The general assembly

The General Assembly consists of all members of the United Nations. In terms of the Charter, the United Nations may not intervene in mat­ters which are essentially within the jurisdiction of a state, except in respect of the application of enforcement measures in accordance with chapter VII (threats to the peace, breaches of the peace and acts of aggression). Subject to this proviso, the functions of the Assembly are:

To consider and discuss (i) any matter within the scope of the Charter or relating to the powers and functions of any of the organs pro­vided for in the Charter, (ii) general principles of cooperation in the maintenance of international peace and security, including principles governing disarmament and the regulation of armaments, and (iii) any question relating to the maintenance of international peace and security.

To call the attention of the Security Council to situations which are likely to endanger international peace and security.

To make recommendations to the Security Council or to member states (or both) or to a non-member state

involved in questions relating to the maintenance of international peace and security in respect of (ii) and (iii) above; for the purpose of promoting international coopera­tion in the political field and encouraging the progressive develop­ment of international law and its codification; and for promoting international cooperation in the economic, social, cultural, educational and health fields, and assisting in the realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, lan­guage or religion.

To make recommendations - subject to the proviso that if the Security Council is already exercising its prescribed function in respect of such matters, recommendations will only be made if asked for relat­ing to:

(a) any matter within the scope of the Charter or relating to the powers and functions of any of the organs provided for in the Charter;

(b) the peaceful adjustment of any situation, regardless of origin, which it deems likely to impair the general welfare or friendly relations among nations, including situations resulting from a violation of the provisions of the Charter setting forth the Pur­poses and Principles of the United Nations.

To receive and consider annual and special reports from the Security Council (including an account of the

measures that it has decided upon or taken to maintain international peace and security), and from the other organs of the United Nations.

To perform such functions with respect to the international trusteeship system as are assigned to it under chapters XII and XIII, including the approval of the trusteeship agreements for areas not designated as strategic.

To consider and approve the United Nations budget and any financial and budgetary arrangements with the Specialised Agencies and to examine the administrative budgets of such Specialised Agencies with a view to making recommendations to the Agencies concerned.

In the event of a non-member state being involved in a question relating to the maintenance of international peace and security, the Assembly may make recommendations to the state concerned; and any question on which action is necessary in such circumstances shall be referred to the Security Council by the Assembly either before or after discussion.

The regular sessions of the Assembly as a rule begin in New York on the third Tuesday in September each year and continue until mid-December, but special sessions may be called by the Secretary-General at the request of the Security Council or of a majority of the members of the United Nations. At the start of each regular session, the Assembly elects a new President, twenty-one Vice-Presidents and the Chairmen of the Assembly’s seven Main Committees. To ensure equitable geo­graphical representation, the Presidency of the Assembly rotates each year among groups of States who select their own candidate.

The work of the General Assembly is coordinated and to a consid­erable extent organised by two procedural committees: the General Committee, which is made up of the President and Vice-Presidents of the General Assembly and the heads of the seven Main Committees and the Credentials Committee.

The Main Committees, which consider in advance matters placed on the agenda of the General Assembly and (when so requested) make re­commendations for consideration by the Assembly in plenary session, are:

First Committee: Disarmament and related international security matters

Special Political Committee

Second Committee: Economic and Financial

Third Committee: Social, Humanitarian and Cultural

Fourth Committee: Trusteeship and non-self-governing territories

Fifth Committee: Administrative and Budgetary

Sixth Committee: Legal

The Special Political Committee was created primarily to relieve the First Committee; and there are two Standing Committees: the Commit­tee on Contributions, and the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions. Subsidiary and ad hoc committees are set up from time to time to deal with specific problems.

Voting in the Assembly is by simple majority of the members present and voting, except in the following circumstances, when the necessary majority is the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members present and voting:

• recommendations with respect to the maintenance of international peace and security,

• the election of non-permanent members of the Security Council,

• the election of members of the Economic and Social Council,

• the election of members of the Trusteeship Council,

• the admission of new members to the United Nations,

• the suspension of the rights and privileges of members,

• the expulsion of members,

• matters relating to the operation of the trusteeship system,

• budgetary questions,

• any other matters considered by the Assembly (by a simple majority of the members present and voting) to be sufficiently important to require a two-thirds majority.

A member in arrears in the payment of its financial contributions to the United Nations is not entitled to vote if its arrears equal or exceed the amount of its contributions due for the preceding two full years, unless the General Assembly is satisfied that failure to pay is due to circumstances beyond the member’s control.

Much of the work of the United Nations is conducted on the basis of regional groups: e.g. African States, Asian States, Latin American States and Western European and Other States. For election purposes the USA falls within Western European and Other States.