Do you know what the UN is? General Assembly what functions does it perform? You will find answers to these and other questions in the article. The UN General Assembly is the leading representative, decision-making and deliberative body of the United Nations, which was established in 1945 in accordance with the UN Charter. The annual session of the Assembly is held from September to December and on subsequent days as necessary. This formation serves as a forum for a diverse discussion of the entire range of interethnic issues reflected in the Charter, and consists of 193 UN members.

Powers and functions

The Assembly also decided to temporarily suspend the tenth special emergency session and authorized the UN President to resume its meetings at the request of member countries.

Backstage meetings

What is an informal meeting of the UN General Assembly? At its 52nd session, the organization proposed a new means of achieving mutual understanding by negotiating the task of transforming the UN in private plenary meetings. The practice of holding such events was proposed at subsequent conferences to discuss issues related to the UN special session on HIV/AIDS, the UN Millennium Summit, strengthening the UN system and its revitalization.

Elections

Next, we will find out why a resolution of the UN General Assembly is needed, and now we will consider the elections of the UN Chairman and his deputies. In 2002, on July 8, the Assembly approved resolution 56/509, according to which the rules of procedure were changed. According to them, and also as a result of intensifying its work, the famous organization elected its own chairman and his deputies in 2005, on June 13, that is, three months before the opening of the conference. At the same time, the chairmen of the first six commissions of the 60th session were elected.

According to UN resolution 58/126, other officials leading committees were chosen on the same day.

Total debate

In 2005, from 17 to 23 September, debates of the General Assembly were held. They gave member countries a chance to speak out on the most important international issues. In accordance with UN resolution 58/126, the sixtieth conference held for the first time a general debate on a topic proposed to member countries by the confirmed but not yet in office chairman.

Given the importance of the 2005 World Summit, held at top level, the sixtieth session proposed the theme “in the interests of increasing and strengthening the effectiveness of the UN: follow-up to the resolutions and activities of the macro-level plenary congress held in September 2005.”

About the activities of the organization Secretary General read out the report before the start of the general debate, as has been the custom since the 52nd conference.

Reserve bodies

The rights of the UN General Assembly are impressive. This organization has six main commissions. After the end of the general discussion, the Assembly begins to consider the main items on its agenda. The number of subjects she must study is very large. That is why the Assembly sorts the sections of the daily plan among its six main commissions depending on their topics. They, in turn, discuss them, trying, as far as possible, to resolve different relationships states After this, the committees submit draft decisions and resolutions to the Assembly for analysis at one of the plenary congresses.

The UN has the following commissions:

• Issues Committee international security and disarmament.
• Commission on Financial and Economic Affairs.
• Committee on Humanitarian and social issues and cultural problems.
• Advice on specific political objectives and the dilemmas of decolonization.
• Committee on Budgetary and Administrative Issues.
• Legal Tasks Committee.

It is known that on individual agenda items, such as the problems of Palestine and the Middle East, the Assembly makes verdicts only at its plenary meetings.

Order

So, why is a UN General Assembly resolution necessary? This is a written act of the UN, in the approval of which all members of the Assembly take part. In order for it to be adopted, it must receive at least 50% of the votes.

The decisions recognized by the Assembly, unlike resolutions of the Security Council, do not have binding force, since they are distinguished by a recommendatory bias. However, no state can veto them. They say that UN regulations have great political and moral significance.

The texts of these documents are annually agreed upon between delegations of member states within the framework of the activities of six UN committees.

Current resolutions of the General Assembly, as a rule, study issues of global development (“Eradication of poverty”, “Food security”), international activities, phenomena, processes and even simple events (oil spill in coastal waters Lebanon).

The text of the decision reveals a level of perception of the analyzed problems and goals that is suitable for all states collaboration to resolve relevant issues. However, it is not always possible to achieve a fundamental common understanding, as, for example, in the resolution on lifting the blockade from Cuba, which is annually approved by the overwhelming majority of powers, criticizing the antics of the United States. If there are fundamental disagreements between groups of countries or on the part of one state, the resolution is sent to a referendum.

Due to the very one-sided nature of the multifaceted process of negotiations on the text of a resolution with the participation of countries with dissimilar popular needs, UN orders rarely have an oriented practical direction, with the exception of “decisions-resolutions” on real issues (the budget of the organization, the holding of conferences, and so on).

Children's rights

What else is the UN General Assembly famous for? The Convention on the Rights of the Child is her work. This organization approved the interethnic legal document, fixing the rights of children in participating countries. This Convention is the first and basic international legal document of a rigorous tone, intended for a wide range of children's rights. It contains 54 articles detailing the private rights of persons from birth to 18 years of age (if, in accordance with applicable laws, legal capacity does not occur earlier) to the perfect development of their resources in an environment free from want, hunger, exploitation, cruelty and other forms of abuse. The parties to this Convention are Palestine, the Holy See and all UN member countries, excluding the United States.

People's rights

Don't you know why the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was created? The UN General Assembly adopted it at the third session by resolution 217 A (III) in 1948, on December 10. This “International Pact on Human Rights” is recommended to all UN member countries. It is the first total definition of the privileges that all people have.

The Declaration consists of 30 articles and is a component of the International Bill of Human Opportunities, along with the World Pact on Social, Cultural and economic rights, a pair of Optional Protocols, the Universal Covenant on Political and Civil Rights.

Idea

Would you like to take a look at the documents of the UN General Assembly? Anyone can familiarize themselves with them, since they are available to everyone online on the website of this organization. During the Age of Enlightenment, thoughts about Natural Law emerged. On their basis, the following were developed and approved: the Bill of Rights in the USA, the Bill of Opportunities in the UK and the Declaration of Citizen and Human Rights in France.

