role of UN General assembly

CHANAKYA NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY A Project On

SUBMITTED TO: - Dr. S. P. Singh FACULTY: - Political Science - II

Made By: Nidhi Navneet st

nd

1 year (2

sem)

ROLL No.570 B.A.LL.B. (Hons)

Role of UN General Assembly

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I am feeling highly elated to work on the topic “Role of United Nations General Assembly” Assembly” under the guidance of my Political Science teacher. I am very

grateful to him for his exemplary guidance. I would like to enlighten my readers regarding this topic topic and I hope hope I have tried my best to pave the way for bringing more luminosity to this topic.

I also want to thank all of my friends, without whose cooperation this t his project was not possible. Apart from all these, I want to give special thanks to the librarian of my university who made every relevant materials regarding to my topic available to me at the time of my busy research work and gave me assistance. And at last I am very much obliged to the God who provided me the potential for the rigorous research work.

At finally yet importantly I would like to t o thank my m y parents for the financial support.

----------Thanking you Nidhi Navneet C.N.L.U.


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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 4 GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF UNO ................................................................ 5 MEMBERSHIP ........................................................................................ 6 VOTING ................................................................................................... 6 SESSIONS ................................................................................................ 7 SUBSIDIARY ORGANS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ...................... 8 COMMITTEES OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY ............................................ 10 1. MAIN COMMITTEES OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY ....................... 10 2. OTHER COMMITTEES ..................................................................... 11 ROLE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ................................................... 13 FUNCTIONS AND POWERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ............ 14 FORUM FOR MULTILATERAL NEGOTIATION ............................ 14 FUNCTIONS AND POWERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ..... 14 THE SEARCH FOR CONSENSUS ...................................................... 16 THE

COMPLEMENTARY

ROLE

OF

THE

UNITED

NATIONS

GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN PEACE MANAGEMENT............................. 17 UNIVERSALITY OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ......................... 17 THE ‗UNITING FOR PEACE‘ RESOLUTION ................................... 19 GENERAL ASSEMBLY REFORM AND UNPA....................................... 23 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................. 25 BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................... 26


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INTRODUCTION Since its inception more than sixty years ago, the United Nations General Assembly has been a forum for lofty declarations, sometimes audacious rhetoric, and debate over the world's most vexing issues, from poverty to peace and security. It is of the UN‘s six principal organs, and the ―chief deliberative, policy-making and representative organ of the United Nations,‖ according to the Charter. It comprises all 193 member states and serves as a unique forum for multilateral and intergovernmental discussion of the full spectrum and negotiation on all of the international issues covered by the Charter. As the deliberative and representative organ of the United Nations, the assembly holds general debate in the UN's New York headquarters from September to December, with special sessions convened thereafter as required. No other intergovernmental body in the world enjoys a universal membership and also covers such a broad spectrum of issues as the General Assembly (GA). It deals with critical issues – many of them interlinked – related to development, disarmament, education, environment, health crises, humanitarian assistance, human rights, and counter-terrorism, among many others. Effective policymaking in all these areas by the General Assembly is obviously of crucial importance to the peoples of the world. It plays a very vital role in the functioning of United Nations and its various organs. There are various functions performed by the general assembly in each and every sector of United Nations but there are certain limitations too which sometimes makes its policies ineffective on the world level. To make the GA more effective, efficient, and relevant, Member states have been discussing the ―revitalization‖ of its work for nearly 17 years.


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GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF UNO The United Nations General Assembly is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations has equal representation. The General Assembly meets under its president or Secretary-General in regular yearly sessions the main part of which lasts from September to December and resumed part from January until all issues are addressed (which often is just before the next session's start). It can also reconvene for special and emergency special sessions. Its composition, functions, powers, voting, and procedures are set out in Chapter IV of the United Nations Charter. The first session was convened on 10 January 1946 in the Westminster Central Hall in London and included representatives of 51 nations. As delineated in the Charter of the United Nations, the function of the General Assembly is to discuss, debate, and make recommendations on a range of subjects pertaining to international peace and security, electing members appointing Secretary General, etc. It considers reports from the other four organs of the United Nations, assesses the financial situations of member states, and approves the UN budget--its most concrete role. These functions are designed to help it serve both as a sounding board for world opinion and as a parliament in which general standards of notional action for international cooperation can be established.

1

Myneni, S. R., ‗Political Science‘ Allahabad Law Agency.

