within DSS.
The level of daily protection provided to the PGA is based on a
Threat and Risk Assessment (TRA) conducted by DSS. The PGA
is entitled to a close protection officer at all times while acting in
official capacity.
When traveling on official visits, the PGA is accompanied by asecurity officer as determined by the TRA. This service is provided
by SSS, who coordinates with the Permanent Missions of theMember States to be visited. The travel expenses for security
personnel are charged to the regular budget of the Office of
the PGA.
To ensure a smooth departure from and entry into the United States,
the PGA Office informs the US State Department’s Diplomatic
Security Service of the PGA’s travel schedule and requests escort
screening courtesies (i.e., “V.I.P.” treatment) at the airport. The
State Department forwards the request to the Transportation
Safety Authority (TSA). They are separate government entities, anda State Department request does not guarantee that the TSA will
provide an escort, particularly in cases when the request is notreceived 72 hours in advance of travel. Without escort screening
courtesies, the PGA undergoes the regular airport screening.

6 THE OFFICE OF THE PGA

99

6.7

6.7 Protocol Services
The Protocol and Liaison Service provides a range of specificservices to the PGA and his/her Office, including:• advice on matters of protocol and diplomatic etiquette, as well as
on seating arrangements for meetings and social events• escort to special events taking place at UN Headquarters, suchas official ceremonies and concerts. The Chief or Deputy Chiefof Protocol walks besides the PGA and advises him/her on who
is who and where to go during the event. The Office of the
PGA is requested to advise protocol on whether the PGA will
be attending a particular event.
• protocol passes for guests and speakers at thematic debates.
The Security Event Planning Unit issues their badges uponrequest of the Office of the PGA. Government officials participating in thematic debates are accredited with the Protocol andLiaison Service upon request of their Permanent Missions via
e-Accreditation online.

The PGA’s spouse and other family members
The PGA’s spouse is issued a “gold courtesy pass” by the Chief ofSecurity. It has the same expiration date as the pass of the PGA.
If his/her spouse resides outside New York, the Chef de Cabinetof the Office of the PGA can request a “gold courtesy pass”
specifying the dates of his/her visit. Other direct family membersof the PGA (children and parents) can be issued temporary passes
to attend events at UN Headquarters upon written request of the
Office of the PGA to the Chief of Security.
The Office of the PGA is requested to inform the Protocol Office inadvance if the PGA’s spouse will be present at GA meetings andspecial events. Protocol will reserve a seat and provide an escort,
if necessary. During the general debate, the spouse of the PGA isseated in the V.I.P. section, where the spouses of Heads of Stateand Government and of government Ministers are accommodated.
At the end of his/her mandate, the PGA is entitled to a V.I.P. pass,issued by the Protocol Office and valid for five years, upon request
by the Chef de Cabinet to the Chief of Protocol before the end of
the GA session.

6.8

6.8 Official Travel
Travel by the PGA
The PGA usually visits a number of countries in his/her official
capacity, generally on a written invitation by the host governmentor by an international organization. Most of the PGA’s travels takeplace during the resumed part of the GA session.
For all official travel upon written invitation, the Office of the PGA
informs on the source of funding. If not provided by the host, it
can either be from the regular budget or from the Trust Fund (see100section 6.4). In the latter case, all airplane or train tickets must be
obtained through the UN in-house travel agency.
The Executive Office of DGACM processes the necessary travelauthorizations. The PGA is reimbursed for the expenses incurred
during the trip according to UN rules and regulations.
If on official business upon written invitation, travel of the PGA
between New York and his/her home country is reimbursedby the budget of the Office of the PGA. The PGA’s travel to UN
Headquarters at the beginning of the GA session and his travel backhome at the end of the session are not reimbursed by the OPGA
budget. Nor does the budget reimburse travel expenses of the
PGA’s spouse.
The PGA travels first class.

Travel by PGA Office staff
The PGA determines the size of his/her delegation on official
visits. Up to two members of the accompanying team can travelon the budget of the Office of the PGA. All arrangements andreimbursements of costs for such travel are processed by DGACM
in accordance with UN rules and regulations (e.g., economy-classtickets for trips under nine hours or under eleven hours for multileg journeys).
Other funding sources, including from the host country or hostorganization, may be used for official staff travel. For secondees,
funding can also come from their Permanent Missions and for
Associated Experts, from the Associated Experts travel/training
budget.

Things to do during the transition period(around three months before the opening of the session):• staff selection• preparations for office transition• bilateral meetings with Member States• meetings with each regional group• meetings with key UN officials• briefing with DGACM on administrative issues and
GA procedures as well as PGA mandates for theupcoming session• meetings with the current PGA• letter to Member States on theme for general debate andon priorities for the upcoming session• informal meeting with the incoming General Committee• induction programme organized by DGACM with participationof key Secretariat offices.

6 THE OFFICE OF THE PGA

101Visa of the PGA

i

The PGA is not a UN staff
member. His/her statusderives from the Member
State that sends him/her to
UN Headquarters. The PGA’s
accreditation with the hostcountry is the responsibilityof the Permanent Mission ofhis/ her home country. The
PGA needs a G1 visa for theUnited States.

Information and Communication

7

7 Communication
Information technologies, communication practices and channels for reaching out to get a political message across are rapidlychanging, and the UN — a large organization with complicatedstaffing and management rules — is trying to keep the pace. While
traditional means of communication, in particular radio, remain
important communication instruments in large parts of the world,
new media are replacing them in others.
The UN uses the whole spectrum of communication tools available. Radio and TV programming of the UN News Centre is produced daily in eight languages and weekly in four more. Speeches,
events and meetings are webcast online, sometimes reported
on in multimedia formats. All UN bodies have a substantial online
presence. Many UN officials, starting with the Secretary-General,
are using social media, at present mostly Twitter.

7.1

7.1 Information and Communication
The PGA is the face of the GA and its main communicator.
Communication is central to his/her role. Several GA resolutions
specifically request more public visibility of the work of the GA
and the PGA. The Department of Public Information (DPI) the
Secretary-General and the PGA work together to follow up on thismandate.
The GA also requests transparency on the activities of the PGA.
He/she is obliged to produce a written handover document for his/her successor, to preserve the records in the UN archival systemand to provide financial disclosure information in line with UN rules
at the beginning and the end of his/her term.

7.2

7.2. Communication tools
The most important tool for communicating and reaching out isthe website of the PGA. It is part of the GA website, designed by
DPI and updated by the Office of the PGA. Each PGA can choose
what information to share and is responsible for the content of
the site. Elements that have been regularly included are the PGA
press kit, pictures and names of the team members, statements
and speeches, letters, updates on thematic debates, and contact
information. Currently, the PGA website publishes detailed information about all aspects of the PGA’s activities, including staffing,
travel itineraries, expense details and origins of resources outsideof the regular budget.
The use of social media is of increased importance. Currently,
Twitter is the most prominent tool employed. The PGA’s Twitter
account had grown to almost 60,000 followers by the end of the
71st GA session. Recently, the Office of the PGA has actively
reached out to the social media community (see section 7.6).

104Other forms of communication of the PGA are speeches, statements, interviews with media, lectures and personal interactions.
The PGA communicates with Member States, with the UN
System, with the media and with the wider public.

Speeches, statements, remarks and “messages”
The most official forms of the PGA’s communication are
his/her statements and speeches. Some of the key statements
include the acceptance speech after the election, the speechat the opening of the GA session and in particular the speechon the occasion of the general debate. Speeches that are lessformal and usually much shorter are also called “remarks.”
Statements made on the occasion of a commemorative or
ceremonial event without the PGA’s participation are called“messages.” Occasionally, statements or messages are
prerecorded to be broadcast. Statements,speeches, remarks
and messages are circulated to Member States and accredited
media.
Over the course of the session, the PGA makes about 300
statements and speeches, holds press conferences, and gives
numerous interviews and lectures.

7.3

7.3 The PGA and the Member States
The PGA works on behalf of the Member States and is in constantcontact with them from the day of the election until the end of the
GA session. The PGA consults them on specific topics and informs
them of developments and initiatives. Consultations with Member
States are either part of a structured process where the PGA may
appoint facilitators (see section 3.5) or very informal, with the
PGA “taking the pulse” on a specific topic by talking with Member
States. Written communications from the PGA to Member States
include letters and notes verbales (unsigned letters written in
the third person). Currently, all letters of the PGA are sent electronically to Member States, then posted on the PGA website,
followed by a tweet notifying of the post.
The PGA is encouraged to periodically hold briefings for Member
States on his/her activities, travels and upcoming events. These
briefings are held either separately for each regional group or in asingle open-ended meeting for all Member States.

i

The Spokesperson of the SG
holds a daily press briefing
at noon in the Press Briefing
Room in the Secretariat building. The Spokesperson of the
PGA has a standing invitation
to participate in the noon
briefing.

7.4

7.4 The PGA and the Media
There are about 120 resident media correspondents accredited
at the UN. They are offered working space in the Secretariat building. In addition, more than 5,000 correspondent accreditations are
granted by the Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit each year,
about half of them for high-level week. Media can be accredited on
7 INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONThe noon briefing105

an ad hoc and temporary basis. Social media representatives are
not accredited as media correspondents.

The PGA’s SermoniEvery year, shortly after the
opening of the GA session,
the PGA is invited to delivera sermon at the Cathedralof Saint John the Divine in
New York. Traditionally every
PGA, regardless of his/her
religion, has agreed to be aguest preacher and to sharean “inspirational overview
of the value of the UN’s rolein the world”, as the invitation states.

The PGA is free to decide how to relate to the media. Most PGAs
have regular exchanges in the form of interviews, “stakeout”
appearances, formal press conferences or online media. Stakeouts
are brief encounters with the media at the end of meetings orevents. There are designated stakeout locations in front of the
GA hall, at the delegates’ entrance, and outside of the Security
Council. Press conferences are longer, more formal exchanges.
They take place in the Press Briefing Room of the Secretariat
building. Stakeout comments and press conferences are “on therecord” (i.e., can be quoted verbatim and attributed to the PGA).
All arrangements for press conferences and stakeouts are madewith the Office of the Spokesperson of the Secretary-General.
Press conferences of the PGA are often scheduled immediately
after the noon briefing. Press conferences are open to accredited
media but not open to Member States or NGOs.