The World War II phase clearly demonstrated the need for a universal treaty on human rights. Franklin Roosevelt in 1941, in his State of the Union address, called for support for four necessary freedoms: conscience, speech, freedom from fear and from want. This gave new impetus to the development of human rights as a necessary criterion for peace and the end of war.

When the public learned about the atrocities that were being committed German fascists, it became clear that the UN Charter does not clearly define human rights. A universal agreement that would describe and enumerate individual rights was necessary.

Adoption

The Declaration of the UN General Assembly is important document who can change the world. It is known that the text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was subject to significant edits before being approved. The basis for the future document was Humphrey's draft, deeply modified by Cassin.

Voting for him was carried out gradually. 23 of the 31 articles of the declaration program were unanimously adopted. As a result of the discussion, the third paragraph was combined with the second. During the hearings and article-by-article plebiscite, confrontation between Western states and the countries of the Soviet coalition emerged. The head of the USSR delegation to the UN, Andrei Yanuaryevich Vyshinsky, argued that, despite some advantages, the project has many major shortcomings, the main one of which is its legal and formal nature and the absence in the project of any measures that would be able to facilitate the implementation of those proclaimed in the document basic human rights and freedoms.

The latest version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was approved by 48 countries (out of the 58 then UN members) on December 10, 1948 at the 183rd plenary meeting of the General Assembly in the Palais de Chaillot (Paris). The Ukrainian SSR, the Byelorussian SSR, Czechoslovakia, the USSR, Yugoslavia, Poland, and others abstained from voting. Saudi Arabia and South Africa. Yemen and Honduras did not participate. Canada rejected the first version of the declaration, but agreed with it in the final vote.

Socialist countries rejected the document due to denial of the right to free emigration, Saudi Arabia - due to rejection of freedom of religion and arbitrariness of marriage, South Africa (and previously, Canada) - due to its racist position.

Human Rights Day

The UN General Assembly is bringing big changes to the world. 1948 is a turning point in human history. In 1950, the UN established the holiday Human Rights Day to honor the Declaration. It is celebrated on December 10th. People, parliaments, governments, various religious groups and communities and, of course, the UN itself take part in this celebration. Campaigns to promote the Declaration and human rights are undertaken every ten years.

In 2007, on December 10, an operation called “Justice and Human Dignity for Us All” began, in which all UN member states actively participated, and lasted exactly one year, until the 60th anniversary.

History of the UN in facts and legends

“We, the peoples of the United Nations, are determined to save future generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold grief to humanity.”

With these words begins the Charter of the United Nations - a structure whose creation is called one of the main results of the Second World War.

Initially, the prevention of global international conflicts is the main task of the UN. Its headquarters has more than once become the scene of the most fierce verbal battles and scandalous actions in order to preserve peace and save human lives.

The history of the UN in facts and legends told by diplomats - in a TASS special project.

TEN FACTS ABOUT THE UN

Born of War

The idea of ​​creating the UN arose at the very beginning of World War II. August 14, 1941 on board a warship in Atlantic Ocean near o. Newfoundland (Canada), US President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill signed the Atlantic Charter, a document declaring the goals of the two countries in the war against Nazi Germany and its allies, as well as their vision of the post-war world order. On September 24, 1941, the USSR joined this declaration.

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On January 1, 1942, representatives of 26 allied states that fought against the countries of Hitler's coalition declared support for the Atlantic Charter by signing the Declaration of the United Nations. This document was the first official use of the name "United Nations", proposed by President Roosevelt.

The idea of ​​education new organization Everyone supported it, but there were disagreements regarding its structure, tasks and powers.

As a result, at the Moscow Conference of the Foreign Ministers of the USSR, USA and Great Britain (Vyacheslav Molotov, Cordell Hull and Anthony Eden) at the end of October 1943, the first document was signed on the creation of an international organization in the possible future. short time. The meeting was also attended by the Chinese Ambassador to Moscow Fu Bing-chang.

To get to the conference, US Secretary of State Cordell Hull took the first flight of his life, and upon returning from Moscow, President Roosevelt personally met him at the airport.

Declaration of January 1, 1942, in which the name "United Nations" was first mentioned, proposed by US President Franklin Roosevelt

The UN Charter and the suspicious Truman

The final agreement on the creation of the UN was reached in 1945 in Yalta during a meeting of the leaders of the three countries of the anti-Hitler coalition - Joseph Stalin, Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill.

It was agreed that the UN's activities would be based on the principle of unanimity of the great powers - permanent members of the Security Council with the right of veto.

However, problems and disagreements between the powers that conceived the UN began even before the adoption of the organization's Charter. The US position underwent major changes after the death of President Roosevelt. Harry Truman, who replaced him, treated the USSR with great suspicion.

Truman did not like the agreements reached at Yalta on the principle of unanimity of the great powers in the Security Council, as well as the possibility of using the veto. According to the balance of power that had formed at that time in the future international organization, the United States had an absolute majority of votes in the Security Council and the General Assembly. One thing stood in the way - the right of veto, which Moscow received along with the other members of the UN Security Council. Truman hoped to change the situation at the conference in San Francisco, where the UN Charter was to be discussed.

Information from the American Ambassador in Moscow Averell Harriman added fuel to the fire of hostility towards the communist regime.

From Averell Harriman's dispatch

More than a million blue helmets

UN peacekeeping activities began in 1948 with the establishment of a body to monitor the implementation of truce conditions in the Middle East.

The first UN emergency force, consisting of 10 countries, was created in 1956 to oversee the withdrawal of foreign troops from the Suez Canal zone (Egypt). At the same time, blue berets and helmets were used for the first time, which became a symbol of peacekeepers.

Since 1948, the UN has initiated 71 peacekeeping operations. More than a million military, police and civilian personnel served in its ranks. More than 3.3 thousand peacekeepers died.