1


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MEMBERSHIP

The General Assembly is the only part of the United Nations that represents all 193 member states. Any question involving international peace and security may be brought before the General Assembly by a member or even by a non-member state. Since the members represent many different political, economic, and social views as to domestic and international policies, there seems every reason to expect a wide range of opinion in debate. This wide range of opinion will result also from the terms of the Charter itself. The General Assembly "may discuss any questions or any matters within the scope of the . . . Charter or relating to the powers and functions of any organs provided in the . . . Charter." It may also discuss "the general principles of cooperation in the maintenance of international peace and security," as well as the merits of particular disputes. No question of international concern seems, indeed, to lie outside the General Assembly's role as a forum of world opinion. In addition, the UN's nonmember observer states, which include the Vatican and the Palestinian Authority, have the right to speak at assembly meetings but cannot vote on resolutions. VOTING

Voting in the General Assembly on important questions – recommendations on peace and security; election of members to organs; admission, suspension, and expulsion of members; budgetary matters – is by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting. Other questions are decided by majority vote. Apart from approval of budgetary matters, including adoption of a scale of assessment, Assembly resolutions are not binding on the members. The Assembly may make recommendations on any


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matters within the scope of the UN, except matters of peace and security under Security Council consideration. The one power structure theoretically allows states comprising just eight percent of the world population to pass a resolution by a two-thirds vote. Often voting blocs are formed around groups such as the G77, a loose coalition of member states from the developing world. The Assembly cannot force action by any State, but its recommendations are an important indication of world opinion and represent the moral authority of the community of nations. SESSIONS

The Assembly holds its annual regular session from September to December. At the start of each regular session, the Assembly elects a new President, 21 Vice-Presidents and the Chairpersons of the Assembly's six Main Committees. To ensure equitable geographical representation, the presidency of the Assembly rotates each year among five groups of States: African Group, Asian Group, Eastern European Group, Latin American and Caribbean Group and Western European and other States Group. At the beginning of each regular session, the Assembly holds a general debate, often addressed by Heads of State and government, in which Member States express their views on the most pressing international issues. In addition to its regular sessions, the Assembly may meet in special sessions at the request of the Security Council, of a majority of Member States, or of one Member if the majority of Members concurs. Emergency special sessions may be called within 24 hours of a request by the Security Council on the vote of any nine Council members, or by a majority of the United Nations Members, or by one Member if the majority of Members concurs.


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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 other. 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. Countries are seated alphabetically in the General Assembly according to English translations of the countries' names. However, the country which occupies the front-most left position (and hence the countries' seating position in the Assembly) is rotated annually by ballot. One country is balloted each year to sit in the front-most left position, and the remaining countries follow alphabetically behind it. Boards: There are many boards formed like Board of Auditors , Trade and

Development Board, United Nations Joint Staff Pension Board, Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters and Executive Boards which came into establishments by various resolutions which are passed time to time. Commissions: There are 7 commissions i.e. Disarmament Commission,

International Civil Service Commission, International Law Commission, United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), United Nations Peace building Commission, United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine and Advisory Commission etc., which came into establishments by various resolutions which are passed time to time. Despite

Role of UN General Assembly its

name,

the

former United

Nations

Commission

on

9

Human

Rights (UNCHR) was actually a subsidiary body of ECOSOC. Councils and Panels: The newest council is the United Nations Human

Rights Council, which replaced the aforementioned UNCHR in March 2006. There are a total of four councils which are: Human Rights Council, Council of the United Nations University , Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme and Governing Council of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN – Habitat; and one panel i.e. Panel of External Auditors of the United Nations, the Specialized Agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Working Groups and Other: There is a varied group of working groups

and other subsidiary bodies.

2

2

http ://www.un.org/en/ga/about/background.shtml.


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COMMITTEES OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1. Main Committees of General Assembly

The main committees are: 

The First Committee: Disarmament and International Security (DISEC) The Disarmament and International Security Committee deals with disarmament and related international security questions;



The Second Committee: Economic and Financial (ECOFIN) - The Economic and Financial Committee is concerned with economic questions;



The Third Committee: Social, Cultural, and Humanitarian (SOCHUM) The Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee deals with social and humanitarian issues;



The Fourth Committee: Special Political and Decolonisation (SPECPOL) - The Special Political and Decolonization Committee deals with a variety of political subjects not dealt with by the First Committee, as well as with decolonization;



The

Fifth

Committee:

Administrative

and

Budgetary

-

The

Administrative and Budgetary Committee deals with the administration and budget of the United Nations 

The Sixth Committee: Legal - The Legal Committee deals with international legal matters. The roles of many of the main committees have changed over

time. Until the late 1970s, the First Committee was the Political and Security Committee (POLISEC) and there were also a sufficient number of additional "political" matters that an additional, unnumbered main committee, called


11

the Special Political Committee, also sat. The Fourth Committee formerly handled Trusteeship and Decolonization matters. With the decreasing number of such matters to be addressed as the trust territories attained independence and the decolonization movement progressed, the functions of the Special Political Committee were merged into the Fourth Committee 3

during the 1990s . Each main committee consists of all the members of the General Assembly. Each elects a chairman, three vice chairmen, and a reporter at the outset of each regular General Assembly session. 2. Other Committees

There are many other committees but the most important are: 

Credentials Committee – This committee is charged with ensuring

that the diplomatic credentials of all UN representatives are in order. The Credentials Committee consists of nine members (China, Costa Rica, Egypt, Italy, Maldives, Panama, Russian Federation, Senegal and the United States) appointed by the Assembly at the beginning of each session on the proposal of the President. The Committee reports to the Assembly on the credentials of representatives. Structure and Functions: The credentials of representatives and

the names of members of the delegation of each Member State are submitted to the Secretary-General and are issued either by the Head of the State or Government or by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The Committee is mandated to examine the credentials of representatives of Member States and to report to the General Assembly thereon Special and emergency special sessions of the General Assembly as 3

Basu, Rumki, ‗The United Nations: Structure and Functions of an International Organisation‘, Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd.


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well as conferences convened under its auspices also appoint a Credentials Committee having the same composition as that of the Credentials Committee at its most recent regular session. 

General Committee – This is a supervisory committee entrusted with

ensuring that the whole meeting of the Assembly goes smoothly. The General Committee consists of the president and vice presidents of the current General Assembly session and the chairman of each of the six Main Committees. Functions: At the beginning of each session, the General Committee

considers the provisional agenda and the supplementary list and makes recommendations to the General Assembly. The role of the General Committee has been further strengthened over the past few sessions with the holding of informal meetings and briefings open to all Member States, on specific issues under consideration by or pertaining to the work

of

the

Assembly.The

General

Committee

also

makes

recommendations to the General Assembly concerning the closing date of the session. It assists the President and the General Assembly in drawing up the agenda for each plenary meeting, and in the general conduct of the work of the General Assembly. It shall not however, decide on any political question.


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ROLE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY All UN Member States are represented in the General Assembly — a "parliament of nations" which meets regularly and in special sessions to consider the world's most pressing problems. Each Member State has one vote. Decisions on such key issues as international peace and security, admitting new members and the UN budget are decided by two-thirds majority. Other matters are decided by simple majority. In recent years, a special effort has been made to reach decisions through consensus, rather than by taking a formal vote. The Assembly cannot force action by any State, but its recommendations are an important indication of world opinion and represent the moral authority of the community of nations. The Assembly holds its annual regular session from September to December. When necessary, it may resume its session or hold a special or emergency session on subjects of particular concern. Its work is also carried out by its six Main Committees, other subsidiary bodies and the UN Secretariat. During the main part of its 2008 session, the Assembly took up more than 150 different topics, including United Nations reform, restoring respect for the rule of law, the needs of small island developing States, climate change and related humanitarian dangers, and participation by all States in the global trading system. It addressed the situation in many different countries and regions, including Iraq and the Darfur region of the Sudan.


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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. Comprising 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 significant role in the process of standard-setting and the codification of international law. The Assembly meets in regular session intensively from September to December each year, and thereafter as required. Functions and Powers of the General Assembly

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

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;




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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 nations;



Receive and consider reports from the Security Council and other United Nations organs;



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. Pursuant to its ―Uniting for Peace‖ resolution of November 1950 (resolution 377 (V)) , the Assembly may also take action if the Security Council fails to act, owing to the negative vote of a permanent member, in a case where there appears to be a threat to the peace, breach of the peace or act of aggression. The Assembly can consider the matter immediately with a view to making recommendations to Members for collective measures to maintain or restore international peace and security. While the Assembly is empowered to make only non-binding recommendations to States on international issues within its competence, it has, nonetheless, initiated actions — political, economic, humanitarian, social


