UN General Assembly: First High Level Meeting for Persons with Disabilities
In accordance with resolution 66/124 (A/RES/66/124), the High-level Meeting on the Realization of the Millennium Development Goals and Other Internationally Agreed Development Goals for Persons with Disabilities will be held on Monday, 23 September,2013.
In accordance with resolution 65/1 (A/RES/65/1), the special event in 2013 to follow up efforts made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals will be held on Wednesday, 25 September. In accordance with resolution 67/39 (A/RES/67/39), the High-level Meeting on Nuclear Disarmament will be held on Thursday, 26 September. In accordance with resolution 67/219 (A/RES/67/219), the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development will be held on Thursday, 3, and Friday, 4 October.
Previous High Level meetings
The 68th Session of the UN General Assembly
The sixty-eighth session of the General Assembly will convene at United Nations Headquarters on Tuesday, 17 September 2013, and the general debate will open on Tuesday, 24 September (resolution 57/301 (A/RES/57/301).
- Opening dates of forthcoming regular sessions
See below for Important Documents:
UN Resources
Arms Trade Treaty open for signatures
The first international treaty regulating the global arms trade opened for signature at United Nations Headquarters today. An overwhelming majority in the General Assembly had voted in favour of the landmark Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) two months ago, which regulated the international trade in conventional arms, from small arms to battle tanks, combat aircraft and warships.The treaty is available in the six official languages of the UN, English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Arabic.
UN resources
- Reports
- Voting Records on the Arms Trade Treaty
- Arms Trade Treaty website
Non-UN resources
- What’s in Blue: Insights on Arms Control and Disarmament
* General Assembly Approves Global Arms Trade Treaty, 02 April 2013. UN Photo/Devra Berkowitz
GA meet to Strengthen its Coordination of Humanitarian & Disaster Relief
Today the General Assembly will meet for its 54th Plenary Meeting, 67th Session. The focus will be on reviewing numerous Reports and Draft Resolutions associated with: the Strengthening of Coordination of Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Assistance of the United Nations, including special Economic Assistance.
The Report of the Secretary-General (A/67/492) will be reviewed, this addresses the ‘Safety and Security of Humanitarian Personnel and the Protection of United Nations Personnel’.
The Drafts Resolutions ‘Harmony and Nature’ (A/67/L.37), revised by Bolivia, and Draft Resolution ‘Human Rights and Extreme Poverty’, revised by 21 member states, will also be discussed.
Other topical issues up for Review:
(a) Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations
- Reports of the Secretary-General (A/67/89, A/67/361, A/67/363 and A/67/367)
- Draft Resolution (A/67/L.39)
(b) Assistance to the Palestinian people
(c) Special economic assistance to individual countries or regions
Peaceful Settlement and the Question of Palestine - Report of the Secretary General
The present report is submitted in accordance with General Assembly resolution 66/17 and covers the time period from September 2011 to August 2012. It contains replies received from the parties concerned to the notes verbales sent by the Secretary-General pursuant to the request contained in paragraph 25 of the resolution. The report also contains the observations of the Secretary General on the current state of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and on international efforts to move the peace process forward with a view to achieving a peaceful settlement.
The Report’s closing statement, from Ban Ki-Moon, reads as follows:
“As Secretary-General, I will continue to ensure that the United Nations works towards the establishment of an independent, democratic, contiguous and viable Palestinian State living side by side in peace with a secure Israel in the framework of a comprehensive regional settlement consistent with Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), 1397 (2002), 1515 (2003) and 1860 (2009), and in accordance with the Quartet road map, the Arab Peace Initiative and the principle of land for peace”.
UN RESOURCES:
- Sc Resolution. 242
- SC Resolution. 1397
- SC Resolution. 1515
- SC Resolution. 1860
- Quartet for the Middle East: Road Map for Peace
- Arab Peace Initiative 2002
- UN General Assembly - Question of Palestine
Security Council Annual Report
The UN Security Council report to the General Assembly covering the period from 1 August 2011-31 has been issued (A/67/2). The report is issued as an Official record of the 67th session of the General Assembly, Supplement No. 2.
Election of five non-permanent members of the Security Council
Thursday, 18 October
The General Assembly is meeting this morning hold elections, by secret ballot, for five non-permanent Council seats for the 2013-2014 term.These include one seat for the African Group, currently held by South Africa; one seat for the Asia-Pacific Group, currently held by India; one seat for the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (GRULAC), currently held by Colombia; and two seats for the Western European and Others Group (WEOG), currently held by Germany and Portugal.
UN Resources
A list of meeting records from 1946- Symbols only
Meeting Records on the election of members to the Security Council
Resolutions/Decisions on the election of members to the Security Council
Non UN Resources
What’s in Blue: Security Council Elections 2012
Security Council Report: Security Council Elections 2012
Photo: General Assembly Elects Five Non-Permanent Members of Security Council, 2009. UN Photo/Paulo Filgueiras.
General debate : 67th session
- Follow the speeches live through UN Webcast.
- Texts of speeches are available through the general debate website.