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People don't appreciate the things that the UN has achieved. The possibility of interstate conflict has greatly decreased over the 70 years of the UN's existence. Yes, we have wars and very disgusting events. Was Korean War, the conflict in Vietnam, the confrontation between India and Pakistan, there were wars in the 70s in South Asia, wars in Africa. But great war did not happen, and we must admit that part of this credit lies with the UN

Sir Jeremy Greenstock, former UK permanent representative to the UN (1998-2003), head of the UN Association in the United Kingdom

Six UN Nobels

In 2001, the UN received the Nobel Peace Prize, although before that certain areas of its activities had been awarded such an award, and even more than once.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was awarded the prize twice - in 1954 and 1981.

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) - in 1965.

UN International Peacekeeping Force - in 1988.

In 1961 Nobel Prize UN Secretary General Dag Hammerskjöld (Sweden) was posthumously awarded.

RECORDS, SCANDALS AND LEGENDS

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The UN tribune - and there is no higher tribune in the world yet - gave states the opportunity to express their point of view on events in international life and thereby ease the tension in their relations. This allowed public opinion V various countries ah compare the positions of the main warring parties. As a result of such a comparison, one or another power was subjected to a certain international pressure, which it could not ignore. This happened during the Vietnam War, this happened during the war in Afghanistan, and this happened in some other cases. And finally, there were still international conflicts, albeit not the most pressing ones that could be resolved directly at the UN

Oleg Troyanovsky, permanent representative of the USSR to the UN (1976-1986)

The sessions of the UN General Assembly, which open annually at the end of September, are always the most eventful and vibrant diplomatic event of the year. Hundreds of meetings and speeches take place within the framework of the forum. Of interest are those in which the participants are “bosom enemies” - how they will behave when they are in the same room and listening to their opponents. Speeches by country leaders and high-ranking diplomats are often accompanied by scandals and extravagant acts.

The record holder among heads of state for the length of speech from the rostrum of the General Assembly is still the Cuban leader Fidel Castro. In 1960, he spoke for 4 hours and 29 minutes, which became the reason for getting into the Guinness Book of Records.

Sometimes politicians speaking from the UN rostrum felt ill. And Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi made the translator faint during his last speech at the UN in September 2009.

He spoke for almost two hours instead of the 15 minutes allotted by the regulations. In such a long speech, the Libyan leader managed to touch on many world problems, including criticizing the UN. In particular, he stated the need to move the organization's headquarters from the United States to another country.

Muammar Gaddafi, head of Libya

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Why are you going to America, where you are all suffering from the change of time? Look at you - you're all tired from the long flight across the Atlantic. It is necessary to find another country for the UN headquarters, where, when they arrive at the UN General Assembly, people will not be so tired... Why are you striving for America? What is this - the Vatican, Jerusalem or Mecca?

Muammar Gaddafi, head of Libya

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One of the most mysterious moments that occurred during the sessions of the General Assembly is the story of Nikita Khrushchev’s shoe. According to one version, the shoe fell off Khrushchev’s foot in the crowd on the way to the meeting, and it was brought to him after the speeches had begun. Some claim that Khrushchev held the shoe in his hand during the meeting, others note that the shoe was lying nearby on the table. But one way or another, during the speech of the Filipino delegate, who talked about the threat of Soviet imperialism, Khrushchev jumped up and began waving his arms to attract the attention of the chairman of the session, and also banged on the table in protest. The shoe just happened to be at hand. Rumor has it that for this undiplomatic act, the Soviet delegation was allegedly fined by the UN for 2 thousand dollars, but never paid the fine, since all the documents related to this incident were mysteriously disappeared from UN files.

There was another episode when, during a speech at the 15th session of the UN General Assembly, Khrushchev used the well-known expression “Kuzka’s mother,” which the translator translated literally as “kusma’s mother,” which confused the delegations. The meaning of the phrase was completely unclear, and from this the threat acquired an ominous character. Subsequently, “kusma"s mother" was replaced by translators with another threat often used by Khrushchev in relation to the West: "We will bury you" ("we"ll bury you").

"Better red than dead"

One of the most popular stories, retold by literally all diplomats who worked at the UN, is connected with Oleg Troyanovsky.

Oleg Troyanovsky, permanent representative of the USSR to the UN (1976-1986)

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In the Security Council chamber, two extremists who belonged to some Maoist group poured water on me and the deputy before the start of the meeting. permanent representative USA Van den Heuvel in red paint. When I, having changed clothes, appeared in front of the waiting journalists, answering their questions, I said: “Better red than dead.” This phrase was a great success, since at that time the far right in the United States proclaimed the words “Better dead than red” as their slogan, that is, “It is better to be dead than red.”

Oleg Troyanovsky, permanent representative of the USSR to the UN (1976-1986)

The next day, this story appeared in many newspapers and magazines as a quote of the day. They also say that the leadership of the UN Secretariat, trying to “smooth out” the oversight of its security service, paid for the purchase of new suits, shirts, boots, etc. for Soviet and American diplomats.

The chamber of secrets, or why the UN Security Council is not expanding

Next to the Security Council meeting room there is a small meeting room. There is very little space there; a maximum of three people from each country that is a permanent member of the UN Security Council can be there. Renovations were being planned, and members of the Security Council were asked if they would like to expand the premises with adjoining rooms.

Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister

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I don’t want to give anyone away, but one of the permanent members of the Security Council, the ambassador (not us) said: “No, guys, let’s not move this wall now, because as soon as we move it, there will immediately be a temptation to more actively push for expansion in the Security Council Because there will be room to expand..."

Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister

How the intelligence services missed a missile in the UN garden

"There are two architectural gifts on the grounds of the UN headquarters Soviet Union– the sculpture “Let’s Beat Swords into Plowshares” by Yevgeny Vuchetich, installed in 1959, and the monument to Zurab Tsereteli “Good Conquers Evil”, donated in 1990. Cast from bronze, it depicts St. George piercing with a spear intercontinental missiles: the Soviet SS-20 and the American Pershing, which became a symbol of the end cold war", said Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Gennady Gatilov, who worked at the UN as the first deputy permanent representative of the Russian Federation and senior adviser to the office of the Secretary General.

