UN commemorates 70th anniversary of first General Assembly meeting

The United Nations on Monday commemorated the 70th anniversary of the first General Assembly meeting, which was held in 1946 in London.

Seventy years ago on Jan. 10, 51 nations came together at Westminster Central Hall in London for the meeting after the UN Charter, the foundational treaty of the organization, was signed in San Francisco in 1945.

At a commemoration meeting held here on Monday, President of the 70th session of the General Assembly Mogens Lykketoft said following a horrific period of war, destruction, genocide and nuclear bombings, nations of the world deliberately decided to come together.

"Today, with 193 members representing 99.5 percent of the world's population, the General Assembly has become the single most representative, deliberative body in the world," he noted.

The General Assembly is the main deliberative, policy-making and representative organ of the UN. It has 193 member states; each country has one vote for issues discussed in the Assembly. It elects its president for each session every year.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said "this General Assembly has truly become the Parliament for all people," while mentioning that the Assembly last year in September has adopted the Sustainable Development Agenda, which is a "collective promise to deliver a life of dignity for all."

As the Assembly marks its history, Ban called on the Assembly to work harder for saving more lives, advancing more progress and promoting greater respect for human rights in the world. Enditem