The role of the Spokesperson
The PGA has his/her own Spokesperson, seconded from DPI. The
Spokesperson advises the PGA on media and communication
issues and organizes the PGA’s interactions with the media. He/
she issues press releases, liaises with the media at the UN andoutside, provides updates on the main activities of the PGA suchas bilateral meetings, events and travels, and coordinates on the
PGA’s schedule with DPI and the Spokesperson of the SecretaryGeneral. Currently, the spokesperson is assisted by a social media
expert funded from external resources.

Official coverage
Some but not all activities of the PGA are covered by DPI, which
produces press releases on all formal GA meetings and thematic
debates as well as verbatim transcripts of press briefings andpress conferences. UN TV and UN Radio cover all formal GA
plenary meetings, providing footage for interested media. OtherGA activities are covered according to available resources andnewsworthiness. All meetings covered by UN TV are webcast, andarchived online. UN Photo covers all of the PGA’s meetings with
Heads of State and Government at Headquarters. All official
pictures are available from the UN photo library. The PGA’s travel iscovered by UN TV only if the Office of the PGA pays the expenses.

7.5

7.5 The PGA and the other Principal Organs
The PGA regularly meets with the Secretary-General on current
affairs and to coordinate schedules, usually on a monthly basis,
and ad hoc if the need arises.
To ensure increased cooperation and coordination among theGeneral Assembly, the Security Council and ECOSOC, the GA
urges the respective Presidents to meet regularly. The PGA usually
meets the Presidents of the Security Council at the beginning of106

their monthly terms and sometimes issues a short press releaseon these informal meetings. The PGA meets with the Presidentof ECOSOC and sometimes the ECOSOC Bureau. Occasionally,
the Presidents of the GA, the Security Council and ECOSOC meetwith the Secretary-General for an exchange of views. The PGA
also meets with the President of the International Court of Justice(based in The Hague) when possible.

7.6

7.6 Outreach
Following the mandate to improve the visibility and the profileof the GA, the PGA reaches out to civil society. Examples are
accepting invitations to speak at select civil society events,
giving lectures at universities both in the host country and in the
countries he/she visits, engaging with Model-UN students andwriting on a topic of particular interest.
The UN Non-Government Liaision Service (NGLS — see section
5.5) provides advice and facilitates outreach to civil society
organizations.
Recently, the Office of the PGA has started to engage social media
in its outreach efforts. A number of social media “influencers”
were invited as guests of the PGA to participate in an “SDG mediazone” during high-profile GA events. Located in a tent outsideof the GA Hall, the zone offered a program of commentary andinteractive discussion about the implementation of the Sustainable
Development Goals (see page 19). It reached 30 million uniqueusers.

107

108

4 KEY GA EVENTS

109

Appendix I — Where to look it up
This list contains some useful sources of information for anyone working at, for, or with the GA.

deleGATEThe UN Telephone Directorywww.un.int
Password-protected
UN website specifically aimed at the informationneeds of delegates working at UN Headquarters
in New York. Includes links to essential information
resources as well as delegate-specific tools andcontent. Hosts some of the restricted-access content
for the GA and Main Committees (e-Speakers,
e-Cosponsoring) and Candiweb. The website includes
instructions on how to get a password.

Website of the UN Protocol Officewww.un.int/protocol

Contains information such as:• Protocol Manual• List of Heads of State, Heads of Government andMinisters for Foreign Affairs for all UN Member
States (with correct spelling and titles)• List of Permanent Representatives and Permanent
Observers• List of Senior Officials of the UN• List of communications sent to Missions by theProtocol and Liaison Service• the Blue Book (continuously updated).

Website of the PGA

www.un.org — General Assembly/President
The PGA website is a sub-site of the official GA
website. Contains press releases, PGA speeches,
travel details, letters to Member States, information
on issues and meetings and on the PGA and his/herteam.

Journal of the UN

Online: www.un.org/en/documents/journal.asp;
Facebook; email subscription; @Journal_UN_ONE;
Hard-copy: available for delegations only
One of the most useful publications for the daily workof UN Delegates. Includes:• The most up-to-date information on all intergovernmental meetings scheduled at the UN in New York• Procedural summaries of the formal meetings ofthe previous day• Links to the documents considered in formal
meetings• List of current chairs of the Regional Groups.
The Journal is issued daily in all six official
languages during the main part of the GA, and in
English and French during the resumed part.

The Blue Book (“Permanent Missions to theUnited Nations”)

Online: Protocol website (www.un.int/protocol/ );downloadable PDF
Hard-copy: issued once a year; UN Bookshop;
Protocol and Liaison Service
The directory of the Permanent Missions, Observer
Missions and Liaison Offices. Includes name, rank
and phone number of all UN Delegates (but not theiremail addresses). Updated continually.
110

Online: deleGATE (restricted)
No hard copy; available as PDF on request from
Office of Central Support Services (Administrative,
Finance and Personnel Section)
The UN staff equivalent of the Blue Book. Lists
names, office phone numbers and office addresses(but no email addresses).
Good to know: iSeek (UN intranet) provides electronic
contacts. It can be accessed from the computers in
the Dag Hammarskjold Library

The New Zealand Handbook (“United Nations

Handbook”)
Online: App (#UNHandbookApp) and as PDF (www.
mfat.govt.nz)
Hard-copy: UN Bookshop; Mission of New ZealandPublished annually by the New Zealand Government
as a reference guide to all UN bodies.
The Delegate’s Handbook
Online: www.un.int; ODS (ST/CS/60)
Hard-copy: UN document booth; DGACM
The Delegate’s Handbook is published annually by
DGACM before the beginning of the new GA session.
Contains updated practical information regarding thesession (contact details of General Affairs Officers,
conference services, facilities for delegates, etc.)

NGO Handbook (“Intergovernmental Negotiations
and Decision Making at the UN — a guide”)
Online: www.un-ngls.org
Hard-copy: UN Bookshop; NGLS

Published by the UN Non-Governmental Liaison
Service (NGLS), the NGO Handbook provides an
overview of UN processes and avenues
for civil society engagement as well as informationon the accreditation procedures. The current edition
dates from 2007.

UN “How To” App @UN-Howto

Developed by UNITAR with sponsorship by thePermanent Mission of Sweden to the UN, theinformation in this app ranges from basic administrative forms to a vast breadth of UN research tools anddocumentation. Intended particularly as a service for
LDCs, SIDS and members of FOSS.

@PermrApp (password-protected)

Photos and biographies of the Permanent
Representatives of the Member States. Developedby the Permanent Mission of the Netherlands, which
provides a password (www.netherlandsmission.org).

Appendix II — A guide to GA Agenda documents
The agenda documents for each GA session have the same document numbers which helps recognizing andsearching for the following agenda documents:

Preliminary list of items(A/--/50)

The “Preliminary list of items to be included in
the provisional agenda of the General Assembly”
includes all items proposed for inclusion in theagenda. Issued early in the year (usually in February).

Annotated preliminary list of items(A/--/100)

The “Annotated version of the preliminary list ofitems to be included in the provisional agenda of theGeneral Assembly” gives the history of each item
proposed for inclusion in the agenda, lists selected
documents from the previous session and projects
major documents (reports, etc.) to be submitted for
discussion under the individual items. Issued in
mid-June.

Provisional agenda(A/--/150)

The “Provisional agenda of the xxth annual sessionof the GA” includes all new items that have been
proposed up to sixty days before the opening of
the session. Issued in July.

Supplementary list of items(A/--/200)

The “Supplementary list of items proposed for inclusion in the agenda” includes all new items that havebeen proposed after the issuance of the provisional
agenda and up thirty days before the opening of thesession. Issued thirty days before the opening of thesession, i.e., in mid-August.

Draft Agenda contained in Memorandum of
the Secretary-General (A/BUR/--/1)

Report of the General Committee(A/--/250)

The “Report of the General Committee” (based on
the SG memorandum) includes recommendations on
the items to be included in the agenda, on the allocation of items to the Plenary or the Main Committees
and on organizational aspects of the GA session.

Adopted Agenda(A/--/251)

The “Agenda of the xxth session of the GA”, as
adopted by the Plenary, is the basis for the workof the GA session. Additions made after the adoption
are issued as Addenda to the Agenda.

Allocation of agenda items(A/--/252)

The “Allocation of agenda items for the xxth sessionof the GA” is the final allocation of items to the
Plenary or one of the Main Committees based on
the recommendations of the General Committee.
Changes or additions made after the adoption areissued as Corrigenda or Addenda to the Agenda.

Note: Numbering of agenda items

The numbering of the agenda items in the preliminary list of agenda items and the provisional
agenda can be different from the numbering in
the adopted agenda because new items proposed
may be included or rejected. The item numbers on
documents issued before the adoption of the final
agenda make reference to the item numbers of theprovisional list and not of the final agenda.

The “Memorandum of the Secretary-General on
the Organization of the xxth regular session of theGeneral Assembly, adoption of the agenda and allocation of items” is submitted to the General Committee
and is the basis for its deliberations. The memorandum includes the draft agenda. Some of the listed
items may be deleted or deferred (see section 3.1).
Issued in mid-September.

APPENDIX

111

Appendix III — GA Documents
All UN official documents carry a unique document symbol composed of numbers and letters. The different
components of the document symbol identify which principal organ and which subsidiary body the document
is associated with and indicate the nature of the document. Some recurring documents always carry the same
document number (see Appendix II). All language versions of a document carry the same symbol. The following tables explain the componens of GA document symbols and give an example for each document type.

Decoding GA document symbols
COMPONENT

WHAT IT INDICATES

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKEFirst

Principal organs

A = GA
ST = Secretariat

Secondary

Subsidiary bodyor GA committee

C1-C6 = Main Committees
BUR = General Committee

SpecialNature of the document

L. = limited distribution
RES = resolution
PV. = verbatim record
SR. = summary record
INF = information series
CRP = conference room paper

Final

Modifications
to the original text

Add. = addendum
Corr. = corrigendum
Rev. = revision

SessionSession the document was issued

A/74/ = 74th regular session
A/S-401= 40th special session
A/ES-201= 20th emergency special
sessionSequential
numberDocument number(within one
document type)

Numeric 1-9999

DOCUMENT TYPESYMBOL

DECODED

Reports

A/74/447

Document number 447 of the74th session of the GA

Resolutions

A/RES/74 /333

Resolution 333 adopted at the74th session of the GA

Draft resolutions

A/C.2/74/L.44

Draft resolution 44, tabled in theSecond Committee during the74th session of the GA

Meeting records

A/74/PV.33

Verbatim record of the 33rd formal
Plenary meeting during the 74th
session of the GA

A/C.3/74/SR.6

Summary record of the sixth formal
meeting of the Third Committee
during the 74th GA

Examples112

Key GA information documents:

UN Documents (www.un.org/en/documents)

At the beginning of each session a number of information documents are published in preparation for
the upcoming session.

