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Background Information
The
General Assembly is the main deliberative
organ of the United Nations. It is
composed of representatives
of all
Member States, each of which has
one vote. Decisions on important questions,
such as those on peace and security,
admission of new Members and budgetary
matters, require a two-thirds majority.
Decisions on other questions are reached
by a simple majority. These decisions
may be adopted without a vote, or
with a vote, which may be recorded,
non-recorded or by roll-call.
While
the decisions of the Assembly have no
legally binding force for Governments,
they carry the weight of world opinion
on major international issues, as well
as the moral authority of the world
community.
The
work of the United Nations year-round
derives largely from the decisions of
the General Assembly--that is to say,
the will of the majority of the Members
as expressed in resolutions adopted
by the Assembly. That work is carried
out:
-by
committees
and other bodies established by the
Assembly to study and report on specific
issues, such as disarmament, outer space,
peace-keeping, decolonization and human
rights; in international conferences
called for by the Assembly; and by the
Secretariat
of the United Nations--the Secretary-General
and his staff of international civil
servants.
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Functions
and Powers
Under
the Charter,
the functions and powers of the General
Assembly include:
-
to consider and make recommendations
on cooperation in the maintenance of
international peace and security, including
disarmament and arms regulation;
- to discuss any question relating to
international peace and security and,
except where a dispute or situation
is being discussed by the Security
Council, to make recommendations
on it;
- to discuss and, with the same exception,
make recommendations on any question
within the scope of the Charter or affecting
the powers and functions of any organ
of the United Nations;
- to initiate studies and make recommendations
to promote international political cooperation,
the development and codification of
international law; the realization of
human rights and fundamental freedoms
for all, and international collaboration
in economic, social, cultural, educational
and health fields;
- to make recommendations for the peaceful
settlement of any situation, regardless
of origin, which might impair friendly
relations among nations;
- to receive and consider reports from
the Security Council and other United
Nations organs;
- to consider and approve the United
Nations budget and to apportion the
contributions among Members;
- to elect the non-permanent members
of the Security Council, the members
of the Economic
and Social Council and those members
of the Trusteeship
Council that are elected;
- to elect jointly with the Security
Council the Judges of the International
Court of Justice; and, on the recommendation
of the Security Council, to appoint
the Secretary-General.
Under
the "Uniting for peace" resolution adopted
by the General Assembly in November
1950, the Assembly may take action if
the Security Council, because of a lack
of unanimity of its permanent members,
fails to act in a case where there appears
to be a threat to the peace, breach
of the peace or act of aggression. The
Assembly is empowered to consider the
matter immediately with a view to making
recommendations to Members for collective
measures, including, in the case of
a breach of the peace or act of aggression,
the
use of armed force when necessary to
maintain or restore international peace
and security.
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General
Assembly Sessions
The
General Assembly's regular session begins
each year on the third Tuesday in September
and continues usually until the third
week of December. In recent years, the
Assembly has been in session throughout
the year. At the start of each regular
session, the Assembly elects a new President,
21 Vice-Presidents and the Chairmen
of the Assembly's six Main Committees.
The Assembly also holds a general debate,
in which Member States express their
views on a wide range of matters of
international concern. To ensure equitable
geographical representation, the presidency
of the Assembly rotates each year among
five groups of States: African, Asian,
Eastern European, Latin American and
Caribbean, and Western European and
other States.
In
addition to its regular sessions, the
Assembly may meet in
special sessions at the request
of the Security Council, of a majority
of Members of the United Nations or
of one Member if the majority of Members
concurs. Emergency
special sessions may be called within
24 hours of a request by the Security
Council on the vote of any nine members
of the Council, or by a majority of
the United Nations Members, or by one
Member if the majority of Members concurs.
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Main
Committees
Because
of the great number of questions which
the Assembly is called upon to consider
(166 separate agenda items at the 51st
(1996/1997) session of the Assembly,
for example), the Assembly allocates
most questions to its six Main Committees:
(Relevant
document series symbols appear in parentheses.)
-First
Committee--Disarmament and International
Security Committee (A/C.1/sess./-)
-Second Committee--Economic and Financial
Committee(A/C.2/sess./-)
-Third Committee--Social, Humanitarian
and Cultural Committee (A/C.3/sess./-)
-Fourth Committee--Special Political
and Decolonization Committee (A/C.4/sess./-)
-Fifth Committee--Administrative and
Budgetary Committee (A/C.5/sess./-)
-Sixth Committee--Legal Committee (A/C.6/sess./-)
There
is also a General Committee, composed
of the President and 21 Vice-Presidents
of the Assembly and the chairmen of
the six Main Committees and a Credentials
Committee. The Credentials Committee
consists of nine members appointed by
the Assembly on the proposal of the
President at each session who reports
to the Assembly on the credentials of
representatives. Some questions are
considered directly in plenary meetings,
rather than in one of the Main Committees.
All questions are voted on in plenary
meetings, usually towards the end of
the regular session, after the committees
have completed their consideration of
them and submitted draft resolutions
to the plenary Assembly.
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Source: Basic Facts
About the United Nations, Sales No.
E.95.I.31. Last updated 25 April 1997<
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