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.