UN Documents is the umbrella website for all
document-related queries with links to UN-I-QUE,
UNBISnet and UN ODS.

• “Opening dates of the forthcoming regular sessionof the General Assembly and dates of the general
debate” (usually A/INF/xx/1 — issued by the UN
Secretariat).

UNBISnet: UN Bibliographic
Information System• “Programme of work of the General Assembly:
schedule of plenary meetings” (contained in anote by the PGA).
• “Arrangements for the general debate of the xxth
session of the General Assembly, United Nations
headquarters: Information note for delegations.”• “Revitalization of the work of the General
Assembly: Report of the Secretary-General.”
The report also contains an Addendum “statusof documentation for the xxth session of theGeneral Assembly” as well as the “draft programme of work of the xxth General Assembly.”

Where to find UN Documents:

Most searches for recent GA documents can be done
online. The Dag Hammarskjöld Library provides anonline research guide for UN documents as well as
training courses and research assistance.

APPENDIXUNBIS is the catalogue of UN documents and publications indexed by the UN Dag Hammarskjöld Libraryand the Library of the UN Office at Geneva. It also
hosts two specialized searchable databases: “Index
to Speeches” and “Voting Records.” UNBISnetis the most comprehensive search engine for UN
documents.

UN ODS: UN Official document System

ODS is the official UN document repository and provides full text search of all official documents issued
since 1993 and all resolutions since 1946. Digitizationof older documents is ongoing.

UN-I-QUE: United Nations Info Quest

UN-I-QUE is a search tool specifically designed tosearch for the document symbols of reports of arecurring nature and the document symbols for GA
general debate speeches (e.g. the reports of theMain Committees). It does not provide links to theactual documents.

113

Appendix IV — Formal and informal GA meetings
This table summarizes information contained in sections 3.2 and 3.4.

FORMAL MEETING

INFORMAL MEETING

PGA, Committee Chairs.

PGA, Committee Chairs, Facilitators,
Co-chairs, etc.

Consideration of items on the GA agenda.

Various, including thematic debates,
consultations and negotiations.

The GA Rules of Procedure apply.

The GA Rules of Procedure do not
apply but often inspire the way themeetings are conducted.

Scheduling

All formal GA meetings are scheduled in
the GA’s programme of work, and updates
are announced in the Journal of the UN.
Only one formal meeting can take place ata time (see section 3.2).

Whenever possible, scheduled when there
is no formal meeting at the same time.
Meetings are announced in the Journal of
the UN or by a note from the PGA/Chair.

Location of
Meeting

GA Hall (default location for Plenary
meetings).

Large conference room.

Chair
Purpose
Rules

Designated conference rooms (default
location for Main Committees meetings).

Position of
Speakers

In the Plenary, speakers make statementsfrom the rostrum but speak from the floor
on procedural issues.

Speakers speak from the floor.

In the Main Committees, all speakers
speak from the floor.
Seats are assigned for the duration of
the session.

Seating can be assigned or open.

Speakers

Only the PGA, SG, Member States, andObservers speak in the Plenary. Other
speakers require a GA decision to address
the Plenary and an invitation to address theMain Committee.

It is at the Chair’s discretion to also givethe floor to UN entities and/or civil society
representatives.

Speakers
list

A formal speakers list is maintained.

An ad hoc list is maintained during themeeting. The speaking order is usuallybased on the order of requests fromthe floor.

Meetingrecords

Official records.

No official records — the PGA may choose
to issue an unofficial summary after informal meetings such as thematic debates.

Secretariat
support

Full meeting support.

Depends on the nature of the meeting.

Languageused

Very formal and ceremonial.

Simpler.

Seating114

Appendix V — Meeting records
All formal GA meetings are consecutively numbered. The meeting number can be found in the
Journal of the UN. Dates and numbers of meetings are key to finding records.

Official records

Other records

Verbatim records (PV)Verbatim records (also called “procès verbal”) areword for word records of what is said during a formal
Plenary or First Committee meeting. Verbatim records
are prepared by the Meeting and Publishing Division
in DGACM and are available on the Official Document
System (ODS) several months after the meeting.

Press releases
DPI prepares summaries of all formal GA meetings
and thematic debates for the press. Press releases
are available one to two hours after the meeting on
www.un.org/en/unpress.

Summary records (SR)
Summary records are summaries of proceedings
and statements made during a formal meeting of theGeneral Committee or of a Main Committee (except
the First Committee). Summary records are preparedby the Document Division in DGACM and are available on the Official Document System (ODS) several
months after the meeting.
Voting records
Voting records are distributed to all Member Statesin the General Assembly Hall immediately after thevote. Copies can also be obtained from DGACM or
online at http://www.un.org/en/ga/documents/voting.
asp. The verbatim records of the meeting contain theofficial records including clarifications by Member
States if their vote was not recorded as intended.

APPENDIXPGA summaries
The PGA may prepare and circulate a summary ofa thematic debate. Such summaries are usuallyavailable on the PGA website a few weeks after
the event.
Audiovisual coverage
All open formal GA Plenary meetings are covered by
UN TV and available as live streams and subsequently
on-demand on http://webtv.un.org/. Sound recordings
in all six official languages are also available uponrequest from the Meetings and Publishing Division
in DGACM. Informal meetings are not verbatimrecorded. Their webcasting is subject to ad-hoc
negotiations between OPGA and DPI.
Journal Summaries
The Journal of the UN contains procedural recordsof all formal GA meetings of the previous day. The
procedural records are prepared by the Secretariat
unit supporting the meeting and include a summaryof proceedings including who spoke, who exercised
the right of reply, etc.

115Appendix VI — The organization of thematic debates
The information and recommendations below draw on the experiences and lessons learned over thelast few years regarding the timeline and the logistics of organizing thematic debates. The timeline
is a generic example based on a mid-April scheduling of a thematic debate.

Timeline
September/October
Select idea/topic
November
Select substantive
partner

December
Draft concept paper

Draft programme
January
Prepare list of panelists

Brainstorming, consideration of related UN events and documents, discussions
with key actors etc.
For most thematic debates, the PGA’s Office works with a substantive partner
who has the necessary expertise and provides support on the topic. Past
partners include the UN Secretariat, other UN entities, civil society organizations,
think-tanks, etc.
A short concept paper (1–3 pages) spells out the scope and the main issues tobe addressed. Often, a first draft is jointly prepared by the substantive partner
and the PGA office.
The draft programme outlines the format, the number of panels, keynote
speakers, possible side events, etc.
Possible panelists and keynote speakers (and alternates, in case first choices are
not available) are identified.

Set dateand book room

Possible dates are discussed with DGACM to avoid scheduling conflicts withother UN events and to ensure the availability of conference rooms and aninterpretation team. This is a good occasion to discuss logistics.

Update website

The PGA’s website is used to give advance notice of the upcoming thematic debate.

Invite panelists

Invitations to panelists and keynote speakers are issued as letters from the PGA.

March
Invite Member States
Invite other participants(if applicable)
Meet with DGACM
April
Announce debate in
the Journal

Member States are invited by a letter from the PGA (which may include background documents).
Invitations to other participants such as civil society representatives arecoordinated by the PGA Office with the substantive partner and/or the
Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS).
A week before the event, DGACM convenes a coordination meeting with all
involved meeting support units.
The Journal of the UN announcement is usually published about a week before
the thematic debate.

THEMATIC DEBATE TAKES PLACE
Circulate summary

May
Send summary as
an official document

A PGA’s Summary of the event, usually drafted by the substantive partner, canbe circulated to Member States shortly after the thematic debate has takenplace and can be posted on the PGA website.
It is possible to issue the summary as an official GA document in the six official
languages. This requires an accompanying note by the PGA. Translation andpreparation will take time.

116

Logistics
Secretariat support
DGACM provides procedural support and technicalservices, protocol services, interpretation, conference room services, and assistance to the PGA/Chairduring the meeting.
Venue
Thematic debates are usually held in larger conference rooms, with smaller conference rooms sometimes used for workshops or roundtables associatedwith the debate. Not all conference rooms have thesame facilities (see Appendix IX).
Participation and access
Thematic debates are informal meetings and it is at
the discretion of the PGA to invite UN entities, civilsociety and the media.

Member States and Observers can be requested toregister. If there are more registrations than seats,
a selection will be made based on a drawing of lots,
a set of criteria (geographic representation, genderbalance, etc.), or on a“first-registered, first-served
basis.” Registered and confirmed participants can pickup their event passes in front of the conference room
or in a designated area.
Tickets or event passes do not give access to the UN
grounds. They are to be used in addition to groundspasses, protocol passes or day passes.
The office of the PGA can also request an overflow
room for thematic debates, which will be allocated on
an as available basis. There may be additional costs
involved.

Most thematic debates are open meetings and all UN
grounds-pass holders can attend. The PGA usually
approves a proposed list of other participants whowill be given day passes to attend the event.

Seating arrangements (Podium)A representative of DGACM is seated to the left of
the PGA on the podium. For opening segments where
the Secretary-General or his/her representative
participates, he/she is seated to the right of the PGA.
There are no more than seven seats on the podium.

Day passes have to be obtained from security, or
guests can be signed in as escorted visitors by PGA
Office staff (see Appendix VIII). Protocol will organize
passes for Ministers and VIP guests.

In most cases, keynote speakers and panelists haveto move to different seats during different parts of the
programme. Conference Services can assist with theseating arrangements.

Seating arrangements (floor)
The limited seating capacities in the conference
rooms severely restrict attendance and require eithera pre-arranged allocation of seats or close monitoringof the number of participants who enter the room.

Media Coverage
For each thematic debate, the PGA decides on thelevel of media coverage. A closed thematic debate
has no media coverage. An open thematic debate
may have some or all of the following: audio-visual
coverage, media presence in the room, press conferences or press stake-outs (see section 6.2).

