The 68th General Assembly (“the GA”) of the United Nations just started — and is going on until mid-October.
The GA is the main representative and policy-making organ of the United Nations. Decisions on important questions, such as those on peace and security, budgetary matters, and admission of new members, call for a two-thirds majority by the 193 Member States. Other matters and questions are subject to vote by simple majority. This year’s main focus will be the review of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to map out the next steps for what will come when these expire in 2015 (the “post-2015” development process). Each country carries one vote. For this year’s GA, over 90 Heads of State, 40 Heads of Government, and 60 Foreign Ministers are expected.
The General Debate, sometimes called the heart of the General Assembly, serves as a platform for the Member States to express their views and opinions, and takes place from today to 1 October 2013.
Many heads of states will speak today (from 9 A.M. EDT onwards) and the following days, starting with Dilma Roussef, President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, to be followed by Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, and Abdullah Gül, President of the Republic of Turkey. UN Web TV will, for the entire time, provide live streams and recordings of events of and around the General Assembly.
An agenda of all the upcoming events can be found in the UN Journal. Be part of it and stay tuned for more news from the Envoy on Youth!