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Legend has it that Tsereteli managed to obtain fragments of the Soviet SS-20 with great difficulty, since the relevant departments refused to meet him halfway, citing secrecy. However, when a positive decision was made, the military gave the sculptor not just a body, but almost an equipped rocket. When the monument, which was a gift to the UN from the government of the USSR, was installed in the UN garden, it turned out that at its base there were parts of a rocket with elements of a secret filling. It was with great difficulty that they were dismantled. In this form, St. George the Victorious still stands in the UN garden

Gennady Gatilov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

UN Sleeping Guide

“In the second half of the nineties, the French ambassador to the UN was the famous diplomat Alain Dejammet,” said the former permanent representative of Tajikistan to the UN, and now ambassador to China, Rashid Alimov. “He had a reputation as a taciturn, balanced diplomat, without a pronounced sense of humor Therefore, a big surprise for many was the appearance at the UN headquarters of a brochure written by him under the intriguing title Sleeping in the United Nations - about the best places in the UN where you can sleep.

The author of the UN Sleeping Places Guide divided places for a good night's sleep during long meetings into five categories and assigned them the corresponding number of stars: not recommended, acceptable, pleasant, very good and exceptionally good. With the pedantry characteristic of a researcher, he identified the most comfortable, mostly dark, corners and described their comfort, lighting, absence of external stimuli and noise, as well as frequency of use. Everyone who met the guide paid tribute to the objectivity and wit of Dejami: the best place for good sleep he named the private office of the French delegation in the UN Secretariat, hidden from prying eyes, and gave second place in popularity to the UN Periodicals Library, which, in his words, “gives the impression of an abandoned monastery.”

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One of my colleagues then noted that most likely the French ambassador, during his four years of work at the UN, gained this knowledge and experience by conducting “grueling sleep experiments” on himself. To be fair, it should be said that up to 7 thousand meetings are held at the UN every year, many of them last until midnight, and not everyone can endure such a grueling marathon

Rashid Alimov, Ambassador of Tajikistan to China

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THE FUTURE OF THE UN

In addition to peacekeeping activities, among the priorities of the UN are work to promote respect for human rights and environmental protection; African development; the fight against disease and poverty, drug addiction, terrorism; protection of intellectual property rights, assistance to refugees, destruction of nuclear, chemical and conventional weapons.

Membership

All UN member countries are represented in the General Assembly by one vote.

Authority

The General Assembly was intended to be a forum in which the nations of the world should be given ample opportunity "to discuss any question or matter within the limits of the Charter." This is the largest and most representative, but not the most powerful body of the UN, since the Assembly does not have the power to enforce its decisions. Resolutions adopted by the Assembly, unlike decisions of the Security Council, are not binding, and no nation can veto them.

The General Assembly controls the activities of the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, and special institutions; she also has key electoral responsibilities. Together with the Security Council, the Assembly elects the Secretary General and judges of the International Court of Justice; it also makes decisions on admitting new members to the UN. The Assembly elects 10 non-permanent members. Finally, it determines the contribution of each UN member state to the Organization's budget.

Functions

In addition to regular sessions, the General Assembly conducts its work through the use of complex structure committees and regional groups; this allows different governments to be confident that their interests and the priorities of their regions are adequately represented at the UN. These groups also take part in the selection of states that, in accordance with the rotation procedure, will have to join the Security Council.

Sessions

The Assembly holds regular sessions annually, beginning on the third Tuesday in September; the session usually lasts about three months. In addition to regular ones, the Assembly can hold special sessions at the request of the Security Council or the majority of UN members. According to the terms of the “Unity for Peace” resolution (1950), in the event of a threat to peace, the Assembly can meet within 24 hours for an emergency session.

The Assembly annually elects a new chairman, 21 vice-chairmen and the chairmen of the seven main standing committees. The Chairman of the Assembly directs its work through General Committee.

Basically, decisions at the General Assembly are made by a simple majority of votes. However, those resolutions that, in accordance with the Charter, relate to key issues (peacekeeping resolutions and the election of new members) must be adopted by a two-thirds majority.

Committees

Like national legislatures, the Assembly is divided into committees. It consists of 7 permanent committees: Special Political Committee; First Committee (Disarmament and Security Affairs); Second Committee (Economic and Financial Affairs); Third Committee (social, humanitarian and cultural issues); Fourth Committee (Trustee Territories and Decolonization Issues); Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary Affairs) and Sixth Committee (Legal Affairs). Each UN member state has the right to be represented on any of these committees.

Story

During the Cold War, the United States usually used its own methods of pressuring the General Assembly to achieve its goals. Of the 51 states that first joined the UN in 1945, no less than 35 were closely associated with the United States. Even taking into account the fact that two republics of the USSR - Belarus and Ukraine - signed the Charter as separate members, only 5 of the states represented in the UN sided with the USSR and only 10 were considered non-aligned. Recently liberated and colonial countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America at that time they had virtually no representation in the Assembly. The US delegation in those years could easily achieve a majority, and, if necessary, a two-thirds majority.

