UN General Assembly (UNGA) – How It Works and Why It Matters

Workings of the General Assembly

The UN General Assembly (UNGA) is the main policy-making organ of the Organization. Comprising all Member States, it provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter of the United Nations. Each of the 193 Member States of the United Nations has an equal vote.

The UNGA also makes key decisions for the UN, including:

• appointing the Secretary-General on the recommendation of the Security Council
• electing the non-permanent members of the Security Council
• approving the UN budget

The Assembly meets in regular sessions from September to December each year, and thereafter as required. It discusses specific issues through dedicated agenda items or sub-items, which lead to the adoption of resolutions.

Sitting arrangements in the General Assembly Hall change for each session. During the 80th Session (2025-2026), Niger will occupy the first seat in the Hall, including in the Main Committees (followed by all the other countries, in English alphabetical order).

This part of the article was originally published on the United Nations site, which can be accessed through this link: https://www.un.org/en/ga/

Functions and powers of the General Assembly

Forum for multilateral negotiation

Established in 1945 under the Charter of the United Nations, the General Assembly occupies a central position as the chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations. Comprised of all 193 Members of the United Nations, it provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter. It also plays a central role in the process of standard-setting and the codification of international law.

The Assembly meets from September to December each year (main part), and thereafter, from January to September (resumed part), as required, including to take up outstanding reports from the Fourth and Fifth Committees. Also during the resumed part of the session, the Assembly considers current issues during high-level thematic debates organized by the President of the General Assembly. During that period, the Assembly traditionally also conducts informal consultations on a wide range of substantive topics towards the adoption of new resolutions.

Functions and powers of the General Assembly

The Assembly makes recommendations to States on international issues within its competence. It has also taken actions across all pillars of the United Nations, including with regard to political, economic, humanitarian, social and legal matters. In September 2015, the Assembly agreed on a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals, contained in the outcome document of the United Nations Summit for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda (resolution 70/1 entitled “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development).  In 2022, the Assembly held a series of meetings to discuss the recommendations put forward by the Secretary-General in his report [link] entitled “Our Common Agenda”, an agenda of action, designed to strengthen and accelerate multilateral agreements – particularly the 2030 Agenda – and make a tangible difference in people’s lives (Read "Our common agenda", summary of thematic consultations).

According to the Charter of the United Nations, the General Assembly may:

• Consider and approve the United Nations budget and establish the financial assessments of Member States
• Elect the non-permanent members of the Security Council and the members of other United Nations councils and organs and, on the recommendation of the Security Council, appoint the Secretary-General
• Consider and make recommendations on the general principles of cooperation for maintaining international peace and security, including disarmament
• Discuss any question relating to international peace and security and, except where a dispute or situation is currently being discussed by the Security Council, make recommendations on it
• Discuss, with the same exception, and make recommendations on any questions within the scope of the Charter or affecting the powers and functions of any organ of the United Nations
• Initiate studies and make recommendations to promote international political cooperation, the development and codification of international law, the realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and international collaboration in the economic, social, humanitarian, cultural, educational and health fields
• Make recommendations for the peaceful settlement of any situation that might impair friendly relations among countries
• Consider reports from the Security Council and other United Nations organs

The Assembly may also take action in cases of a threat to the peace, breach of peace or act of aggression, when the Security Council has failed to act owing to the negative vote of a permanent member. In such instances, according to its “Uniting for peace” resolution of 3 November 1950, the Assembly may consider the matter immediately and recommend to its Members collective measures to maintain or restore international peace and security.

Decision making

Each of the 193 Member States in the Assembly has one vote. Votes taken on designated important issues – such as recommendations on peace and security, the election of Security Council and Economic and Social Council members, and budgetary questions – require a two-thirds majority of Member States, but other questions are decided by a simple majority. That said, following informal consultations among Member States during which proposals are negotiated, the majority of resolutions are adopted without a vote (i.e., by consensus).

Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly

There has been a sustained effort to make the work of the General Assembly more focused and relevant. This was first identified as a priority during the 58th session, and efforts continued at subsequent sessions to streamline the agenda, improve the practices and working methods of the Main Committees, enhance the role of the General Committee, strengthen the role and authority of the President and examine the Assembly’s role in the process of selecting the Secretary-General.

During recent sessions, the Assembly adopted landmark resolutions on the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly (A/RES/70/305, A/RES/71/323, A/RES/72/313, A/RES/73/341, A/RES/74/303) and A/RES/75/325), which, inter alia, established an oath of office and a code of ethics for the Presidents of the General Assembly and provided for informal interactive dialogues with candidates for the position of President of the General Assembly. 

The practice of convening high-level thematic debates is also a direct outcome of the revitalization process.
It has become an established practice for the Secretary-General to brief Member States periodically, in informal meetings of the General Assembly, on his recent activities and travels. These briefings have provided a well-received opportunity for exchange between the Secretary-General and Member States.

Credentials Committee

The Credentials Committee, appointed by the General Assembly at each session, reports to the Assembly on the credentials of representatives.

General debate

The Assembly’s annual general debate provides Member States the opportunity to express their views on major international issues. On this occasion, the Secretary-General presents on the opening day of the debate his report on the work of the Organization.

Main Committees

With the conclusion of the general debate, the Assembly begins consideration of the substantive items on its agenda. Because of the great number of items on the agenda, the Assembly allocates to its six Main Committees items relevant to their work. The Committees discuss matters under the agenda items, and recommend draft resolutions and decisions to the Assembly for consideration and action.