Although there is no obligation to follow the formal
assigned seating arrangement (with name plates)
during an informal meeting, thematic debates tend
to do so.
The remaining seats in the conference room are distributed among Observers, UN entities, civil society,the invited panelists and their entourage, VIPs, andspecial guests of the PGA.
It is recommended that Conference Services be
involved early in the planning, as they can adviseon the number of seats needed. If the number of
expected participants from civil society is likely tosignificantly exceed the number of available seats,
UN Security requires crowd-control measures. The
three most common ones are:First-come, first-served: Security will allow a certain number of civil society representatives to enter
the room, based on the order in which they arrive.
This is the case for most thematic debates.
Ticketing: Security will prepare a pre-determined
number of tickets for civil society participants. Someof these are given in advance to selected civil society
representatives and the rest are handed out at thedoor of the conference room on a first-come firstserved basis.
Registration: If a large civil society turnout is
expected, all participants with the exception of
APPENDIX

Panelists and keynote speakers
Travel and accommodation for panelists and keynote
speakers are arranged by the Office of the PGA
through the Executive Office of DGACM or sometimes directly through the substantive partner.
Cost
As long as thematic debates are not taking place inparallel with another GA meeting, there are no additional costs for regular conference services (includinginterpretation and webcast). However, there are othercosts associated with thematic debates:• travel and accommodation for keynote speakers
and panelists• additional conference services that may be needed,such as manual camera coverage (in rooms without
automated camera coverage), interpretation into
non-UN languages, mobile microphones, etc.
• “overflow rooms” for additional participants• lunch for keynote speakers, panelists, and VIP guests.
The PGA’sTrust Fund can be used for the financing ofthematic debates (see section 6.4).
All travel and accommodation arrangements for
keynote speakers and panelists funded through theTrust Fund are subject to UN rules and regulations.
Exceptions (such as flight upgrades) have to berequested individually.
117

Appendix VII — Modalities of high-level meetings
The information below draws on previous modalities resolutions for GA high-level meetings. The list is notcomprehensive, and modalities resolutions do not have to address all of the elements mentioned.

Scheduling
Date and duration
In a first step, often two to three years in advance the
GA decides during which session a given high-levelmeeting will take place. The exact date and durationis then agreed on in a subsequent GA decision (seesection 5.4).
Location
The default location for high-level meetings is UN
Headquarters in New York. A GA resolution/decision
is required if the high-level meeting is to take placeelsewhere. Holding it at a different location will incur
significant additional costs.

It has become common practice for the PGA toappoint two facilitators (one from the North and one
from the South) to conduct the negotiations on theoutcome document with Member States. Outcome
documents can be called “Political Declaration,”“Action Plan”, “Review” or can have any other descriptive names.
Non-negotiatedHigh-level meetings can also have a non-negotiatedoutcome in the form of a “summary.” This option isoften chosen when the high-level meeting complements another ongoing intergovernmental process.
The modalities resolutions may specify the author of
the summary (usually the PGA) and indicate how thesummary is going to be transmitted to other (ongoing) intergovernmental processes.

Preparations and support
Preparatory process
A high-level meeting may include a preparatory
process. The GA resolution may mandate someof the following:• consultation process on the detailed modalities of
the high-level meeting (e.g., requesting the SG to
include a proposal in his/her report, requesting the
PGA to hold consultations, etc.)• consultation process for drafting and developing theoutcome document (e.g., requesting the PGA to
consult Member States or to submit a first draft, etc.)• holding of civil society hearings or dialogues• holding of regional consultations
The resolution may also request the PGA to finalize“outstanding organizational matters” — i.e., anything
not covered in the resolution.
UN support
For each high-level meeting, a UN focal point (usually
the UN Secretariat but sometimes another UN entity)
is designated to provide substantive support.
The UN focal point coordinates the other UN entities
involved in the preparations (side events, substantive inputs in SG reports, etc.) and oversees thelogistics of the organizational arrangements alongwith DGACM.
The UN focal point supports the Chairs and Co-chairsof the round-tables, panels etc.

Outcome document
NegotiatedIf the high-level meeting has a negotiated outcome
document, the modalities resolution usually requests
the PGA to conduct consultations and may also
specify where the first draft text will originate.

118

Participation
Member States
The modalities resolution may indicate the anticipatedlevel of participation of Member States (e.g., Heads
of State, Heads of Government, ministerial level, etc.).
If there are parts of the high-level meeting withlimited participation (e.g., roundtables), the modalities
resolution may spell out criteria for the distribution ofseats among regional groups.
Member States can be assigned roles as Chairs or
Co-chairs of the informal parts of the high-level meeting. The distribution of roles is traditionally based onequitable regional representation. Ideally, the criteria
for the selection of Co-chairs are specified in themodalities resolution. This prevents last minute complications such as deciding on how to distributefour Chairs of roundtables among five regional groups.
Observers
If there are parts of the high-level meeting withlimited participation (e.g., roundtables), the modalities
resolution may spell out criteria for the the participation of Observers.
Participation by UN entities
The modalities resolution may extend an invitation to
UN entities to participate in the high-level meetingand define the criteria for the selection of UN entities
who can attend and those who can speak at themeeting. The UN focal point usually deals with the
UN internal selection of participants on behalf of
the PGA.
Civil society participation
In most high-level meetings the participation of civilsociety is welcome. The modalities resolution may
define the criteria and the process for the selectionof civil society representatives who can attend andthose who can speak at the meeting.

The UN focal point or the Non-Governmental Liaison
Service (NGLS) can be requested to convene a “civilsociety task-force” to propose a list of possible civilsociety participants for the consideration of the PGA.
The PGA will then consult with Member States,
usually by circulating the list and setting a deadline forany objections. Depending on the scope of the meeting the task-force may be requested to propose one
list for the whole event or several lists for different
parts of the event.
High-level meetings consist of a series of formal andinformal meetings and the same rules for civil society
participation apply as for regular GA meetings (seesection 2.4).

FormatOpening/Closing plenary (formal)
High-level meetings are opened and closed in aformal GA plenary meeting by the PGA.
If the opening or closing includes speakers other than
the PGA and the Secretary-General (or his/her representative), the modalities resolution must specify
who the other speakers are.
The closing plenary meeting may include oral summaries of roundtables or panels by the respective Chairsor Co-chairs.
Plenary debate (formal)
A plenary debate is a formal meeting where Member
States and Observers make statements. It is very
similar to the general debate.
The modalities resolution may include:• the length of statements• specific arrangements for the speakers list
(stipulating the order of precedence)• whether civil society representatives are to be
included in the speakers list.
Enough time needs to be allowed for all Member
States to be able to speak.
Roundtables (informal)
Roundtables (“thematic interactive roundtables”)
usually focus on a specific aspect of the topic of thehigh-level meeting. The themes for roundtables may
be included in the modalities resolution.
Roundtables are chaired or co-chaired by Member
States and can have limited, usually predeterminedparticipation: the number of Member States fromeach regional group and the number of Observers,
UN entities, and civil society participants are decided
some time before the meeting.
Roundtables do not have a formal speaking order.
Depending on the Chair and the mandate, civil society participants can be included in the discussion.

the closing meeting) to present an oral summary of
the roundtable.
Interactive dialogue (informal)
An interactive dialogue is a form of informal plenary
debate where the Chair or Co-chairs can give the floor
not only to Member States and Observers but also
to representatives of civil society and UN entities.
In addition to the Chair or Co-chairs, there may also
be one or more keynote speakers. The modalities
resolution may define the theme of the dialogue andthe participation.
Interactive dialogues do not have a formal speaking
order, and, depending on the Chair and the mandate, civil society participants can be included in thedebate.
The Chair or Co-chairs of an interactive dialogue canbe asked to report back to the formal Plenary.
Panel discussions (informal)
Panel discussions are moderated by Member States,
and include two or more panelists. A discussion
among panelists is followed by an interactive debatewith Member States, Observers, and civil society.
Occasionally, there have been “panel discussions”
without any panelists. The modalities resolution may
define the theme of the discussion as well as theparticipation.
Panel discussions do not have a formal speaking order,
and, depending on the moderator and the mandate,civil society participants can be included in thedebate. Panel discussions at high-level meetings arevery similar to thematic debates (see section 5.5).
The moderator of a panel discussion can be asked toreport back to the formal Plenary.

Costs
Additional cost
GA high-level meetings can be costly, in particular ifthey are scheduled in parallel with other GA meetings(see section 3.2).
Modalities resolutions may request a high-level meeting to be held “within existing resources.” However,the capacity of the UN to absorb additional costs
is limited and a high-level meeting may still haveprogramme budget implications (PBI).
Trust Fund
The modalities resolution may request that a TrustFund for the high-level meeting be set up. Voluntary
contributions from Member States and others canbe accepted and managed through such a Trust Fund.
Trust Funds are rare for GA high-level meetings, but
are more common for UN conferences.

The Chair or Co-chairs of a roundtable can be asked
to report back to the formal plenary meetings (e.g., at

APPENDIX

119

Modalities resolutions for recent GA high-level Meetings
Name of high-level meetings(the full meeting name iscontained in the resolutions/decisions — the list uses the
keywords commonly used torefer to the meetings)

Date(s)Document symbol

Africa’s Development Needs

22 September, 2008

A/RES/62/242

Anti-microbial resistance

21 September, 2016

A/RES/70/297

Biodiversity

22 September, 2010

A/64/555; A/64/203

Children

11–12 December, 2007

A/RES/61/272

Desertification

20 September, 2011

A/RES/65/160

Disabilities

23 September, 2013

A/RES/66/124

Financing for development

7–8 December 2011

A/RES/65/314

Financing for development

7–8 October, 2013

A/RES/67/300

HIV/AIDS

2 June, 2005

A/RES/65/180

HIV/AIDS

22 September, 2003

A/RES/58/313

HIV/AIDS

8–10 June, 2011

A/RES/65/180

Information Society

15–16 December, 2015

A/RES/68/302

Intercultural Understanding

4–5 October, 2007

A/RES/61/269

Least Developed Countries

19–20 September, 2006

A/RES/ 60/228

Migration

3–4 October, 2013

A/RES/67/219

Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs)

20–22 September, 2010

A/64/555; A/RES/64/184;
A/RES/63/302

Millennium Summit

6–8 September, 2000

A/RES/54/281

Non-communicable diseases

10–11 July, 2014

A/RES/68/271

New Partnership for Africa’s
Development

16 September, 2002

A/RES/57/308; A/RES/57/299;
A/RES/56/511

Population and development

22 September, 2014

A/RES/67/250

Racism (Durban follow-up)

22 September, 2011

A/RES/65/240

Rule of law

24 September, 2012

A/RES/66/102

Small Island Developing States

24–25 September, 2010

decision 64/55; A/RES/64/199

Trafficking

13–14 May, 2013

A/RES/67/260

Trafficking

27–28 September, 2017

A/RES/71/287

Youth

25–26 July, 2011

A/RES/65/267

120

Appendix VIII — Access
Nobody can access the premises of the UN Headquarters in New York without a UN grounds-pass (“badge”),
a special day pass or by being escorted. Delegates, UN Staff, accredited civil society and media representatives all have UN grounds-passes.

