78th session of UNGA

78th session of UNGA

News: Recently, India’s External affairs minister addressed the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Theme - “Peace, prosperity, progress, and sustainability”

Excerpts from EAM’s speech:
• India has evolved from the era of non-alignment to the “era of Vishwa Mitra,” or a friend to the world.
• India seeks to promote cooperation with diverse partners from the QUAD, BRICS to I2U2.
• Respect for territorial integrity and noninterference in internal affairs cannot be exercised in cherry picking,”
• The United Nations should make the Security Council contemporary and emphasized that broad representation is a prerequisite for both effectiveness and credibility. The African Union’s inclusion in the G20 should inspire the United Nations to also make the Security Council contemporary.

About UNGA:
• UNGA is one of the six main organs of the United Nations, which is an international organization founded in 1945 to promote peace, cooperation, and diplomacy among countries. The UNGA is a forum where all 193 member states of the United Nations come together to discuss and address global issues.

Key functions and responsibilities of the UNGA include:
• Policy Setting
• Resolutions - Member states propose and vote on resolutions on a wide range of issues. While these resolutions are not legally binding, they can carry significant political weight and influence international norms and behavior.
• Election of Officials - The UNGA elects key officials and representatives of the United Nations, including the Secretary-General and non-permanent members of the Security Council.
• Budget Approval - The UNGA approves the budget of the United Nations, which is funded by member states. This budget covers the organization's various activities and programs.

Committees of UNGA:
• The Disarmament and International Security Committee
• The Economic and Financial Committee
• The Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee
• The Special Political and Decolonization Committee
• The Administrative and Budgetary Committee
• The Legal Committee