A UN General Assembly (United Nations) will happen in New York from September 23-29, also having parallel meetings that show the challenges of the current geopolitical context.
The 2025 meeting marks the institution’s 80th anniversary and should serve as a stage for priority themes from the international community, such as Gaza and Ukraine conflicts, the defense of democracy and the environment.
This year’s edition also takes place in an environment of intense political disputes and reconfiguration of the role of the United States in the world.
Brazil is expected to use the spotlight of the meeting to reinforce multilateral commitments, its protagonism on climate agendas on the eve of and national sovereignty.
Traditionally, the Brazilian president is the one who opens the discourses of the Assembly, a gesture that became a hallmark of the country’s diplomacy.
A CNN It prepared a special material about the, detailing the parallel domes highlighted and explaining the importance of the organ for international relations. Check it out below.
What is the UN General Assembly
Main deliberative and representative body of the United Nations, the Assembly was created in 1945, with the United Nations Letter. Since then, it occupies a central position in the formulation of global policies and the development of international law.
It meets regularly from September to December, and may convene extraordinary sessions whenever necessary.
Composition:
- 193 Member States, each entitled to a vote;
UN General Assembly Central Functions
According to the United Nations Charter, the General Assembly can:
- Analyze and approve the UN budget and establish the financial assessments of the Member States;
- Elect the non -permanent members of the Security Council and members of other councils and United Nations organs;
- Appoint the UN Secretary-General, following the recommendation of the Security Council;
- Analyze and make recommendations on the general principles of cooperation to maintain international peace and security, including disarmament;
- Discuss any issue related to international peace and security and, except when a dispute or situation is currently being discussed by the Security Council, make recommendations about it;
- Discuss with the same exception and make recommendations on any questions within the scope of the letter or that affect the powers and functions of any United Nations body;
- Start 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 solution of any situation that may undermine friendly relationships between countries;
- Consider reports of the Security Council and other United Nations organs;
Vote and operation of the UN General Assembly
- Each country has a vote;
- Important issues such as peace and security or elections of security board members require two -thirds majority;
- Other articles are decided by a simple majority.
After the general debate, the Assembly distributes the topics between six main committeesthat elaborate drafts of resolutions:
- International Disarmament and Safety Committee;
- Economic and Financial Committee;
- Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee;
- Special Political and Decolonization Committee;
- Administrative and Budget Committee;
- Legal Committee;
- A thermometer of the international scenario.
Why is Brazil the first to speak?
When the UN was founded after World War II, there was 51 members.
According to the United Nations official website, which volunteered for this after other countries were reluctant. Over time, this has become a tradition.
As hosts of the UN headquarters in New York, the United States is usually the second country to go to the General Assembly.
Since the 10th session, in 1955, Brazil spoke first, and the United States, second, with some exceptions:
- In the 38th (1983) and 39th (1984) sessions, the United States spoke first, and Brazil spoke second;
- At the 71st session, on September 20, 2016, Chad spoke in second place due to the delay in the arrival of the president of the United States;
- At the 73rd session, on September 25, 2018, Ecuador spoke in second place due to the delay in the arrival of the president of the United States.
According to the UN, for all other member states, the discourse order is based on the level of representation, preference and other criteria, such as geographical balance.
The 15 -minute voluntary time limit for statements must be respected at the meeting. In addition, the order of speeches in the general debate is different from the order of speech of other debates of the Assembly.
Lula must address national sovereignty and democracy
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT) in this year’s General Assembly, amid tension with the United States. The investigation is the policy analyst of the CNN Jussara Soares.
Lula’s statement should reinforce that national sovereignty is not under discussion, as well as the decisions of the Federal Supreme Court about the former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL).
This will not be the first statement of the president of Brazil about democracy in the UN. By 2023, Lula had already addressed the theme, mentioning the events of January 8 of that year.
The new discourse must maintain this line, reaffirming Brazil’s commitment to democratic values and national autonomy.
Topics that should be should be addressed in the general debate of 2025
One of the main topics that should be addressed at this year’s General Assembly is the War in the Gaza Stripwith the expectation that countries recognize the Palestinian state.
On September 12,, by a large majority, in a statement that outlines “tangible measures, with a determined and irreversible term” towards a solution of two states between Israel and Palestinian territory.
The text condemns the attacks against Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023 and triggered the war in Gaza. Still, it also criticizes Israel’s attacks against civil and civil infrastructure in Gaza, the siege of Palestinian territory and hunger, “which resulted in a devastating humanitarian catastrophe and a protective crisis.”
Another prominent theme must be the War in Ukraine. The conflict continues without signs of termination or ceasefire, generating tension of an expanded war in the rest of Europe.
On September 10, Poland, which is part of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), the Western Military Alliance, slaughtered Russian drones that violated the country’s airspace.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the devices made a major attack on military facilities in western Ukraine, but there were no plans to reach any target in Poland.
of both the General Assembly and the summits on the sidelines of the meeting.
The UN General Assembly happens a few months before COP30, the Climate Summit, which will be held in Belém, Brazil.
*Under the supervision of Tiago Tortella, from CNN