Visitors to the GA

Visitors attending a GA meeting who do not have a
UN grounds-pass can access the premises in one ofthree ways:• VIP guests, panelists and keynote speakers invitedby the PGA are issued a protocol pass by theProtocol Office upon request from the PGA Office.
A memo from the Chef de Cabinet as well as a
passport-size photo of the guest has to be sent
to the Chief of Protocol about a week in advance.
Note: Government officials representing a Member
State are not issued a protocol pass. Their passes
are requested by their respective Permanent
Missions.
• Other participants invited by the PGA to attend a
GA meeting are provided regular day passes by UN
Security. An official request together with a list ofinvited participants should be sent to the Chief ofthe Event Planning Unit of the Safety and Security
Service several days in advance of the event. The
day passes have to be picked up from the UN Pass
and ID Unit by the PGA Office the day prior to theevent/meeting.
• Staff of the PGA Office can sign in a limited numberof guests as “escorted visitors” at the designateddesk in the visitor’s entrance.

Arrangements during the general debate

Additional color-coded passes are needed to accessdifferent parts of UN Headquarters during the highlevel week and until the end of the general debate.
Only VIP pass holders (e.g. Heads of State andGovernment) and Permanent Representatives are notrequired to wear an additional pass.
• An “unlimited” secondary pass is needed to accessconference rooms and the GA Hall. The office of the
PGA usually receives six of these passes, the same
number as is issued to Permanent Missions.
• A “limited” secondary pass allows access to thesecond floor of the GA Hall only. The PGA Officedoes not usually get such passes; Permanent
Missions get four.
• A “GA-200 pass” is needed for PGA Office staff toaccess GA-200. The PGA office usually gets four orfive of these passes.

Courtesy tickets

The seating in the GA Hall’s VIP section and on the
3rd floor gallery is limited. Protocol Office issues
courtesy tickets for the general debate, GA meetingsand other meetings/special events taking place in the
GA Hall (excluding concerts) for these seats.
These tickets do not replace grounds-passes or day
passes. A request for such tickets needs to be madeat least one week in advance of the event, specifying
for which meeting the tickets are to be issued (a.m.
or p.m.) and including a list of names of the people
who will be attending. The tickets are available at theProtocol Office the day prior to the meeting.

APPENDIX

121

Appendix IX — Conference Rooms
GA meetings take place in the GA Hall and in conference rooms. Conference rooms vary in size, number ofseats and technical equipment. Conference rooms need to be booked.

If seating is assigned, the Holy See is seated after
Member States and the State of Palestine is seatedafter the Holy See, followed by the EU and otherObservers.

How to book a conference room:

For all formal GA meetings conference rooms areautomatically booked by DGACM. For informal
plenary meetings the PGA Office books rooms
through DGACM. Member States who wish to booka conference room should contact the Meetings
Management Section of DGACM and use eMeets(available on https://icms.un.org). However, there are
restrictions on the use of UN conference rooms for
non-UN meetings. Please see document ST/AI/416.

Good to know

• The total seating capacity of the GA Hall including
the two balconies is 1912.
• “Adviser” seats are behind the “Delegate” seatsand do not have microphones.

A conference room reservation for an informal
meeting or a non GA-meeting does not automatically
include an interpretation team.

• “Observers” refers to anyone who is not entitled
to sit in a Delegate/Adviser seat e.g., UN staff,
civil society, invited guests.

Seating arrangements in conference rooms:• Tables in conference rooms 8, A, B, C, D, E and F
do not have a designated podium.

There are three types of seating arrangements for
Member States:• All conference rooms with the exception of rooms
A, B, C, D, E and F have interpretation booths.

• Free seating: Member States pick up their nameplates at the door

• There are no microphones and no audio-visualtechnologies in conference rooms A, B, C, D, E andF. Audio-visual coverage from these rooms (audio
reinforcement, digital name plates, voting, live text
captioning, audio and video capture) will incur costs.

• A-Z seating: seats are assigned to Member Statesalphabetically, starting with “A.”• GA seating: seats are assigned the way they are in
the GA Hall.

Overview of conference room capacities

Notes on the table (figures accurate as of April 2011).

GAH
ECOSOC
TCC
CR 1
CR 2
CR 3
CR 4
CR 5
CR 6
CR 7
CR 8
CR 9
CR 10
CR 11
CR 12

DELEGATE

ADVISERPODIUM

PODIUM(BACK)

612
54
200
200
200
200
200
60
68
60
33
21
33
80
80

612
108
200
200
200
200
200
45
41
39
56
21
6
45
43

3
7
7
9
9
9
9
5
5
5
3
5
5

14
14
14
14
14
13
-

CR = Conference Room122

OBSERVERS GUESTS &GALLERY

TOTAL

509
162
162
50
50
70
259
-

1840
547
631
523
521
541
731
110
114
104
89
45
39
130
128

104
202
48
50
48
48
50
-

Appendix X — Groups of Member States
The Member States are organized in formal and informal groups with a variety of different purposes
and memberships. The list below is not comprehensive and focuses on the types of groups relevant
to and active in the GA.

Regional Groups

The regional groups were formed to facilitate theequitable geographical distribution of seats among
the Member States in different UN bodies. To date
the groups are as follows:• Group of African States (54 Member States)• Group of Asia-Pacific States (54 Member States)• Group of Eastern European States (23 Member
States)• Group of Latin American and Caribbean States,
GRULAC (33 Member States)• Western European and Other States Group, WEOG
(28 Member States + USA)The USA is not an official member of any group. They
participate as an observer in the Group of Western
European and Other States meetings and are considered a member of Group of Western European
and Other States for electoral purposes. Turkey is amember of both the Asia-Pacific Group and the Groupof Western European and Other States, and for electoral purposes is considered a member of the Groupof Western European and Other States only. The HolySee participates in Group of Western European andOther States meetings as an observer.
While the regional groups formally exist for electoraland ceremonial purposes, some also choose to coordinate on substantive issues and/or use the groupstructure to share information.
The Chairs of the regional groups rotate on a monthly
basis. Their names can be found in the Journal of theUN. The Chairs are invited to speak on behalf of thegroup on ceremonial occasions (such as commemorative meetings).

Main political groups

The list below includes only groups that regularly makejoint statements in formal GA meetings. Not all
members of these groups are UN Member States.
The information provided is based on the websites of
the groups. Groups who convene around one specificitem only are not listed.
Group of 77 and China (G-77)
G- 77 is an organization of developing countries
designed to promote its members’ collective
economic interests and create an enhanced joint
negotiating capacity in the United Nations. It currently
has 134 members. The Chair rotates every year
starting on 1 January. In the GA the G-77 coordinates
on all Second and Fifth Committee issues as well assome Third Committee and Plenary items relating toeconomic issues and development. The G-77 maintains an office at UN Headquarters.
www.g77.org
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)
The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a group ofStates who do not consider themselves aligned

APPENDIX

formally with or against any major power bloc. The
NAM currently has 118 members and 18 observers.
A NAM summit takes place every three years. The
host country of the summit is automatically the Chair
until the next summit. The “NAM Troika” consists ofthe current, previous and incoming Chair. In the GA
the group coordinates on peace and security issues
as well as on First, Fourth, Sixth and some Third
Committee issues. The Permanent Mission of the
NAM Chair is the focal point for all communication
with the group. The Chair in 2017 is Venezuela.
Joint Coordination Committee (JCC)
The JCC is a coordination and harmonization mechanism for NAM and G-77, reinforcing cooperation andcoordination in order to avoid unnecessary duplicationof work between the two. Joint NAM and G-77 statements can be made in the name of JCC.
European Union (EU)The EU is an integrated economic and political partnership between 28 European countries. The EU has
its own diplomatic service and a permanent office,the Delegation of the European Union, in New York.
The EU has an enhanced observer status in the GA
and coordinates on the entire range of UN activities.
The EU presidency rotates every six months.
www.europa.eu
African Union (AU)The African Union has 55 members. The African
Union has observer status and maintains a permanent office in NY. The AU and the Group of African
States work closely together on GA issues. The AU
Delegation in New York provides conference facilities
for the Group of African States. It is usually the Groupof African States that speaks in the GA and not theAfrican Union.
www.au.int
Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)AOSIS is an alliance of 42 small island states andlow-lying coastal countries. It has 38 members and 5
observers. Its Chair rotates every three years.
http://aosis.org
ASEAN
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
has ten members. The Chair rotates annually.
www.aseansec.org
CANZ
On certain issues Canada, Australia and New Zealandcoordinate their positions and may authorize one
among them to speak or negotiate on behalf of all
three.
CARICOM
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is an organization of 20 Caribbean nations and dependencies: 15
Member States and 5 Associate Members. Its Chairrotates on a quarterly basis among its members.
123

CARICOM has observer status and maintains apermanent office in NY.
www.caricom.org
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
GCC is a group of 6 countries, with an office
for its Permanent Observer in New York
http://www.gcc-sg.org/en-us/Pages/default.aspx)

Nordic Countries
The Nordic co-operation involves Denmark, Finland,
Iceland, Norway and Sweden as well as the threeautonomous areas. Its presidency rotates annually.
www.norden.org

CELAC
CELAC is the Community of Latin American andCarribean States (formerly the “Rio Group”). It has
33 Member States. http://celacinternational.org/

Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)The OIC is an organization with 57 Member States.
The host country of the Islamic Summit Conference
assumes the chair of the organization for three years.
The OIC has observer status and maintains apermanent office in NY.
www.oic-oci.org

Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
The LDCs are a group of countries whose membership is based on a set of criteria defined by the GA.
There are currently 48 LDCs. The Chair of the grouprotates every three years.
www.unohrlls.org

Pacific Islands Forum (PIF)
The Pacific Islands Forum is a political grouping of
16 independent and self-governing states. The hostcountry of the annual Forum is also the chair for theyear following the Forum.
www.forumsec.org.fj

Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs)
There are 32 LLDCs. The special situation of LLDCs
is recognized by the GA. The Chair rotates every
two years.
www.unohrlls.org

Pacific Small Island Developing States(Pacific SIDS)
Pacific SIDS is a group of Pacific Island countries
focused on advocating for their members, particularly on issues of climate change and sustainable
development.