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and legal — which have affected the lives of millions of people throughout the world. The landmark Millennium Declaration, adopted in 2000, and the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document reflect the commitment of Member States to reach specific goals to attain peace, security and disarmament along with development and poverty eradication; safeguard human rights and promote the rule of law; protect our common environment; meet the special needs of Africa; and strengthen the United Nations. The Search for Consensus

Each Member State in the Assembly has one vote. Votes taken on designated important issues, such as recommendations on peace and security and the election of Security Council members, require a two-thirds majority of Member States, but other questions are decided by simple majority. In recent years, a special effort has been made to achieve consensus on issues, rather than deciding by a formal vote, thus strengthening support for the As sembly‘s decisions. The President, after having consulted and reached agreement with delegations, can propose that a resolution be adopted without a vote.

4

Ibid.

4


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THE COMPLEMENTARY ROLE OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN PEACE MANAGEMENT In theory, the power granted to the organs other than the Security Council in terms of the maintenance of international peace and security is narrowly interpreted, or at least they do not have the power to impose any binding obligation upon states. However, in practice, the General Assembly plays an important role, especially when the Security Council cannot reach a unanimous decision. Despite the restricted power given to the General Assembly by the Charter, an extension of the power is found in the resolution adopted during the early cold war period called – Uniting for Peace. Moreover, in the event of non-action or selective actions by the Security Council for peace maintenance, the General Assembly has become the central place where world opinion is delivered. Universality of the General Assembly

The General Assembly‘s power in maintaining international peace and security was a bone of the contention between the smaller states represented at San Francisco and the big powers. In the Dumbarton Oaks Proposal, the big powers did not give any real power to the General Assembly. At San Francisco, the smaller states insisted that not all the power should be in the hands of the Security Council. As a result, Chapter VI of the Charter, which contains the provisions relating to the pacific settlement of disputes, represents a compromise between the provisions granting generous powers to the General Assembly and the provisions attempting to restrict the powers and competence of the Assembly. The former are found in Articles


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10 and 14, while the latter are in Articles 11 and 12. However, the Assembly‘s power in maintaining international peace and security is only recommendatory, not mandatory. It may only ‗make recommendation to the members of the United Nations or to the Security Council or to 5

both‘ , ‗discuss

any

question

relating

to

international

peace

and

6

security ‘, ‗call the attention of the Security Council to situations which are 7

likely to endanger international peace and security‘ , and ‗recommend 8

measures for the peaceful adjustment of any situation‘. However, where ‗Uniting for Peace‘ resolutions are concerned, the General Assembly, not having mandatory power conferred upon it by the Charter, can adopt resolutions that are binding in the sense that they are based on the principles developed within the UN system, which now arguably constitute principles of international law. The Assembly‘s function in this regard is the focal point for states‘ views on international law, not one that can be said to cr eate a mandatory power and certainly not one that grants the Assembly a coercive power to order economic or military enforcement measures. The

General

Assembly‘s

power

to

discuss

and

make

recommendations as regards international peace and security necessarily encompasses a right to investigate. This right can be derived from the Charter: in order to discuss any matter thoroughly, the General Assembly must be in a position to carry out the necessary investigations. For such investigations, the General Assembly may set up an investigation commission or committee. For example, in 1946 it set up a special committee to investigate the conditions in Palestine, i.e., the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine; in 1956 a Commission was formed to 5

Art. 10, UN Charter. Art. 11(2), UN Charter. 7 Art. 11(3), UN Charter. 8 Art. 14, UN Charter. 6


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investigate the course of events in Hungary; in 1958 the General Assembly decided to send an observer mission – called the United Nations Observer Group in Lebanon (UNOGIL) to Lebanon in order to apprise itself of the conditions there. All these efforts by the General Assembly helped reduce the escalation of danger or the threat to the peace. The „Uniting for Peace‟ Resolution

In the year 2003, when it was almost certain that the US and its allies were preparing a pre-emptive attack against Iraq, governments and civil society groups all over the world urged that an alternative be sought to war. Many states, including Russia and France, opposed the war. There had been a clear deadlock in which the Security Council was divided on the question of use of force against Iraq, with the US and the UK on one side, and France and Russia on the other; this was indeed an effective deadlock. Many voices had been raised urging an alternative to war. International civil societies such as Greenpeace International, the Global Policy Forum, and the Center for Constitutional Rights, had repeatedly appealed for an emergency session of the General Assembly. The New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights, moving a step forward, had produced a draft resolution calling for a ‗ Uniting for Peace‘ because of the deadlock in the Security Council on the question of Iraq, the idea being that member states would submit the draft resolution to the General Assembly. It declared that military action without Security Council resolution authorization would be contrary to the UN Charter and International law. The basis of the alternative to war was founded in General Assembly resolution 377(A), entitled ‗Uniting for Peace‘, which resolved that should the Security Council fail to exercise its primary responsibility of maintaining international peace and security, the General Assembly would recommend the appropriate collective