High-level Meeting on the Rule of Law
The High-level Meeting of the 67th Session of the General Assembly is taking place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York today, 24 September 2012. The High-level Meeting will address the topic of the rule of law at the national and international levels.
According to the UN, the rule of law is a principle of governance in which all persons, institutions and entities, including the State itself, are held accountable to publicly promulgated laws which are equally and fairly enforced, independently adjudicated, and consistent with international human rights standards.
A report of the Secretary-General A/66/749 in preparation of the High-level Meeting was submitted to the General Assembly in March 2012, as requested in the resolution A/RES/66/102.
UN Resources:
Draft Declaration of the High Level Meeting
Reports of the Secretary-General
Photo: UN Photo/Paulo Filgueiras.
Opening of the General Assembly- 67th session
The 67th session of the General Assembly officially opened yesterday, 18 September 2012. The President of the General Assembly, Mr Vuk Jeremić of Serbia opened the session with an urgent call for cooperation to tackle the economic and political uncertainty which is being experienced in many parts of the world and ensure there are peaceful solutions to international disputes.
In addition to the general debate which will begin on 25 September, a number of High-level meetings will also take place in the coming two weeks:
High-level Meetings of the 67th Session (2012)
- 24 September – High-level Meeting on the Rule of Law
- 24 September – High-level Meeting on sustainable energy for all
- 25 September – Opening of the General Debate
- 27 September – High Level Meeting on Scaling Up Nutrition
- 28 September – High Level Meeting on Countering Nuclear Terrorism
- 1 October – High Level Meeting “Fifteen years of the Chemical Weapons Convention: Celebrating success. Committing to the future”
Additional resources:
Meetings and dates for the 67th Session of the General Assembly
The following are the dates for the 67th Session of the General Assembly:
- 18 September 2012, 3 p.m.: Opening of the 67th regular session of the General Assembly, UN Headquarters, in New York
- 24 September 2012: High-level meeting on the rule of law
- 25 September 2012, at 10 a.m.: Opening of the General debate
See: Information note for delegations [Arrangements for the high-level meeting on the rule of law and the general debate] for further information
General Assembly elections for the 67th session
The General Assembly will meet this morning to elect it’s President for the 67th session of the General Assembly which will open on 18 September 2012. Following immediately will be the elections in each of the six committees for its officers which will include the Chair and members of the Bureau.
Follow the proceedings live on UN webcast.
High-Level thematic debate on World Economy and Finance in 2012, 17-18 May
The President of the General Assembly, Nassir Abdulaziz al-Nasser, and the Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, are jointly convening a High-Level Thematic Debate on the State of the World Economy and Finance in 2012, on 17 and 18 May, to explore ways of improving the overall global economic and financial situation and to discuss its impact on development efforts and social processes.
Objective:
The intent of this process is, through the convening power of the General Assembly, to create support among Member States by attracting Heads of Government, Ministers in charge of financial and economic affairs and/or Ministers of Foreign Affairs, as well as Heads of relevant multilateral organizations, regional development banks and central banks for a high level thematic debate at the UN so that they can offer their views on how to find a way forward for improving the overall global economic and financial situation and its impact on development as well as the social repercussions.
HLTD Outcome:
No negotiated outcome from the debate is foreseen. However, a comprehensive summary document will be prepared at the end of the meeting and then will be circulated to the wider membership.
The summary document will comprise co-chairs’ summaries of each roundtable and the conclusions of the PGA and the SG based on the debate. In addition, all statements and presentations made by the participants will be annexed to the document.
Documents:
- Letter dated 11 May to all Permanent Missions and Permanent Observer Missions to the United Nations regarding the High-Level Thematic Debate on the State of the World Economy and Finance in 2012. (17-18 May)
- Letter dated 13 April to all Permanent Missions and Permanent Observer Missions to the United Nations regarding the High-Level Thematic Debate on the State of the World Economy and Finance in 2012. (17-18 May)
The 67th Regular Session of the General Assembly
The preliminary list of items for the 67th Session of the General Assembly is now available, A/67/50. This particular document proposes items to be included in the agenda, some of which may be deleted or deferred to a later date.
Reports of the Fifth Committee to the 66th Session of the GA
The reports of the Fifth committee to the plenary of the General Assembly have been published and now available online:
- Human Resources: A/66/627
- Administration of justice at the United Nations: A/66/628
- Financing of the International Criminal Tribunal-Rwanda: A/66/629
- Financing of the International Tribunal- Former Yugoslavia: A/66/630
- International residual mechanism for criminal tribunal: A/66/631
- Financing of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire A/66/633
- Financing of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan: A/66/634
- Financing of the United Nations Mission in the Sudan: A/66/635
- Programme budget for the biennium 2010-2011: A/66/636
- Review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of
- the United Nations: A/66/638
- Items 134 and 69 (a) Programme budget for the biennium 2012-2013: A/66/640
- Items 134 and 76 (a) Programme budget for the biennium 2012-2013: A/66/641
- Pattern of conferences: A/66/642
- Review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations, OIOS: A/66/643
Other Resources:
