United Nations General Assembly’s 78th session

New York, 13 October 2023 (WAI): United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), session 78 began on September 5, 2023, and its high-level part, technically known as the ‘General Debate,’ started on September 19, 2023.

The General Assembly is the primary deliberative, policy-making, and representational body of the United Nations (UN).

The topic of the 78th session of the General Assembly was “Rebuilding Trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating Action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals toward Peace, prosperity, progress, and Sustainability for all.”

The conversation also included sustainable development growth, climate action, international collaboration, and global health.

Earlier, the diplomat took the oath of office, promising to carry out his responsibilities fairly and independently.

Brazil has traditionally been the first nation to speak before the General Assembly since, according to the UN Protocol and Liaison Services, no one wants to be the first.

Brazil was the first to go on several times, and this practice subsequently became standard. The host country, the United States, came next.

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The order of speakers is determined by a complex algorithm that considers parameters such as regional balance, degree of representation, and the chronological order of speaking requests.

The Holy See, the State of Palestine, and the European Union (EU) were invited to participate in the general debate alongside the 193 UN member nations.

Notably, no representatives from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Niger, or Madagascar were present at the platform.

This is the third year in a row that Afghanistan and Myanmar have been deafeningly silent, following respective Taliban and military regime takeovers and ensuing certification disputes.

Niger, too, experienced a coup this year, and the junta accused Guterres of attempting to satisfy France and its allies by refusing its handpicked ambassador the opportunity to speak.

On the eve of the 78th UNGA, several significant events took place, including the Generation Equality Midpoint Moment on September 17 and the opening of the 78th session of the General Assembly on September 18. The general debate was set to occur from September 19 to 23, preceded by the SDG summit on September 18 and 19.

A high-level dialogue on financing for development, a climate ambition summit, and a high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response took place on September 20.

On September 21, France made a crucial announcement during the General Debate, and the following day, there was a concerted effort to battle the worldwide TB pandemic by boosting research, money, and innovation.

Women have generally spoken in small numbers in the General Assembly, with 18 speaking in 2021 and 22 last year. Several speakers, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, expressed concern over the lack of female participation.

A mere ten of those who spoke were heads of state or governments. Tuesday, September 26, 2023, was the conclusion of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly’s high-level talks in New York, which brought together global leaders.

Anwar ul Haq Kakar, Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister, also attended the UNGA’s 78th inaugural session. After representing Pakistan at the high-level debate on the Global Development Initiative, the Prime Minister addressed the attendees.

In addition, he attended and spoke at a high-level conference on the Sustainable Development Goals. “I felt honored to represent Pakistan at the opening session of the General Debate of the 78th UNGA session at the UN headquarters in New York,” he told the crowd.

On the margins of the event, the Prime Minister met with Iranian President Sayyid Ebrahim Raisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He also attended a reception honoring world leaders sponsored by US President Joe Biden.