League of Arab States
The League of Arab States (sometimes called “theArab League”) is a regional organization. It has 21
members and four observers. Its Chair rotates on amonthly basis. The League of Arab States coordinates on Fourth Committee and Middle East issues.
The League of Arab States has observer status andmaintains a permanent office in NY.
www.arableagueonline.org

Accountability, Coherence and Transparency(ACT) GroupACT is a cross-regional group of 27 small andmid-sized countries working to improve the accountability, coherence and transparency of the UN
Security Council.

A note on JUSCANZ: JUSCANZ is an informal group of Member States that originally consisted of Japan,
United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand (hence the name). The group has expanded and now
includes other countries that do not belong to the G-77, NAM or the EU. JUSCANZ coordinates mainly on
Second and Third Committee issues. Its membership and the scope of coordination are different for thetwo committees.
A note on “Major Groups”: This term is used in the context of Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda)
when referring to civil society organizations. There are nine major group sectors: Business and industry,Children and youth, Farmers, Indigenous peoples, Local authorities, NGOs, Scientific and technologicalcommunity, Women, and Workers and Trade Unions.
www.un.org/esa/dsd/

124

Source Notes
Source notes are organized by chapter, section and page number. Key words or key phrases
are cited followed by the source reference. Sometimes a sample resolution is given to illustratea certain precedent. These are indicated by “e.g.” The acronym RoP is used for the Rules ofProcedure of the General Assembly (A/520/Rev.18). B indicates text in boxes.

1 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND ITS PRESIDENT
Page 13“Each Member State has one vote”: UN Charter, Article 18.
“World Summit outcome”: A/RES/60.1.
“the GA has a President”: UN Charter, Article 21.
“twenty-one Vice-Presidents”: RoP, Rule 30.
“six Main Committees”: RoP, Rule 98.
“General Committee”: RoP, Rule 38.
“Credentials Committee”: RoP, Rule 28.
“subsidiary bodies”: UN Charter, Article 7.

1.1 Mandate of the GA
Page 13“may discuss and make recommendations on…”: UN Charter, Article 10.
“receives and discusses reports issued by…”: UN Charter, Article 15.
“may discuss functions and powers of other…organs”: UN Charter, Article 10.
“approves the budget of the UN and…”: UN Charter, Article 17.
“elects and appoints…”: UN Charter, Articles 23, 61, 86 and 97.

Page 14“GA revitalization”: A/RES/69/321, A/RES/70/305 and A/RES/71/323.

1.2 GA Sessions
Page 14“The regular annual session…”: UN Charter, Article 20; RoP, Rules 1–6.
“A special session of the GA…”: UN Charter, Article 20; RoP, Rules 7–9.
un.org/en/ga/sessions/special.shtml

Page 15“Emergency special session…”: RoP, Rule 8; RES 377A(V).
un.org/en/ga/sessions/emergency.shtml
B “tenth emergency special session”: ES-10/18.

1.3 The President of the GA
Page 15“the Member State of the PGA cannot … hold the office of…”: RoP, Rule 38.
“The Presidency…rotates among the five regional groups”:
A/RES/33/138.
www.un.org/en/ga/president/index.shtml

Page 16“the PGA is elected by simple majority vote”: UN Charter, Article 18.
“the election can take place by acclamation”: RoP, Annex V, para. 16.
“The PGA is elected at least three months before…”: A/RES/58/126, Annex, sect. B.
“the PGA does not have a vote in the GA”: RoP, Rule 37.
“The Charter … only establishes the function of the PGA”: UN Charter, Article 21.
“the exact role and mandate of the PGA…”: RoP, Rules 30–37; A/63/959 ,A/RES/69/321, A/RES/70/305.
B “The default location for all GA...”: RoP, Rule 3.
B ““GA meeting ... took place in Geneva.”: A/43/PV.77-82; A/S/24/PV.1–10.
“According to the Rules of Procedure, the PGA shall…”: RoP, Rule 35.
“…hold thematic debates”: A/RES/60/286.
“…suggest the theme for the general debate”: A/RES/58/126.
“...organize hearings for the election of the SG”: A/RES/69/321 and
A/RES/70/305.
“…preserve records and prepare a report on best practices…”: A/RES/60/286.and
A/RES/70/305.
“…enhance public visibility of the PGA and the GA”: A/RES/60/286.
“…meet regularly with…”: A/RES/60/286.
“...brief Member States periodically...including on official travels...”: A/RES/70/305.
“...provide financial disclosures...”: A/70/305.62.
“...observe a code of ethics”, RoP, Annex XI.
“…have contacts with … civil society”: A/RES/60/286.

Page 17

1.4 The Vice-Presidents of the GA“…the GA elects the twenty-one Vice-Presidents…”: RoP, Rule 30.

SOURCE NOTES

125

“…to ensure balanced geographic representation…”: A/RES/33/138.
“…one less vice-presidential mandate”: A/RES/33/138.
“…Vice-Presidents are members of the General Committee”: RoP, Rule 38.
“…acting President of the GA”: RoP, Rule 32.

1.5 The GA Committees
Page 17

Page 18

Page 18
Page 19“General Committee”: RoP, Rule 38.
“Credentials Committee”: RoP, Rule 28.
“The Main Committees consist of all Member States of the GA”: RoP, Rule 100.
“the six Main Committees roughly correspond…”: RoP, Rule 98.
“…elected on the same day as the PGA…”: A/RES/58/126.
“The elections of the Chairs of the Main Committees”: RoP, Rule 30.
“…Main Committee chair rotates…”: A/RES/48/264.
“…Main Committee … bureau”: RoP, Rule 103.
B “…elections take place … in the following order“: RoP, Rule 30.
“The General Committee…”: RoP, Rule 38, Rule 40.
“The Credentials Committee…”: RoP, Rule 28.
“,,,subsidiary bodies” UN Charter, Article 22; RoP, Rules 96–97.
“…the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the GA…”: A/RES/70/305.
“... subsidiary body elects one Chair, one or more Vice-Chairs...”: A/RES/70/305.

1.6 The High-Level Policial Forum
Page 19“...2030 Agenda...” A/RES/66/288, A/RES/67/290, A/RES/68/1, A/RES/70/1,
A/RES/70/299.

1.6 The UN System and the GA
Page 22“The UN Secretariat is one of the principal organs of the UN”: UN Charter, Article 7.
“Funds and Programmes … such as … UNDP/UNFPA…”: RES 2029 (XX), A/
RES/48/162.
“Funds and Programmes … such as … UNICEF…”: RES 57 (I), A/RES/48/162.
“... UN Women...”: A/64/289“Funds and Programmes … such as WFP…”: RES 1714 (XVI), A/RES/50/8.
“Specialized Agencies … relationship with the UN”: UN Charter, Article 57.
“Other bodies related to the UN”: UN Charter, Article 57.

1.7 DGACM
Page 24http://www.un.org/Depts/DGACM/

2 PARTICIPATION AND CREDENTIALS
2.1 Member States
Page 28“Membership in the United Nations is open to...”: UN Charter, Article 4.
“In order to gain admission...”: RoP, Rules 134–136.
“Membership becomes effective...”: RoP, Rule 138.
“...suspending the membership of a Member State”: UN Charter, Article 6.
“...each Member State ... who ... speak on its behalf”: RoP, Rule 27.
“The delegation of a Member State consists of...”: RoP, Rule 25.

Page 29“Credentials are issued...”: RoP, Rule 27.
“The credentials are ... considered by the Credentials Committee”: RoP, Rule 28.
“A representative whose credentials have been challenged...”: RoP, Rule 29.
“host country”: www.usun.state.gov/about/host_aff/

2.2 Observers
Page 30“Observer status is granted by a GA resolution...”: A/RES/54/195.
“Holy See”: A/RES/58/314, A/58/871.
“Palestine”: A/RES/52/250; A/52/1002. A/67/19.
“EU”: A/RES/65/276.

2.3 UN Entities and Civil Society
Page 31“...participation of (NGOs) in ECOSOC...”: UN Charter, Article 71.
“...only speak if specified in a GA resolution/decision”: e.g., A/RES/69/244

3 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AT WORK
3.1 The GA Agenda
Page 37

B “...reading out the whole list of agenda items...”: e.g., A.BUR/71/SR.1.
“agenda is organized...”: A/RES/58/316.
“the biannual ‘priorities of the Organization’”: A/RES/69/17.

126

“the General Committee”: RoP, Rules 38–44.
“Member States can attend … General Committee”: A/RES/51/241, Annex,
para. 33.
“rationalization and streamlining”: A/RES/58/126, Annex, sect.B., A/RES/70/305.
“recommended not to be included”: e.g., A/71/250, para. 59.
Page 38“recommended for inclusion in a future session”: e.g., A/71/250.
“included with an understanding ... new information is available”: e.g., A/71/250.
“the consideration of the inclusion ... can be referred to a later date”: e.g.,
A/71/250.
“allocation of agenda items”: A/RES/51/241.
“allocated to more than one Main Committee...”: e.g., A/71/250, paras. 71 (b), 67 (i).
“...makes suggestions about ... organizational matters”: RoP, Rules 99 and 41.
“introduction of a new agenda item”: RoP, Rules 13–15.
“reopening a closed agenda item…”: RoP, Rule 81, A/RES/51/241, Annex, para. 23.

3.2 GA Meetings
Page 39

Page 40
Page 41“a standard GA meeting...”: e.g., A/71/250.
“...GA meetings are “open” unless decided otherwise”: RoP, Rule 60–61.
B “...the GA Hall is considered a “normal” UN conference room ...”: ST/AI/416.
“...a formal plenary meeting ... if its Head of State...”: e.g., A/64/PV.105.
“... the cost of meetings...” internal information from the Secretariat.
“...the GA’s programme of work”: e.g., A/INF/71/3.
“...formal GA meetings are scheduled on Mon. and Thurs.”: A/RES/58/316.
http://www.un.org/en/ga/info/meetings/index.shtml

3.3 Conduct of Business
Page 44
Page 45“Conduct of business in the GA’s Rules of Procedure”: RoP, Rules 63–81.
“...a point of order”: RoP, Rule 71“Quorum”: RoP, Rule 67.
“Quorum ... waived...”: e.g., A/71/250.
“Point of order”: RoP, Rule 71.
“Suspension of a meeting”: RoP, Rule 76.
“Adjournment of a meeting”: RoP, Rule 76.
“Adjournment of the debate”: RoP, Rule 74.
“No-action motion” RoP, Rule 74.

