The General Assembly is one of the six organs created when the United Nations (UN) was founded in 1945. It includes 193 representatives from each member state (this number has changed over the years). Its role is to discuss issues related to world peace and security, among other things.
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A state is a territorial and political entity administered by a government and delimited by borders within which a population lives.
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An institution is an organization governed by rules and laws that plays a specific role in society. This role may be political, social, economic or religious.
Each year, the 193 representatives meet in the General Assembly Hall in New York. They discuss topics such as sustainable development, international cooperation, the global economy, international law and world security. Each topic constitutes a guideline in the UN’s official guide called the Charter of the United Nations.
Following these discussions, member states adopt resolutions, which are decisions in the form of action plans. These action plans contain recommendations on one of the topics listed in the Charter. The member states are responsible for implementing the recommendations proposed in the plan.
On September 25, 2015, the Assembly adopted a resolution on sustainable development. This resolution led to the development of an action plan that aimed to elimate global poverty as well as promote gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls and respect for human rights.
The following are some of the recommendations from this resolution:
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Increase the production of agricultural and local products to end world hunger
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Develop medical treatments to reduce the mortality rate (number of deaths per 1000 inhabitants per year) from noncommunicable diseases
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Build schools to educate the most vulnerable people such as children and people with disabilities
To find out more about this resolution, see the following document: Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on September 25, 2015
President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine giving a speech at the United Nations General Assembly on September 29, 2015.
Source: Drop of Light, Shutterstock.com
A resolution is a decision made by an assembly following a vote.
All UN activities are aimed at protecting human rights. These are found in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the Assembly in 1948. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a legal document summarizing the fundamental rights and freedoms of all human beings. It is a symbolic guide, an ideal to be achieved for all peoples, which every nation in the world should respect. Below is a list of the rights that the UN is mandated to protect:
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The right to life, freedom and security
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The right to freedom of opinion and expression
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The right to a fair trial
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The right to education
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The right to work
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The right to privacy
To read the full document, visit the following page: Universal Declaration of Human Rights
If the General Assembly believes that national or international conflicts may violate human rights or threaten global security, it votes resolutions to resolve the situation. These resolutions are primarily based on non-violence, since the UN wants nations to cooperate.
This process makes it possible to identify states that constitute a danger to the world’s populations. These states are then encouraged to take action to put an end to conflicts.
Member states are not obligated to implement the Assembly’s recommendations, since countries are responsible for what happens within their own borders. This is the principle of sovereignty, which is defined in the UN Charter.
Sovereignty is the absolute power of a state to govern itself by making its own laws and enforcing them within its territory. A sovereign state is independent, meaning that it cannot be controlled by any other state or institution.
These recommendations are sent to the UN Security Council. It is the only UN institution that can take concrete action, such as peacekeeping missions, to stop conflicts that threaten global security.
Note: English image will follow
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