UN members

Australia

Austria 1955

Azerbaijan 1992

Albania 1955

Angola 1976

Andorra 1993

Antigua and Barbuda 1981

Argentina

Armenia 1992

Afghanistan 1946

Bahamas 1973

Bangladesh 1974

Barbados 1966

Bahrain 1971

Belarus

Bulgaria 1955

Bosnia and Herzegovina 1992

Botswana 1966

Brazil

Brunei 1984

Burkina Faso 1960

Burundi 1962

Vanuatu 1981

Great Britain

Hungary 1955

Venezuela

Vietnam 1977

Guyana 1966

Gambia 1965

Guatemala

Guinea 1958

Guinea-Bissau 1974

Germany 1973

Honduras

Grenada 1974

Georgia 1992

Democratic Republic of Congo 1960

Djibouti 1977

Dominica 1978

Dominican Republic

Zambia 1964

Zimbabwe 1980

Israel 1949

Indonesia 1950

Jordan 1955

Ireland 1955

Iceland 1946

Spain 1955

Italy 1955

Cape Verde 1975

Kazakhstan 1992

Cambodia 1955

Cameroon 1960

Kyrgyzstan 1992

Kiribati 1999

People's Republic of China

Colombia

Comoros 1975

Democratic People's Republic of Korea 1991

Republic of Korea 1991

Costa Rica

Ivory Coast 1960

Kuwait 1963

Latvia 1991

Lesotho 1966

Liechtenstein 1990

Luxembourg

Mauritius 1968

Mauritania 1961

Madagascar 1960

Macedonia 1993

Malawi 1964

Malaysia 1957

Maldives 1965

Malta 1964

Morocco 1956

Marshall Islands 1991

Mozambique 1975

Moldova 1992

Monaco 1993

Mongolia 1961

Myanmar 1948

Namibia 1990

Nigeria 1960

Netherlands

Nicaragua

New Zealand

Norway

United United Arab Emirates 1971

Pakistan 1947

Papua – New Guinea 1975

Paraguay

Portugal 1955

Republic of the Congo 1960

Russian Federation

Rwanda 1962

Romania 1955

Salvador

San Marino 1992

Sao Tome and Principe 1975

Saudi Arabia

Swaziland 1968

Seychelles 1976

Senegal 1960

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1980

Saint Kitts and Nevis 1983

Saint Lucia 1979

Singapore 1965

Slovakia 1993

Slovenia 1992

USA

Solomon Islands 1978

Somalia 1960

Suriname 1975

Sierra Leone 1961

Tajikistan 1992

Thailand 1946

Tanzania 1961

Trinidad and Tobago 1962

Turkmenistan 1992

Uganda 1962

Uzbekistan 1992

Federated States of Micronesia 1991

Philippines

Finland 1955

Croatia 1992

Central African Republic 1960

Sweden 1946

Sri Lanka 1955

Equatorial Guinea 1968

Eritrea 1993

Estonia 1991

Yugoslavia

South Africa

Jamaica 1962

Japan 1956

For the 51 states that signed the Charter in 1945, no date of adoption is given. In 1990-1991, two states from this number - the USSR and Yugoslavia - collapsed. In 1992, Russia was recognized as the successor to the USSR in all UN bodies. In 1973, East and West Germany became members of the UN. The country was reunified in 1990.

On November 29, 1947, the General Assembly adopted Resolution No. 181 regarding the division of the former Mandatory Territory of Palestine by creating Arab and Jewish states there. A few months later the State of Israel was proclaimed, but Arab state it never showed up.

When, in the early days of the UN, it became clear that the Security Council had become hostage to the struggle between East and West, the General Assembly voted to create a General Committee, or Small Assembly, which, if necessary, could meet between sessions of the Assembly. The “Uniting for Peace” resolution adopted in 1950 significantly increased the role of the General Assembly. In June, in the absence of the Soviet representative, the Security Council was able to take action against a North Korean attack on South Korea. However, a few days later the representative of the USSR returned to the Security Council and vetoed any further actions. The Uniting for Peace resolution asserted the right of the Assembly to meet immediately in cases of emergency when the Security Council could not act, and to propose appropriate collective measures, including the use of armed forces. The resolution established a Military Truce Commission consisting of 14 representatives of various states to monitor the development of dangerous situations in any part of the world and called on all UN member states to create special contingents of armed forces intended for use at the request of the Security Council or the General Assembly. Having expanded its powers, the Assembly was able to keep several crisis situations under control: the Chinese military invasion of Korea in 1950, the Suez crisis of 1956 and the Soviet invasion of Hungary in the same year, the Lebanon crisis of 1958, the crisis in the Congo in 1960. Since decolonization led to expansion of the political base of the Assembly, security issues began to be dealt with mainly by the Security Council.

The United States, as a rule, managed to achieve a majority in the General Assembly when voting on vital issues. important issues. In the 1960s and 1970s, the rise of the Afro-Asian-Arab bloc made it more difficult for the United States to achieve the required majority, so it had to increase political, economic and diplomatic pressure on Third World countries. In 1971, a vote was taken on the issue of admitting the Chinese People's Republic: The United States, which opposed it, actually found itself in the minority. But even in 1974, when the Afro-Asian-Arab bloc had a decisive majority of votes, the United States managed to resolve the issue of the presence of North American armed forces in Korea under the UN flag.

After World War II, the main organization on whose activities, no matter how pompous it may sound, world peace is the UN. All the main problems of our time are discussed, and the parties to the conflicts try to reach a consensus, suggesting the use of diplomatic rather than forceful methods. Which body is the most important in the entire UN? The General Assembly is the heart of this notorious organization.

What kind of organ is this?

This is the name of the main meeting forum. Its peculiarity is that only here all the countries of the world that have their representatives in the UN can discuss the most pressing international problems in a multilateral format. What is this UN component responsible for? General Assembly plays vital role in the formation and development of international law.

How it works?

Issues are discussed at sessions. After each of them, a resolution is adopted based on the topics discussed. In order for the draft resolution to be approved, it is necessary that at least 50% of all delegates support its adoption. There are a few things to consider. First, what can this UN body do? The General Assembly makes resolutions, but they do not have binding or even recommendatory force. Secondly, despite this, none of the delegations can veto the decisions taken.

The Assembly was approved in 1945, when the whole world shuddered, finally realizing all the grief and horror experienced by many peoples during the Second World War. Historically, the most intensive work has been done between September and December. In principle, if necessary, members of the Assembly can meet at other times, if the current situation in the world really requires it.

Thus, according to the Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN General Assembly in early December 1948, the basic norms of universal human standards of ethics, morality and humanism, which every state undertakes to observe, were finally established. In particular, this document contains a sharp rejection of any torture and humiliation of human dignity in relation to captured military personnel.

Why is this body within the UN needed?

So, (the UN), whose resolution can put an end to many negative processes in the world, in its internal Charter clearly ascribes the functions and powers that the Assembly we are describing has:

• Its most important function is to jointly consider the basic principles of maintaining peace and prosperity. Its recommendations can relate to absolutely any issue, and the sphere of armaments is no exception. Based on the results of the discussion, a resolution is adopted, which in some cases may still be of a recommendatory nature.
• Also, members of this body can openly discuss any issues that in one way or another relate to the stability of the global geopolitical situation. In addition, the Assembly may make recommendations, except in cases where the issue involved is within the purview of the UN Security Council.
• Assembly specialists can prepare research methods and directly implement them in order to subsequently provide more accurate and useful recommendations. This is especially true for the development of international law, as well as guarantees of compliance with universal human norms in all spheres of activity of governments around the world.
• Also, this body can give detailed recommendations for all situations, the uncontrolled development of which is fraught with serious shocks and disruption of relationships between different nations.
• regularly shares reports with his department. The Assembly can discuss them, as well as make various comments, which are accepted by higher authorities.
• A very important task of the Assembly is to adopt the UN budget, as well as to determine the amount of contributions for each country whose members are part of this organization.
• Appoint the Secretary General, as well as elect temporary members of the Security Council (based on the results of a general vote).

In what order do the sessions take place?

Any session opens with representatives of various countries conducting debates on the most pressing and important issues that have accumulated since the last meeting. It is important to note that everyone can openly express their opinion and receive succinct and detailed answers. All meetings are carefully recorded for subsequent analysis, on the basis of which recommendations will be drawn up.

Why are all these projects being considered? The resolution of this body, dedicated to all the most important global problems, is never adopted in a vacuum. All UN decisions can be implemented only as a result of joint debates, at which all the most important issues are fully discussed.

Only after each country has exercised its right to vote in the general debate does the substantive consideration of the issues on the agenda begin. It should be noted that there can be a lot of them. So, at a relatively recent meeting it turned out that there were almost 170 items on the agenda! How is the discussion conducted in this case?

The fact is that the Assembly itself consists of six committees. The main issues are distributed among the members of the latter and go through all stages of discussion. At one of the subsequent plenary meetings, the President of the Assembly is presented with a preliminary draft resolution.

It is undergoing further discussion. If approved by at least 50% of those sitting, it is accepted definitively. After this, the UN General Assembly resolution can, in some cases, even be referred to the Security Council. This happens if it touches on particularly important and pressing issues that directly threaten global stability.

What divisions do the six additional committees represent?

Since we have already touched on this issue, it should be further deciphered. So, the six committees include the following divisions:

• Department dealing with issues of global disarmament and security. It deals with all issues that in one way or another affect the areas of excessive use of weapons.
• Committee on Economic and Financial Problems. In particular, it is responsible for the problems of hunger and poverty in the countries of Central Africa.
• Department of Humanities and social policy. Perhaps one of the most important departments, as it deals with human rights issues. In addition, the recommendations of this committee are more often than not accepted for consideration by the Security Council. This means that as a result, a UN General Assembly resolution with a binding interpretation can be agreed upon.
• The fourth department is politics and issues related to decolonization in one way or another. His competence is extremely broad. In addition to resolving the usual general political problems, the members of this committee are busy with financial and social assistance those states that were previously colonies of some European powers.
• Committee on Administrative Affairs and Budget. Here they are mainly concerned with the office, which includes financing issues, so the rights of the UN General Assembly in this regard are extremely great.
• The Sixth Committee, also known as the Department of Law. As is easy to understand, he is busy developing and adopting norms of international law. This department can also oversee the implementation of its recommendations.

What decisions can be made here?

Each state in the Assembly has exactly one vote. Decisions on particularly important issues directly related to stability and peace can only be made with at least 2/3 votes “for” or “against”. In other cases, resolutions may be approved based on a simple number of votes (but not less than 50%).

General Committee - composition and main functions

The most important committee consists of a chairman, as well as 21 deputies, who are responsible both for the work of the six additional committees and for general organizational and administrative matters. Previously, this organ performed significantly more features, but the reform of the UN General Assembly has significantly reduced their list. From now on it includes the following tasks:

• Approval of the agenda and distribution of topics among additional committees if there are too many issues.
• General organization of work and responsibility for the conduct of all plenary meetings of the Assembly.

What is the role of this structure in global security?

70 The UN General Assembly was marked by a speech by the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin. In his lengthy speech, he touched on many extremely important but very sensitive issues. In particular, the Russian President has repeatedly hinted that the existing center of “dominance” in the world, chief representative who gave a speech about “exceptionalism”, in last years stopped responding to UN decisions altogether.

Why was this said? For everyone interested in politics last decades, it was clear that the Russian leader was hinting at the United States. The invasion of Vietnam, Libya, the bombing of Yugoslavia in the early 90s - all this was carried out either without obtaining the approval of the Security Council, or it was given “retroactively”. It is not surprising that in recent years, opinions have increasingly been heard that the Assembly format is completely outdated, and the entire organization needs to be completely “dismantled.” But is this really so?

Yes, the organization has certain problems, but they have not disappeared since the days of the League of Nations. Most countries still listen to the opinion of the UN and implement its peacekeeping initiatives. This helps maintain world order and prevent minor conflicts from turning into real major wars. So what is the relationship between the UN General Assembly and international security?

