Code of Ethics

In the understanding that a Code of Ethics for the President of the General Assembly is an important part of the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly, and that such a Code of ethics will strengthen the capacity of the President of the General Assembly to exercise his or her duties and responsibilities whilst enhancing her moral authority, integrity and credibility, Annex 2 of Resolution 70/305 on the Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly contains the Code of Ethics for the President of the General Assembly. The President has requested the members of her office to abide by the same principles and obligations and to bear its content in mind during the discharging of their mandate in the service of the General Assembly.

Code of Ethics for the President of the General Assembly

Code of Ethics for the President of the General Assembly

1. The President of the General Assembly (hereinafter referred to as “the President”) in performing his or her duties and responsibilities as an elected official, fully in line with the United Nations Charter and the General Assembly Rules of Procedure, shall at all times from the date of election observe the highest standards of ethical conduct.

2. The President shall perform his or her duties and responsibilities in an impartial and equitable manner and in full honesty and good faith.

3. The President shall avoid any action which might result in or create the appearance of:

a) The use of the office of the Presidency or resources attached thereto for private gain; b) Giving unwarranted preferential treatment to any state, organization or person; c) Impeding the work of the Organization, or taking a preferential, biased or prejudged approach; d) Affecting adversely the confidence of Member States in the integrity of the work of the Organization.

4. The President shall engage with Member States in a consultative and cooperative manner, while at the same time refraining from receiving or accepting instructions from any individual, governmental or non-governmental organization or group whatsoever.

5. The President shall avoid any situation involving a conflict between his or her own personal or private interest and the interests of the Presidency or the United Nations.

6. The President shall ensure the greatest possible transparency in the utilization of property, premises, services, and resources made available for the discharge of the functions of the office, and ensure that they are used only for the official business of the Presidency, and not for other purposes.

7. The President shall ensure the greatest possible transparency in any external activities, or any commercial dealings, to protect against conflict of interest. Holding of any commercial office during his or her term in office is not compatible with the post of the President.

8. In the event that the President considers that a conflict of interest may arise, he or she shall recuse himself or herself from handling the matter and, in accordance with the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly, appoint an Acting President in relation to that matter or meeting.

9. In the fulfillment of his or her mandate the President is accountable to the General Assembly.

10. Any reference to the President in this Code shall also include members of his or her office while in the exercise of their functions as members of the Office of the President of the General Assembly.

11. Nothing in this Code shall preclude the President or members of his or her office from being seconded from their government or from retaining the privileges, immunities and diplomatic status granted by a Member State.

 

Information on Finances

UN Regular Budget

Expenditures from the regular budget are managed on behalf of the OPGA by the Executive Office of the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management in accordance with the Financial Regulations and Rules of the United Nations.
 

Donations in support of OPGA

Donors can directly support the work of the President through contributions chanelled through the UN system, including to the dedicated OPGA Trust fund, which is regulated by UN Financial Regulation and Rules. The President will report publicly on contributions made to the fund upon receipt. It should also be noted that General Assembly Resolution 72/321: “Stresses the importance of the contributions of Member States to the trust fund in support of the Office of the President of the General Assembly, and in this regard notes with appreciation the contributions that have been made to the fund, and encourages Member States to continue to contribute to the fund and to allow for unspent contributions from previous sessions to be made available for succeeding terms.”

 

Contributions to the OPGA Trust Fund for the 74th session

 

DATE

CONTRIBUTOR PROJECT COMMITMENT
June 2019 Ireland General administrative, logistical and management support USD 143,403.00
July 2019 India General administrative, logistical and management support USD 100,000.00
August 2019 People’s Republic of China General administrative, logistical and management support USD 300,000.00
August 2019 Hungary General administrative, logistical and management support USD 65,000.00
September 2019 State of Qatar General administrative, logistical and management support USD 350,000.00
September 2019 United Arab Emirates General administrative, logistical and management support USD 300,000.00
September 2019 State of Libya General administrative, logistical and management support USD 10,000.00
September 2019 Kingdom of Morocco General administrative, logistical and management support USD 50,000.00
October 2019 Algeria General administrative, logistical and management support USD 25,000.00
November 2019 Federal Republic of Nigeria General administrative, logistical and management support USD 3,000.000.00
November 2019 Republic of Cyprus General administrative, logistical and management support USD 5,550.00
November 2019 Turkey General administrative, logistical and management support USD 70,000.00
January 2020 Portugal Sustaining peace, SDGs, general administrative, logistical and management support of OPGA USD 11,169.00 
January 2020 Kuwait Sustaining peace, SDGs, general administrative, logistical and management support of OPGA USD 150,000.00
March 2020 Japan Sustaining peace, SDGs, general administrative, logistical and management support of OPGA USD 32,800.00

Contributions to the Trust Fund are reported after receipt. This section will be updated periodically.

Information on Travel

The President of the General Assembly discloses information about any official visits she undertakes overseas. To date, the President has traveled on official visits to:  

From 1 to 16 September 2019 (assumption of office)

  • India, 1 – 4 September 2019, (supported by the Governments of India)

From 18 September 2019 onward

  • Azerbaijan, 22 – 26 October 2019 (supported by the Trust Fund of the Office of the President of the General Assembly and the government of Azerbaijan)
  • France, 11 – 13 November 2019 (supported by the Trust Fund of the Office of the President of the General Assembly)
  • Nigeria, 20 – 25 November 2019 (supported by the Trust Fund of the Office of the President of the General Assembly and the government of Nigeria)
  • Ireland, 27 – 30 November 2019 (supported by the government of Ireland)
  • Spain, 9 – 11 December 2019 (supported by the Trust Fund of the Office of the President of the General Assembly)
  • Kuwait, 12 – 13 December 2019 (supported by the government of the State of Kuwait)
  • Qatar, 13- 16 December 2019 (supported by the government of the State of Qatar)
  • United Arab Emirates, 7- 12 January 2020 (supported by the government of the United Arab Emirates)
  • Ethiopia, 6 – 11 February 2020 (supported by the Trust Fund of the Office of the President of the General Assembly)
  • Switzerland, 22 – 26 February 2020 (supported by the Trust Fund of the Office of the President of the General Assembly)
  • Fiji, 5 – 8 March 2020, (supported by the Trust Fund of the Office of the President of the General Assembly)

Information on the staff of the Office of the President

The staff of the Office of the President of the UN General Assembly (OPGA) are identifiable through their biographies on the website. The overall composition of the Office is as follows:

  • The Office of the President of the 74th Session of the General Assembly currently has 44 team members (including the President), of which 23 are female and 21 male
    • 26 staff are seconded from member states
    • 8 staff are provided for by regular UN budget (4 administrative assistants, 2 from the senior executive team, 1 team leader and 1 Special Adviser)
    • 5 staff are recruited through voluntary contributions to the OPGA Trust Fund
    • 4 secondments from the UN system – DESA, UNICEF, and DGC

Respect for balanced gender and geographical representation

The President of the 74th Session of the General Assembly is commited to upholding full respect for a balanced gender and geographical representation in the Office, with the aim of securing equal opportunities for women and men from all regional groups and bearing in mind the need to secure the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.