Sessions

Ordinary sessions

The General Assembly meets annually in regular session, intensively from September to December, and resumes in January until all issues on the agenda are addressed – which often is just before the next session starts.

Since the 60th session in 2005, the President-elect of the General Assembly suggests a theme of global concern for the upcoming general debate, based on informal discussions with Member States, the President of the current session of the General Assembly, and the Secretary-General. Shortly after his/her election, the President-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.

Session President Theme
78th (2023-2024) M. Dennis Francis (Trinidad and Tobago) "Peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability"
77th (2022-2023) M. Csaba Kőrösi (Hungary) "A watershed moment: transformative solutions to interlocking challenges"
76th (2021-2022) Mr. Abdulla Shahid (Maldives) "A presidency of hope: delivering for people, for the planet and for prosperity"
75th (2020-2021) Mr. Volkan Bozkir (Turkey) "The Future we want, the United Nations we need: reaffirming our collective commitment to multilateralism – confronting COVID-19 through effective multilateral action"
74th (2019-2020) Mr. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande (Nigeria) "Striving together, delivering for all"
73rd (2018-2019) Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés (Ecuador) "Making the United Nations relevant to all people: Global leadership and shared responsibilities for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies"
72nd (2017-2018) Mr. Miroslav Lajčák (Slovakia) "Focusing on People: Striving for Peace and a Decent Life for All on a Sustainable Planet"
71st (2016-2017) Mr. Peter Thomson (Fiji) "The Sustainable Development Goals: A Universal Push to Transform our World"
70th (2015-2016) Mr. Mogens Lykketoft (Denmark) "The United Nations at 70 — A New Commitment to Action"
69th (2014-2015) Mr. Sam Kutesa (Uganda) "Delivering on and Implementing a Transformative Post-2015 Development Agenda"
68th (2013-2014) Mr. John W. Ashe (Antigua and Barbuda) "The way forward: a disability-inclusive development agenda towards 2015 and beyond"
67th (2012-2013) Mr. Vuk Jeremić (Serbia) "Bringing about adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations by peaceful means"
66th (2011-2012) Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser (Qatar) "The role of mediation in the settlement of disputes by peaceful means"
65th (2010-2011) Mr. Joseph Deiss (Switzerland) "Reaffirming the central role of the United Nations in global governance"
64th (2009-2010) Dr. Ali Abdussalam Treki (Libya, formerly Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) "Effective responses to global crises: strengthening multilateralism and dialogue among civilizations for international peace, security and development"
63rd (2008-2009) Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann (Nicaragua) "The impact of the global food crisis on poverty and hunger in the world as well as the need to democratize the United Nations"
62nd (2007-2008) Mr. Srgjan Kerim (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) "Responding to climate change"
61st (2006-2007) Ms. Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa (Bahrain) "Implementing a global partnership for development"
60th (2005-2006) Mr. Jan Eliasson (Sweden) "For a stronger and more effective United Nations: the follow-up and implementation of the High-level Plenary Meeting in September 2005"
59th (2004-2005) Mr. Jean Ping (Gabon)  
58th (2003-2004) Mr. Julian Robert Hunte (Saint Lucia)  
57th (2002-2003) Mr. Jan Kavan (Czech Republic)  
56th (2001-2002) Dr. Han Seung-soo (Republic of Korea)  
55th (2000-2001) Mr. Harri Holkeri (Finland)  
54th (1999-2000) Dr. Theo-Ben Gurirab (Namibia)  
53rd (1998-1999) Mr. Didier Opertti (Uruguay)  
52nd (1997-1998) Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko (Ukraine)  
51st (1996-1997) Mr. Razali Ismail (Malaysia)  

MoreSee also resolutions of all sessions

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