General Debate of 72nd Regular Session of the UN General Assembly to open tomorrow

The General Debate of the 72nd Regular Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 72) will open on Tuesday, 19 September 2017, with a focus on the theme, ‘Focusing on People: Striving for Peace and a Decent Life for All on a Sustainable Planet’.

The 72nd Regular Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 72) was convened at UN Headquarters on Tuesday, 12 September 2017.

In preparation for the UNGA 72, the UN has released documents related to its agenda items on Education, Environmental Conventions, and Social Development, Trade, Gender and Human Development, Globalization and 2030 Agenda, Technology and Innovation, and Water and Sanitation.

The President of the 72nd session of the UNGA, Miroslav Lajcak, identified the following six overarching priorities for his tenure following his election: making a difference in the lives of ordinary people; prevention and mediation for sustaining peace; migration; political momentum for the SDGs and climate; human rights and equality, including equal opportunities for genders; and quality of events organized by the Presidency.

A number of events will take place in parallel to the opening of the 72nd session of the UNGA, including Global Goals Week 2017 and Climate Week NYC 2017.

The General Assembly is one of the six main organs of the United Nations, the only one in which all Member States have equal representation: one nation, one vote. All 193 Member States of the United Nations are represented in this unique forum to discuss and work together on a wide array of international issues covered by the UN Charter, such as development, peace and security, international law, etc. In September, all the Members meet in the General Assembly Hall in New York for the annual General Assembly session The General Assembly (GA) is the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the UN.

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 by simple majority.