ERIC KASHAMBUZI

Written by Eric Kashambuzi, on 28-11-2008 10:29

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After a series of preparatory meetings and summits, the Charter of the United Nations was signed at San Francisco, USA, on June 26, 1945.  On October 24, 1945, the Charter was ratified and the United Nations was born.

The General Assembly which is one of the six principal organs is the deliberative arm of the United Nations open to all member states, now 192. One of its strengths is that each member has one vote irrespective of size and level of economic development.

Every September, world leaders convene in New York City the headquarters of the United Nations to address the General Assembly in a General Debate. The debate covers a wide range of issues in peace and security, human rights and development. Most of the decisions of the General Assembly are recommendations to member states. However, because of the moral authority of the United Nations, some of the recommendations have been vital in the establishment of new international guidelines. The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights which started as a General Assembly resolution became the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide which is characterized as a crime under international law.

The General Debate provides every member a chance to be heard and each member is given the same amount of time to make a statement; it acts as a barometer of international opinion on many issues in all areas of human endeavor; it provides leaders with an opportunity to exchange views and even blow off steam on very contentious issues. Not least the General Debate provides an opportunity for informal consultations.

Publisher: Jones Harvest Publishing; Pub. Date: 2008; Format: Paperback, 169pp
ISBN: 9781603882071