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measures to be taken by the Members of the United Nations. The Assembly gained the confidence to take over the role of the Security Council when the latter proved unable to perform its primary responsibility to maintain international peace and security. The ‗Uniting for Peace‘ resolution therefore achieved broader support among the international community in general, which wanted to see the United Nations as active as it should be in restoring international peace and security. In 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea in the month of June. The UN Security Council acted promptly but later when the Soviet Union used its veto in the votes, the action stopped. At the same time, it constantly questioned the validity of the resolutions of the Security Council adopted in its absence. This prompted the Council to call for an emergency session of the General Assembly, which adopted a ‗Uniting for Peace‘ resolution in early November 1950. Such emergency special session shall be called if requested by the Security Council on a vote of any seven (now nine) members, or by a majority of the United Nations. In the Certain Expenses case, the International Court of Justice explained the role of the General Assembly with regard to the maintenance of the peace. While the Court did not mention whether the General Assembly could recommend coercive action, it can be inferred from the Court‘s view that the General Assembly is not barred from recommending enforcement action. In fact, the basis of the ‗Uniting for Peace‘ resolution was to uphold the purposes and objectives of the United Nations, more precisely, the maintenance of international peace and security. In more recent times, the Uniting for Peace resolution procedure has been used to stop the United States from going to war in Iraq, a situation where two members of the Permanent Five had taken it upon themselves to


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launch unilateral use of force in disregard of the express will of the vast majority of the world community. The proposed UNITING FOR PEACE resolution in this case was aimed, on the one hand, at stopping the war and, on the other, at protecting the force of law, which mandates that the use of force is only justified if authorized by the United Nations or in self-defence. Neither of these was present in the arguments for going to war in Iraq. The General Assembly in Peacekeeping

Another, more significant innovation of the General Assembly was to establish the UN Peacekeeping Force. Peacekeeping forces – at least in the way in which they have developed – were not envisaged in the Charter. However, the Charter provisions do not bar the United Nations from establishing such forces. Indeed, they are directed towards a Charter objective – peace. Peacekeeping forces were first deployed in 1956, when Israel, and later the United Kingdom and France, invaded Egypt due to its nationalization of the Suez Canal and the General Assembly authorized a peacekeeping force in order to restore peace in the region. Furthermore, the General Assembly did so when the vetoes of the United Kingdom and France had paralysed the Security Council. This course of events sparked a debate over whether the General Assembly may authorize enforcement measures or whether the authorization of a peacekeeping mission is necessarily intended as an enforcement measure.

9

In its advisory opinion in the Certain Expenses case, the ICJ clearly stated that Article 24 of the Charter gives the Security Council the primary responsibility for ensuring prompt and effective action for the maintenance of international peace and security. However, the General Assembly must also concern itself with international peace and security. 9

http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/operations/rolega.shtml.


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Article 14 of the Charter authorizes the General Assembly to recommend measures for the peaceful adjustment of any situation. The word ‗measures‘ implies some kind of action, and the only limitation which Article 14 imposes on the General Assembly is the restriction found in Article 12, namely, that the Assembly should not recommend measures while the Security Council is dealing with the same matter unless the Security Council requests the Assembly to do so. Accordingly, the advisory opinion continues: … whenever the General Assembly proceeds under Article 11 or under Article 14, the implementation of its recommendations for setting up commissions or other bodies involves organizational activity – action – in connection with the maintenance of international peace and security. Such implementation is a normal feature of functioning of the United Nations. Such committees, commissions or other bodies or individuals, constitute, in some cases, subsidiary organs established under the authority of Article 22 of the Charter. The functions of the General Assembly for which it may establish such subsidiary organs include, for example, investigation, observation and supervision, but the way in which such subsidiary organs are utilized depends on the consent of the state or states concerned.

