The general assembly is the only major organ of the United Nations
in which all members are represented. Each member may send five delegates, five
alternate delegates, and as many advisers as it wishes. However, each member
nation has only one vote.
The general
assembly elects a new president and a number of vice
presidents at the beginning of each annual session. The president’s main duty
is to lead the assembly’s discussion and direct its work
Powers.
The general assembly is responsible in same way for every organ of the United
Nations. It elects or takes part in electing the members of the other major
organs, and it directs the operations of some UN bodies. The general assembly
also controls the UN’s budget. It decides how much money each member should
contribute and how much of the UN’s
funds each UN body should receive.
Meetings
and voting. The general assembly holds one regular
session each year, beginning on the third Tuesday in December and lasting about
three months. A special session may be called if either the Security Council or a majority
of member states requests it. Several special sessions have been called to
discuss such matters as peacekeeping and finances. The secretary general, the
assembly president and an under-secretary sit on stage. Such meeting can be
called on 24 hours’ notice if peace is threatened and the Security Council has
not acted. Any nine members of the Security Council or a majority of the UN
members may call an emergency special session. Such sessions have been held for
serious situations
in the Middle East, Hungary, and other parts of the world.
Committees.
The UN charter permits the general assembly to create as many committees as it
needs to help to help carry on its work. The assembly has set up seven main
committees and the special political committee. Every member of the general
assembly-thus ever UN member-may have a representative on all these committees.
The first committee discusses political and security
questions and arms control. The special political committee
helps the first committee with its tremendous volume of work. The second
committee deals with economic and financial questions, the third with social
and cultural matters, and the fourth with problems of countries that is not
self-governing. The fifth committee handles administrative
and budget matters, and the sixth handles questions of law. Each committee
studies the problems that have been assigned to it and makes recommendations
to the general assembly.
The assembly has also set up other committees. They
help organize and conduct each assembly session, advise the second and fifth
committees on financial and budget matters, or deal with problems involving
nuclear energy, colonialism
and peacekeeping.
Author: Nteziyaremye Ronald
