Each September, world leaders and delegates gather at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to discuss the most pressing issues of our time. This year, the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly opens on 5 September, and its high-level segment – formally known as the ‘General Debate’ – begins on 19 September. Here we answer seven questions on this crucial moment in the UN’s agenda.
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General Assembly, UNGA, General Debate… What’s the difference?
Scene from the UN headquarters during the week of the General Assembly’s annual general debate and associated high-level meetings in September 2017 © UN Photo/Kim Haughton
The General Assembly, also known as UNGA, is the main forum for all 193 Members of the UN to discuss international issues in line with the UN Charter. The Assembly meets in regular sessions from September to December each year. These meetings resume in January until all issues on the agenda are addressed, which is often just before the next session starts again in September.
Between 2023 and 2024, the Assembly meets for the 78th time (UNGA 78), and this session officially opens on Tuesday, 5 September 2023.
As part of the Assembly’s annual session, a General Debate is held each September which is typically attended by Heads of State and Government. This year’s General Debate runs from Tuesday, 19 September 2023 until Tuesday, 26 September 2023.
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What happens during the General Debate?
The General Debate is not actually a debate. Member States take turns delivering speeches and are given a right of reply when required. They use the opportunity to raise a topic which reflects an issue of importance to them.
For the 78th session, the theme of the debate is: “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all”.
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Which Member State speaks first during the General Debate?
An interpreter in the Spanish booth during the high-level week of the seventy seventh session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2022 © UN Photo/Laura Jarriel
Since the early years of the General Assembly, the first country to speak has been Brazil because, according to the UN Protocol and Liaison Services, no one seemed to want to be the first to speak, and Brazil went first on several occasions, which then became a tradition.
The United States is up next as the host country. The order of speakers then follows a complex algorithm reflecting level of representation, geographical balance, the order in which the request to speak was recorded, and other considerations.
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Who else can speak at the General Debate?
The Holy See, the State of Palestine and the European Union are invited to participate in the General Debate and their speaking slots are determined by the level of representation.
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How long are the speeches?
Speakers are asked to keep their statements to under 15 minutes, however world leaders often go well beyond that. The longest speech made during the General Assembly, to date, was by Cuba’s Fidel Castro, who spoke for four and half hours in 1960 (although that wasn’t during the General Debate).
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How do I watch my country’s speech?
All General Assembly meetings can be followed LIVE and on demand on UN WebTV.
Statements delivered in the General Assembly hall are available on the General Debate website.
The daily schedule and provisional list of speakers can be found here.
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What else should I look out for?
In addition to the General Debate, the weeks of the General Assembly include a long list of meetings and side events. The 78th Session includes an SDG Summit (18-19 September) which reviews the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
On 20 September, there will be a high-Level dialogue on Financing for Development, a Climate Ambition Summit and a high-level meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response.
On 21 September, there will be a preparatory meeting for the Summit of the Future as well as a high-level meeting on Universal Health Coverage.
On 22 September, there is a high-level meeting on the Fight against Tuberculosis.
Find out more:
Each day, you can watch live broadcasts of most high-level events on Webtv.un.org.
Find out more about the General Assembly and the General Assembly High-level Week 2023.