Conclusions and overview of some problems

So, over the entire period of its existence (from 1944 to 2016) this organization can confidently be called the most influential in the whole world. Thus, the declaration of the UN General Assembly has more than once been able to prevent those conflicts in which the states that initially started them were completely bogged down. Of course, things didn't always go so well. For example, based on the results of the latest Arab-Israeli conflict, the following conclusions were drawn:

• Firstly, as regrettable as it may be, in the coming decades, complete eradication of the causes of this war is impossible, since they include deep internal contradictions between all the peoples inhabiting this region.
• Secondly, it is this conflict that constantly reveals contradictions both in the Assembly and in the UN Security Council: on the one hand, the nation has the right to self-determination, on the other, the people are free to resolve territorial claims.

Based on this information, we can conclude that the implementation of the so-called road map“, that is, a plan for resolving a particular conflict, must take into account all the features of the region in which it unfolded. Unfortunately, not all sessions of the UN General Assembly even touched upon this painful problem.

It makes it very difficult to decide this task There is also the fact that the parties to the conflict generally do not have much confidence in UN decisions. At times, only the influence of intermediaries in the person of the United States or the Russian Federation helps prevent serious consequences, while the Arabs and Israelis practically do not listen to the opinion of the UN itself. How can a way out of this impasse be found?

Here the organization must show a certain degree of flexibility. The proposed resolutions on the Israeli issue are a set of compromises, adopted by countries, who are generally indifferent to the problems in this region. In such a delicate situation, as some UN experts believe, one should listen not to the faceless opinion of the majority, but to the decisions of the countries directly involved in this conflict.

Disaster in Rwanda

Also, documents of the UN General Assembly indicate that at one time the members of the organization did not attach due importance to the events that resulted in one of the bloodiest conflicts of the last millennium, as a result of which thousands of people died. The conflict in Rwanda was extremely complex because it was based not only on religious but also on deep ethnic divisions.

Moreover, the main factor was precisely the ethnic issue. Another difficulty was that from the very beginning the members of the Assembly could not firmly decide which nationality to side with. Such throwing around was wrong in its essence: the outbreak of the conflict should have been stopped immediately. When two ethnic groups fight within one country, this is an ordinary civil war, fraught with enormous casualties and forever dividing many generations of people who lived there.

In addition, for some unknown reason, they were completely forgotten economic forces. In particular, it has long been proven that with more or less stable economic growth, such conflicts are possible, but they rarely reach their peak (without external input). But in Rwanda, throughout the 1980s, the economy rapidly deteriorated, constantly going into negative territory. Again, in those conditions it was necessary to act urgently, but for some reason initially no action was taken.

So we learned why the General Assembly is needed within the UN.

Topic 10. UN bodies

Competence. The General Assembly is the most representative body of the Organization. It consists of all members of the Organization. From the contents of Chapter IV of the UN Charter, it can be concluded that the General Assembly is supreme body Organizations. According to Art. 15 of the Charter, it receives and considers annual and special reports of the Security Council. These reports must include an account of the measures to maintain international peace and security that the Security Council has decided to take or has taken. The General Assembly receives and considers reports from other organs of the Organization.

The General Assembly has the right to discuss any issues within the framework of the UN Charter and make appropriate recommendations to UN member states and the Security Council. However, when the Security Council is exercising the functions assigned to it by the UN Charter in relation to any dispute or situation, the General Assembly cannot make any recommendations relating to that dispute or situation unless the Security Council so requests.

The General Assembly also organizes studies and makes recommendations with a view to:

a) promoting international cooperation in the political field and encouraging the progressive development of international law and its codification;

b) promoting cooperation in the field of economic, social, culture, education, health and promoting the implementation of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction of race, gender, language and religion.

Operating procedure. The General Assembly shall meet in regular annual sessions and in such special sessions as circumstances may require.

The General Assembly meets annually on another session on the third Tuesday in September. The Secretary-General shall notify all UN members of the opening of such a session at least 60 days in advance. On the recommendation of the General Committee, at the beginning of each session, it sets the closing date for the next session.

Special sessions of the General Assembly are convened within 15 days from the date of receipt by the Secretary General of a request from the Security Council or from a majority of UN members to convene such a session or a message from a majority of UN members to accede to the request for convening.

Emergency special sessions shall be convened within 24 hours of the receipt by the Secretary-General of a request for such a session from the Security Council and supported by the votes of any nine members of the Council, the demand of a majority of the members of the UN, expressed by vote of the Intersessional Committee. Any UN member may request the Secretary-General to convene an emergency special session. The Secretary-General shall immediately notify the other Members of the Organization of this demand and ask them whether they accede to it. If within 30 days a majority of UN members join this demand, the Secretary-General will convene a special session of the UN General Assembly.

The provisional agenda for the next session is drawn up by the UN Secretary-General and communicated to its members at least 60 days before the opening of the session. It consists of more than 100 questions.

However, the constants are next questions:

a) report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization;

b) reports of the Security Council, ECOSOC, Trusteeship Council, International Court of Justice, subsidiary bodies of the General Assembly and specialized agencies;

c) all items the inclusion of which the General Assembly decided at one of its previous sessions;

d) all items proposed by any UN member;

e) all items relating to the budget for the next financial year and the report on the account for the past financial year;

f) all items which the Secretary-General considers necessary to submit to the General Assembly for consideration;

g) all points proposed by states that are not members of the UN.

Any member of the UN, any of its principal organs or the Secretary-General may, no less than 30 days before the date fixed for the opening of a regular session, request the inclusion of additional items on the agenda.

The provisional agenda for a special session shall include only those items proposed for consideration in the request for a special session.

The delegation of a UN member state to a session of the General Assembly consists of no more than five representatives and five alternates and the number of advisers, technical advisers, experts and persons in similar positions required by the delegation.