10

In sum, General Assembly resolutions do not constitute rules of international law in accordance with Article 38(1)(a) or Article 38(1)(b) of the Statute of International Court of Justice. However, General Assembly resolutions as such do not have any legislative character whatsoever: they can only form the basis for presuming the creation of general principles. Moreover, general principles as stated in Article 38(1)(c) of the Statute are only legally binding if they are expressly recognized by the UN member states.

10

Ibid.


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GENERAL ASSEMBLY REFORM AND UNPA A United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, or United Nations People's Assembly (UNPA), is a proposed addition to the United Nations System that eventually could allow for direct election of UN parliament members by citizens all over the world. In the General Debate of the 65th General Assembly, Jorge Valero Briceño, representing Venezuela, said "The United Nations has exhausted its model and it is not simply a matter of proceeding with reform, the twentyfirst century demands deep changes that are only possible with a rebuilding of this organisation." He pointed to the futility of resolutions concerning the Cuban embargo and theMiddle East conflict as reasons for the UN model having failed. Venezuela also called for the suspension of veto rights because it was a "remnant of the Second World War [it] is incompatible with the principle of sovereign equality of States." Is the General Assembly in need of reform? Yes, say many UN experts and leading donor nations. Efforts towards revitalizing its work have been ongoing for many years. Key motivating factors (PDF) are considered to be increasing the power of the

assembly vis-à-vis the Security Council, as well as making debates more constructive and less repetitive. But, the assembly has continued to resist deep-seated reforms, a reflection of the rift between its many members from the developing world, who want to retain a strong say in its deliberations, and wealthy nations that serve as its main donors. Small improvements do take place, however. In April 2007, the General Assembly, for the first time in sixty years, mandated a significant overhaul of the UN system of internal justice, declaring it "slow, cumbersome, ineffective and lacking in


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professionalism." The new system, which became functional in 2009, formally established a mediation division within the UN. The Internal Justice Council has already begun interviewing potential judges to ensure their independence. In

11

2005,

then

Secretary-General

Kofi

Annan

presented

a report that criticized the assembly for focusing excessively on consensus and passing resolutions that reflected "the lowest common denominator" of opinions. Michael W. Doyle, an international affairs expert who teaches at Columbia University, says the assembly is "an important institution that has never quite sorted out its role" in terms of being a truly deliberative, functional body, and has "insufficient deliberation and not enough genuine discussion." Doyle, who was an aide to Annan, says that the assembly could enhance its relevance by holding hearings with expert testimony. The assembly has made an effort in recent years to make its work more substantive and relevant. Resolution 59/313, adopted in 2005, established a more influential role for the assembly's president to help achieve this goal.

11

http://www.cfr.org/un/role-un-general-assembly/p13490.


25

CONCLUSION The general assembly occupies a predominant position among the organs of the United Nations. It not only exercises supervision over other organs like the Secretariat, etc., but also provides direct guidance. It is true that the assembly does not exercise any direct control over the Security Council and the ICJ, but these organisations have been assigned only specific powers. On the other hand the General Assembly has the right to discuss and make decision on any matter mentioned in the UN Charter. Although the General Assembly does not have the power to provide binding mechanism for peace enforcement, the indirect influence of the organ in practice is very much apparent, which ensures complementary role of the General Assembly in peace management. In the political sphere and predominance of the General Assembly is assured by its large membership and representationof various member stateson terms of equality. This has made the week states pin their hopes in this bodybecause they can influence its decisions on account of their number. Taking advantage of their majority in the UN the developing countries have tried to use it to further their own interest and sought transfer of resources from the developed to the developing world. Above all, the general assembly has greatly influenced the process of world politics by providing the norms within which the states operate for the attainment of their goals.


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BIBLIOGRAPHY Books Referred: 

Myneni, S. R., ‗Political Science‘ Allahabad Law Agency.



Peterson, M. J., ‗The UN General Assembly‘, Routledge Taylor & Francis publishing group.



Basu, Rumki, ‗The United Nations: Structure and Functions of an International Organisation‘, Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd.



Pradhan, Alok & Prem Arora, ‗Comparative Politics and International Relations‘, Pacific Publications.



Kahl, Chad M., ‗International Relations, International Security, and Comparative Politics‘, Greenwood Publishing Group.

Websites Reffered: 

http://www.cfr.org/un/role-un-general-assembly/p13490.



http://www.un.org/en/ga/about/background.shtml.



http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/operations/rolega.shtml.



http://www.turkishweekly.net/article/323/the-complementary-role-ofthe-united-nations-general-assembly-in-peace-management.html .

role of UN General assembly

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