The six Main Committees are: the Disarmament and International Security Committee (First Committee); the Economic and Financial Committee (Second Committee); the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee (Third Committee); the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee); the Administrative and Budgetary Committee (Fifth Committee); and the Legal Committee (Sixth Committee).

A number of agenda items, including on the question of Palestine and the situation in the Middle East, are considered directly in the General Assembly plenary.

Subsidiary organs of the General Assembly

Under Article 22 of the Charter, the General Assembly may establish such subsidiary organs as it deems necessary for the performance of its functions.

Regional groups

Various regional groupings have evolved over the years in the General Assembly for electoral purposes as well as vehicles for consultation and to facilitate procedural work. The groups are: the African States; the Asia-Pacific States; the Eastern European States; the Latin American and Caribbean States; and the Western European and other States. The post of President of the General Assembly rotates among these regional groups.

Special sessions and emergency special sessions

In addition to its regular sessions, the Assembly may meet in special and emergency special sessions. To date, the Assembly has convened 32 special sessions and 11 emergency special sessions. 

This part of the article was originally published on the United Nations site, which can be accessed through this link: https://www.un.org/en/ga/about/background.shtml

Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly

Enhancing the role, authority, effectiveness and efficiency of the General Assembly

In the declaration on the commemoration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations (resolution 75/1), the Heads of State and Government indicated they would “upgrade” the United Nations. Working methods needed to keep pace and adapt. They committed to continue the work to revitalize the Assembly and requested the Secretary-General to report back with recommendations to advance “our common agenda”. In his report entitled “Our Common Agenda” (PDF document), welcomed by Member States in resolution 76/6, the Secretary-General outlined his recommendations.

In his report, the Secretary-General underlined that “now is the time for a stronger, more networked and inclusive multilateral system, anchored within the United Nations. Effective multilateralism depends on an effective United Nations, one able to adapt to global challenges while living up to the purposes and principles of its Charter.” The recommendations contained in the report were the subject of discussions among Member States in 2022, when the President of the General Assembly convened informal meetings to discuss the report. The summaries of these informal meetings are available here (PDF document).

In resolution 76/307, the General Assembly, taking note of the summaries of the informal thematic consultations held under the auspices of the President of the Assembly and reaffirming the request to the Secretary-General contained in resolution 76/6 to inform Member States and to engage in broad and thematic consultations with them, decided to hold the Summit of the Future in September 2024, preceded by a preparatory ministerial meeting in September 2023.

In decision 77/568, the General Assembly decided that the scope of the Summit of the Future will encompass the following elements, and that these elements will be reflected in the outcome document, entitled “A Pact for the Future”, comprising a chapeau and five chapters: as follows:

• Chapter I. Sustainable development and financing for development;
• Chapter II. International peace and security;
• Chapter III. Science, technology and innovation and digital cooperation;
• Chapter IV. Youth and future generations;
• Chapter V. Transforming global governance.

More information on the ongoing informal consultations with regard to the Summit of the Future can be found on iGov.

Discussions from 1949 to today

Discussions on the Assembly’s working methods and procedures have been held from the inception of the General Assembly itself. In 1949, “mindful of the increasing length of General Assembly sessions, and of the growing tendency towards protracted debates”, the Assembly established the Special Committee on Methods and Procedures of the General Assembly (resolution 271 (III)). From the 46th session onwards, the Assembly’s agenda has included a dedicated item on the revitalization of the work of the Assembly (decision 45/461). This item is allocated also to all Main Committees, for the purpose of discussing their working methods, as well as considering and taking action on their respective tentative programmes of work.

Since the 60th session, the Assembly has established the Ad Hoc Working Group on the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly. Its mandate was to “to identify ways to further enhance the role, authority, effectiveness and efficiency of the General Assembly” (resolution 59/313). At subsequent sessions, the scope of the AHWG’s work has included different areas, including ones related to: the agenda and working methods of the Assembly; the role and authority of the Assembly and its Main Committees; documentation; the Office of the President of the Assembly; and the selection and appointment of the Secretary-General and other executive heads. More than 200 outcomes have been recorded in 30 different areas.

At the 75th session, in resolution 75/325, the General Assembly gave further focus to the work of the AHWG and decided that the thematic focus of the AHWG would be on role and authority of the General Assembly, and working methods, at the 76th session , and on strengthening the accountability, transparency and institutional memory of the Office of the President of the General Assembly, and selection and appointment of the Secretary-General and other executive heads. The Assembly also decided that a draft resolution would be considered by the Assembly at the 77th session and biennially thereafter. At the 76th session and subsequent even-numbered sessions, the primary focus would be on implementation of the resolution adopted at the 75th session.

This part of the article was originally published on the United Nations site, which can be accessed through this link: https://www.un.org/en/ga/revitalization/index.shtml

Subsidiary organs of the General Assembly

The subsidiary organs of the General Assembly are divided into categories: Boards, Commissions, Committees, Councils and Panels, and Working Groups and others.

After discussing the items on the agenda, seeking where possible to harmonize the various approaches of States, the subsidiary organs present their recommendations, usually in the form of draft resolutions and decisions, to a plenary meeting of the Assembly for its consideration.

This part of the article was originally published on the United Nations site, which can be accessed through this link: https://www.un.org/en/ga/about/subsidiary/index.shtml