The main body determining the order of work of the session of the General Assembly is the General Committee. It consists of the President of the General Assembly, 21 Vice-Chairmen and the Chairmen of the seven Main Committees. Chairmen of other committees have the right to attend its meetings and participate in debates without the right to vote. The General Committee can make changes to resolutions adopted by the General Assembly, but these changes can only relate to form and not to substance. All such changes shall be submitted to the General Assembly for consideration.

English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and French languages are the official and working languages ​​of the General Assembly, its committees and subcommittees. Arabic is both the official and working language of the General Assembly and its Main Committees. All resolutions and other documents are published in the languages ​​of the General Assembly. By decision of the General Assembly, its documents and the documents of its committees and subcommittees are published in any other language.

The General Assembly may establish committees which it deems necessary to carry out its functions. The most detailed discussion of issues takes place in the following seven main committees:

V First Committee- on political and security issues, including disarmament issues (since the XXXI session of the General Assembly, this committee deals mainly with disarmament issues);

Special Political Committee, to whom are transferred political issues, falling within the competence of the First Committee;

Second Committee - on economic and financial issues;

Third Committee - on social, humanitarian and cultural issues;

Fourth Committee- on issues of international trusteeship and non-self-governing territories;

Fifth Committee - on administrative and budgetary issues;

Sixth Committee- on legal issues.

All main committees hold elections in the first week of the session for their chairman, two vice-chairmen and a rapporteur. The chairmen of the main committees do not vote, but other members of their delegations may vote in their place.

Resolutions and decisions. The General Assembly at its sessions adopts resolutions, decisions and recommendations. As is clear from paragraph 2 of Art. 4 of the UN Charter, the term “resolution” refers to acts adopted by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council. They are usually addressed to member states and remind them of their rights and responsibilities. The act of admitting or expelling states from the UN is also formalized in the form of a resolution.

The term “recommendation” appears repeatedly in the UN Charter (Articles 10, 11, 13, etc.). For example, according to paragraph 1 of Art. 11 of the Charter, the General Assembly is authorized to consider general principles cooperation in maintaining international peace and security, including the principles governing disarmament and arms regulation, and make recommendations regarding these principles to members of the Organization or the Security Council. In Art. 13 of the UN Charter states that the General Assembly shall organize studies and make recommendations to promote international cooperation in the political field and encouraging the progressive development of international law and its codification, as well as promoting international cooperation in the fields of economic, social, cultural, educational, etc. This article of the UN Charter specifies in which cases recommendations are still made by the General Assembly.

The term “decision” is used in paragraph 2 of Art. 18 of the UN Charter. It states the following: decisions of the General Assembly on important issues are taken by a 2/3 majority of the members of the Assembly present and voting. These issues include: recommendations regarding the maintenance of peace and security, election of non-permanent members of the Security Council, admission of new members of the Organization, suspension of the rights and privileges of members of the Organization.

Thus, according to paragraph 2 of Art. 18 of the Charter solutions General Assembly on the maintenance of peace and security are called recommendations, and decisions on the admission of new members and other issues in accordance with paragraph 2 of Art. 4 are called regulations.

All resolutions of the General Assembly, regardless of title and content, are numbered in order. The session number is indicated by a Roman numeral. Special sessions have the letter “S” in front of the number, emergency sessions have the letter “ES.” All resolutions have their own name.

Regardless of population size, all member states - from the largest (China - 1.2 billion people) to the smallest (Palau - 16 thousand people) - have one vote each in the General Assembly.

Decisions of the General Assembly on important issues are made by a 2/3 majority of the members of the Assembly present and voting.

According to paragraph 2 of Art. 18 of the UN Charter, the following issues are important:

b) elections of non-permanent members of the Security Council;

c) elections of members of the Economic and social council;

d) elections of members of the Trusteeship Council;

e) admission of new members to the UN;

f) suspension of the rights and privileges of UN members;

g) exclusion from UN its members;

h) issues related to the functioning of the guardianship system; i) budgetary issues. The list of these questions is exhaustive.

Decisions on other issues, including the determination of additional categories of issues that are subject to a 2/3 majority vote, are made by a simple majority of those present and voting.

A UN member state that is in arrears in paying monetary contributions to the Organization is deprived of the right to vote at sessions of the General Assembly. However, this sanction applies only when the amount of such State's debt equals or exceeds the amount of contributions due from it for the previous two full years. The General Assembly may, however, allow such a State to vote if it finds that the delay in payment was due to circumstances beyond its control.

Resolutions of the UN General Assembly within the meaning of Art. 11 of the Charter are not binding. They only make recommendations to member states. Thus, they contain norms of so-called “soft” law.

Auxiliary organs. IN in accordance with Art. 22 of the UN Charter, the General Assembly is authorized to establish such subsidiary bodies as it deems necessary for the performance of its functions. Currently, about 100 such bodies are functioning. By legal status they can be combined into three groups:

a) bodies that are international organizations by their status;

b) permanent organs;

c) temporary organs.

The first group includes the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). They fully correspond to the characteristics of intergovernmental organizations, although they are autonomous bodies of the General Assembly.

The second group consists, in particular:

Conference on Disarmament (established in 1961, includes more than 40 states),

Use Committee outer space for peaceful purposes (created in 1959, includes about 60 states),

Intergovernmental Committee on Science and Technology for Development (established in 1979, is a committee of the whole),

World Food Council (created in 1974, includes about 40 states),

International Law Commission (established in 1947, includes representatives of more than 30 states),

UN Commission on International Trade Law (established in 1966, includes 36 states).

The third group includes ad hoc subsidiary bodies, for example the Special Committee on the UN Charter and Strengthening the Role of the Organization (created in 1974), the Special Committee against Apartheid (created in 1962), the Special Committee on the Indian Ocean (created in 1972 G.). They deal with a relatively narrow range of problems, meet occasionally for their meetings and are liquidated after the preparation of the relevant international legal documents or the solution of the problems that form the subject of their activity.