3.4 Debating GA Agenda Items
Page 46

Page 47
Page 48
Page 49“six-week-rule”: A/RES/ 49/221 B.
“The status of the preparation of reports...”: e.g., A/64/854/Add.1.
“The introduction of a report may be followed by “question time”: A/RES/58/316.
“...time limits for speeches”: A/RES/ 51/241; e.g., A/71/250, para. 26.
“speaking time ... high-level-meetings“: e.g., A/64/184, Annex I, para. 8.
“language and interpretation“: RoP, Rule 53.
“Closure of the list of speakers”: RoP, Rule 75.
“right of reply”: RoP, Rule 73, Annex V, para. 8–11.
“Closure of the debate”: RoP, Rule 75.

3.5 GA Resolutions and Decisions
Page 52
Page 54
Page 55

Page 56
Page 57
Page 60“draft resolutions ... written by Member States”: A/RES/60/286, Annex, para. 23.
“...withdraw the draft resolutions/decisions”: RoP, Rule 80.
“24 hour rule”: RoP, Rule 78.
““Decision on competence”: RoP, Rule 79.
“voting on resolutions”: RoP, Rules 82–95.
“voting on amendments”: RoP, Rule 90.
“voting on paragraphs”: RoP, Rule 99.
“explanation of vote”: RoP, Rule 88, annex IV, paras. 72–74; Annex V, paras. 6, 7, 11.
“reconsideration of an adopted resolution/decision”: RoP, Rule 81.
“Simple majority and two-thirds majority”: RoP, Rules 83–86.
“In the case of a tie in the Plenary...”: RoP, Rule 95.
“In the case of a tie in a Main Committee...”: RoP, Rule 133“PGA-lead consultations…facilitators”: A/RES/55/285, Annex, para.19.
“QuickPlace”: see e-deleGATE.

3.6 Elections and Appointments
Page 61
Page 62

SOURCE NOTES

B gender Blue Book No. 306, online update as of 2 September, 2017“...simple majority...”: RoP, Rule 84.

127

“...two-thirds majority...”: RoP, Rule 83.
“...members present and voting”: RoP, Rule 85.
B “the tie-breaker provision”: RoP, Rule 93.
“Abstentions and invalid ballots”: RoP, Rule 86.
“Voting by ballot”: RoP, Rule 92.
“Voting by acclamation”: RoP, Annex V, para. 16.
“appointment of the Secretary-General”: RoP, Rule 141.
“...”hearings” (with SG candidates)...” : A/RES/69/321 , A/RES/70/305.36.
Page 63 “...duration of term ... number of terms a Secretary-General”: Resolution 492 (V).
“...number of terms a Secretary-General”: RES 492 (V).
“...duration of term ... Secretary General”: A/RES/51/241, Annex, para. 58.
“election of non-permanent members of the Security Council”: RoP, Rules 142–144.
“the regional distribution ... in the Security Council”: Resolution 1991 (A) (XVIII).
“If the first round of balloting is inconclusive”: RoP, Rules 93–94.
Page 64 “election of the members of the International Court of Justice”: RoP, Rules 150–151,
A/69/230.
“Election of Human Rights Council members”: A/RES/60/251, A/69/230.OP7.
Page 65 “Election of Peacebuilding Commission...”: A/RES/60/180, A/RES/60/261,A/
RES/63/145.

4 MAIN COMMITTEES
Page 68“All Member States are members of all Main Committees”: RoP, Rule 98.
“...webcast”: A/RES/66/246.
“...patterns of rotation...”: Decision 68/505; A/RES/68/307 Annex “guidelines”.
B “In 1993 the GA decided to merge...”: A/RES47/233.

4.1 The Work of the Main Committees
Page 68
Page 69

Page 71
Page 73
Page 75
Page 77
Page 79“…each Committee has developed its own working methods…”: A/58/CRP.5.
“committee works begins … after the general debate”: A/RES/51/241, Annex, para. 31.
“...the First Committee and the Fourth Committee scheduled...”: A/RES/51/241.
“...in the Main Committees ... decided by a simple majority”: RoP, Rules 125.
C1 working methods: A/RES/59/95.
C2 working methods: Decision 65/530. and A/C.2/L.1.
C3 working methods: A/C3/68/CRP.1.
C4 working methods: A/58/CRP.5“All draft ... budget implications...” RoP, Rule 153; Annex V, para. 13 (a).
planning and budget process see:ST/SGB/2016/6.
C5 working methods: A/58/CRP.5.
C6 working methods: A/58/CRP.5.

5 KEY GENERAL ASSEMBLY EVENTS
5.1 The Opening Week
Page 84“The GA’s regular annual session begins on...”: RoP, Rule 1.
“a minute of silent prayer or meditation is observed”: RoP, Rule 62.
“the appointment of the members of the Credentials Committee”: RoP, Rule 28.
“granting of permission ... to meet during the main part...”: A/RES/ 40/243; e.g.,
A/65/337.
“report of the General Committee”: e.g., A/71/250.

5.2 The High-Level Week
Page 85“Opening of the General Debate”: A/RES/57/301.
“DGACM issues an information note... “: e.g., A/INF/65/4.

5.3 The General Debate
Page 86
Page 87“The general debate opens on...”: A/RES/57/301.
“the general debate ... nine working days”: A/RES/57/301.
“...a topic/theme of global concern for the general debate”: e.g., A/RES/70/305.12.
“The SG introduces the “Report...”: A/RES/51/241.
“...Holy See and Palestine ... participate in the general debate”: A/RES/52/250, A/
RES/58/314.
“...a voluntary 15-minute time limit for statements”: e.g., A/71/250, para. 26.
“...until all scheduled speakers have spoken”: A/RES/51/241, Annex, para. 20.
“The right of reply ... is made in writing.”: P.V. 2377th meeting (30st GA).

5.4 High-Level Meetings
Page 88

See Appendix VII.

128

5.5 Thematic Debates
Page 89“...encouraged the PGA to continue this practice”: A/RES/60/286, A/
RES/63/309, A/RES/64/301, A/RES/70/305.

5.6 Civil Society Hearings
Page 90“Civil society hearings ... a GA high-level meeting”: e.g.,
A/RES/65/180, A/RES/65/238, A/RES/71/287.
“Civil society hearings ... or a UN conference”: A/RES/65/171.

5.7 Commemorative GA Meetings
Page 91“...The standard format is as follows”: e.g., A/64/250, para.43.

6 THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
6.1 The Code of Ethics
Code of Ethics: RoP Annex XI“five regular UN budget posts”: A/RES/58/126, A/
RES/59/313.
“...Spokesperson and...”: A/RES/60/286.
Page 96 “the PGA has offices”: A/RES/59/313, para. 3.
B “...transitional offices”: A/RES/59/313.
“Technical Support”: UN internal regulations.
Page 98 “regular budget ... has not changed since 1998”: e.g., A/64/6(Sect. 1), paras. 1.9–1.11.
“regular budget covers…”: A/RES/53/214.
Page 99 “Safety and Security”: UN internal regulations.
Page 100 “The Protocol and Liaison Service ... specific services”: A/
RES/59/313.
“PGA Travels”: UN internal regulations.
Page 94
Page 95

7 INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION

Page 104 “...more public visibility … of the GA and the PGA”: A/
RES/58/126, A/RES/60/286, A/RES/321 and A/RES/70/305“The PGA works on behalf of the Member States”: RoP,
Rule 36.
Page 106 “... Spokesperson...”: A/RES/60/286..
Page 106 “To ensure increased cooperation…” A/RES/60/286,
Annex, para. 2.
“…meets with...President of the Security Council…”: A/
RES/58/126, Annex, para.5.

SOURCE NOTES

129

Index
2030 Agenda 19A

Absolute majority 62, 64
Access 121
Access, civil society 117,118, 121
Access, general debate 86, 121
Access, visitors 121
ACT — Accountability, Coherence andTransparency group 124
Accreditation 29,
Accreditation, PGA 101
Action (taking action) 54
Ad hoc committees 39
Adjournment of debate 45
Adjournment of meeting 45
Adoption, agenda 36
Adoption, resolutions 55, 58
African Group 15, 17, 61, 63, 64, 71–83, 123
African Union — see AU
Agenda 36, 111
Agenda items, numbering 111
Agreed 57
Agreed ad ref 57
Agreed language 58
Alliance of Small Island States 123
All-State formula 29
Alt 57
Amendments 55, 56, 68
AOSIS 123
Appointments — see Elections
Arab swing seat 63
ASEAN 123
Asia-Pacific 15, 17, 61, 63, 64, 71–83, 123
AU 123B

Badge 32, 121
Bis 57
Budget of the PGA 98

CCANZ 123CARICOM 123
CELAC 124
Check against delivery 47
Civil society access 117,118, 121
Civil society hearings 90
Civil society participation 31, 117,118, 121
Closed meetings 39
Closure of agenda item 38
Closure of debate 49
Closure of session 84
Closure of speakers list 49
Code of Ethics — see PGA, code of ethics
Commemorative meetings 91
Committee 17
Committee, ad hoc 19
Committee, Credentials 19
Committee, General 12, 19, 37,
Committee, Main 19, 67–83
Competence, decision on 55
Compilation texts 57
Conduct of Business 44
Conference rooms 122
Conference services 25, 48, 117Consensus 52
132

Consideration of item 46
Consideration of L-document 54
Consultations 56
Co-sponsoring 53
Cost of meetings 40
Courtesy tickets 121
Credentials 28
Credentials Committee 12, 19, 29

D

Dag Hammarskjöld Library 113
Debate, 46
Debate, general 86
Debate, Main Committees 67–83
Decision 52
Decision on competence 55
deleGATE 110
Delegate’s Handbook 110
Delegation 28
Department of Public Information — see DPI
Department of Safety and Security —see DSSDGACM 24, 31, 44, 46, 53, 61, 71–79,
94–101, 122
Distribution of speeches 48, 87
Divided vote 55
Division of proposal 55
Documents, numbering 54, 112
Documents, symbols 112
DPI 41, 95, 106, 115
Draft agenda 37, 111
Draft resolutions 52, 57
DSS 99E

Eastern European Group 15, 17, 61, 63, 64,
71–83, 123
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) 13
ECOSOC, election 63
Election, SG — see SG appointment
Elections 13, 61
Elections, GA officers 18
Elections, subsidiary bodies 64
Elections, PGA 16
Elections, principal organs 62
Emergency special session 15
EU 30, 39, 47, 87, 122, 123
European Union — see EU
Explanation of vote 49, 55

FFifth Committee 77
First Committee 69
Formal informals 58
Formal meetings 39
Fourth Committee 75
Funds and Programmes 22, 73

G

G–77 47, 123
GA-200 88, 96
GAEAD (in DGACM) 24, 94
GA and ECOSOC Affairs Division (in
DGACM)— see GAEADGA Hall 18, 38, 114, 121, 122
GA revitalization 14, 16, 38

GA Rules of Procedure 13, 16, 24, 39, 44, 45,
49, 54, 55, 63, 68, 86, 114
Gender 61
General Committee 12, 19, 37, 111
General debate 86
General debate, theme 86, 101
Geographical representation 61
Grounds pass — see Badges
Group of Nordic Countries 124
Groups, political 123
Groups, regional 123
GRULAC 15, 17, 61, 63, 64, 71–83, 123N

Hearings with SG candidates 62
High-level meetings 88, 118
High-level Political Forum 19
High-level week 85, 121
Holy See 30, 39, 87, 122
Human Rights Council, election 64

NAM 123
Negotiations 56
New Zealand Handbook 110
NGLS 90, 91, 107, 110, 116, 119
NGO Handbook 110
No-action motion 45
Non-Aligned Movement — see NAM
Non-Governmental Liaison Service —see NGLS
Noon briefing 105
Numbering of agenda items 111
Numbering of resolutions 54

I

O

H

ID Cards —see Badges
Important questions 54
Informal informals 58
Informal meetings 39, 41, 115
International Court of Justice, election 64
Interpretation 48
Introduction of L-document 54
Introduction of new agenda items 37

J

JCC 123
Join Coordination Committee — see JCC
Journal of the UN 25, 39, 41, 110, 114, 115,
116, 123
Journal Summaries 115
JUSCANZ 124

L

Landlocked Developing Countries — see LLDC
Latin American and Caribbean Group— see GRULAC
L-document 53, 54
LDC 124
League of Arab States 124
Length of speech, debate 48
Length of speech, general debate 87
Least Developed Countries — see LDC
LLDC 124

M

Main Committees 12, 18, 67–83
Main Committees, elections 18
Main Committees, First 69
Main Committees, Second 71
Main Committees, Third 73
Main Committees, Fourth 75
Main Committees, Fifth 79
Main Committees, Sixth 81
Main part of session 14
Main sponsor 52
Major groups 124
Majority, absolute 62
Majority, simple 49, 54, 62
Majority, two-thirds 54, 62
Mandate, GA 13
Mandate, PGA 16
Media 105, 117
INDEX

Meeting records 115
Meetings 39 – 41
Meetings, Commemorative 91
Meetings, high-level 88, 118
Membership 28
Member States 13, 28

Oath of Office — see PGA, oath of officeObservers 30, 32, 47, 87, 118
ODS 113
Office of Legal Affairs 44, 81
Office of the PGA 93–102
Officers of the Main Committees 18
OIC 124
OP — see paragraphs, operative
Open meetings 39
Opening Week 84
Organisation of the Islamic Conference— see OICP

Pacific Island Forum — see PIF
Pacific Small Island Developing States 124
Palestine 29, 30, 39, 76
Paragraphs, operative and preambular 60
Paragraph vote 55
Peacebuilding Commission, election 65
Permanent Mission 29
PermRApp 110
PGA-elect 96
PGA, briefings 105
PGA, code of ethics 94
PGA, consultations 56, 105
PGA, election 16
PGA, eligibility 15
PGA, financial disclosure 16, 104
PGA, mandate 16
PGA, oath of office 84
PGA, record keeping 104
PGA, Sermon 106
PGA, spouse and family 100
PGA, summary 115, 116
PGA, travel 101
PGA, visa 101
PIF 124
Plenary 12, 13
Point of order 44
Political groups 123
PP — see Paragraphs, preambular
President — see PGA
Press Conference 106
Press releases 41, 106, 115
Principal organs 13, 23, 62, 106
Priorities of the Organization 37
133

Programme budget implication 56
Programme of work, Main Committees
41, 69Programme of work, Plenary 41
Protocol and Liaison Service 25, 100
Provisional agenda 37, 111

Q

QuickPlace 69
Quorum 45

R

Reconsideration of resolution 55
Records, voting 115
Regional groups 69–81, 123
Regional representation 61
Regular annual session 14
Reports, introduction 47
Reports, SG 46
Reports, subsidiary bodies 47
Resolution 52, 60
Resolution, action 54
Resolution, mistake in final version 58
Resolution, numbering 54
Resolution, withdrawal 54
Resumed part of the session 14
Right of reply 49
Right of reply, general debate 87
Rio Group —see CELAC
Rooms — see conference rooms
Rotation, regional 61, 68, 71–78
Rules of Procedure — see GA Rules ofProcedure

S

Seating arrangements 122
Seating arrangements, GA Hall 18, 122
Second Committee 71
Secretary-General — see SG
Security Council, election 63
Separate vote 55
Sermon, PGA 106
Sessions 14
SG, appointment 62
SG, events 85
SG, PGA 106
SG, report 46
Silence procedure 58
Simple majority 54, 62
Sixth Committee 81
Social Media 104, 106, 107
Speakers list, debates 47
Speakers list, general debate 86
Speaking order, debates 47
Speaking order, general debate 86
Specialized Agencies 22
Special Political Committee 68
Special session 14
Speeches, debate 48
Speeches, general debate 86
Spokesperson of the PGA 106
Sponsor 52
Spouse of the PGA 100, 101
Stakeouts 106
Statements — see speeches
Subsidiary bodies 19
Summary, PGA 115, 116
Summary records 115

134

Summit 89
Suspension of meeting 45
Sustainable development goals 19
Switzerland 28
Symbols — see document symbols

T

Tabling draft resolution 53
Takes note of 46
Taking action 54
Telephone Directory 110
Tenth Emergency Special Session 15
Thematic debate 89, 116
Theme of general debate 86, 101
Third Committee 73
Tickets 117, 121
Tie-breaker 61
Tied vote, election 61
Tied vote, Main Committee and Plenary 56
Transition period 96
Travel, PGA 100
Twitter 104

U

Unanimity 52
UN Bodies 23
UN Conference 89
UN Entities 23, 31, 117
UN Entities, participation 118
UN Family 23
UN Headquarters 16
UN Journal — See Journal of the UN
UN Organs 13, 23, 62, 106
UN Photo 48
UN System 23
UN TV 104, 106, 115
UN, related bodies 22
UNBISnet 113
UNGASS 14
UN “How To” App 110
UN-I-QUE 113
United Nations, UN 22

V

Verbatim records 115
Vice-Presidents 17
Voting by acclamation 62
Voting by ballot 62
Voting on amendments 55
Voting on resolutions 55
Voting records 115
Voting, tie 56

W

Walkout 87
Website, PGA 104
WEOG 15, 17, 61, 63, 64, 71–83,123
Western European and Other States Group— see WEOG
Working groups 19

Photo Credits
Front cover
Switzerland becomes a Member State. Federal President Kaspar Villiger and Foreign Minister Joseph Deiss
walking to their seats in the General Assembly. UN Headquarters, 10 September 2002.
Photo Dominik Baumann, Blick
Inside covers
193 Member States in the General Assembly: All speakers at the general debate of the 71st session, andsome speakers at the general debate of the 70th session.
UN Photo
Interior photography by Sally Montana, USA/Switzerland
Page 6
General Assembly Hall Balcony, overlooking the Visitors Lobby
Page 8
Diplomatic Entrance, UN General Assembly Hall
Page 10
General Assembly Hall
Page 20–21
Huichun Li, Tour Guide
Page 26
Wai Tak Chua, Protocol Officer
Page 33
Alina-Angela Dumitrache, Security Officer, Security Council entrance
Page 34
Joëlle Sciboz, Librarian, Dag Hammarskjold Library
Page 42–43
Raphael Pasquini and Talia Charlton, United Nations Child Care Center, Bright Horizons
Page 50–51
Luis Mata, Vienna Café, UN General Assembly Building
Page 59
Anazario Valdez, Chef, Delegates Dining Room
Page 66
Argjent Trepca, Cleaning Services
Page 82
Donald Thurin, Elevator Operator
Page 92
Loren Mitchell-Alleyne, Security Officer, Visitors Lobby
Page 102
Katharina Kandt, Social Media Specialist, Office of the President of the General AssemblyPage 108–109
John Grassi, Gardener
Page 130–131
Delegates Lounge

PHOTO CREDITS

135

Acknowledgments
In reediting this book, we found quite a number of changes in
the complex web of rules, regulations, practices and customs
relevant to the General Assembly. The task could not havebeen accomplished without the generous help from the United
Nations Secretariat.
Special thanks go to Kenji Nakano (DGACM), whose support wasinvaluable, to Mary Regan (UN Language and Communications
Programme), who polished the English, and to Johann
Aeschlimann, whose hand was at the helm. They were greatly
supported by Rachel Stein-Holmes (DGACM), Simone Eymann(Swiss Mission to the UN) and Andrea Clementi and Lyne Calderat the home office in Bern.
The General Assembly and ECOSOC Affairs Division, theProtocol and Liaison Office and the Meetings Management
Section in DGACM, DSS, DM, the UN Photo Library andthe Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit of DPI, the Main
Committee secretariats, the Office of the Spokesperson of
the SG and the Office of the President of the General Assembly
have all patiently explained the often complicated processes
and practices of the UN. We thank all of them very much.
We are grateful to Sally Montana, whose photography shows
the human face of those working underground and behindthe scenes.
Last but not least our thanks go to Linda Florio, whose design
stood the test of time in presenting dry matter, and who offeredinvaluable help throughout the entire process.
Ambassador Jürg Lauber
Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations

136

The GA Handbook A practical guide to the United Nations General Assembly

The GA Handbook
A practical guideto the United Nations
General Assembly