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Backgrounder: General Debate of the UN General Assembly

Xinhua, September 20, 2016 Adjust font size:

The general debate of the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly kicked off at the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday, with a priority to promote joint world efforts to implement a global goal for sustainable development.

The General Debate is the annual meeting of heads of state and government at the beginning of the General Assembly session.

It is usually the first debate of the session and -- with the exception of the high-level meetings -- the only one in which heads of state and government regularly participate.

About 140 heads of state or government attended this year's general debate, which is scheduled to run through Sept. 26.

The theme of this year's general debate is "the Sustainable Development Goals: A Universal Push to Transform our World," referring to the 2030 global goals adopted here in September last year.

Ambassador Peter Thomson of Fiji is the president of the 71st session of the General Assembly. Each speaker has voluntary 15 minutes at the rostrum.

The General Assembly is the main deliberative organ of the world body. Comprising all 193 members, it provides a unique forum for multi-lateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues.

The General Assembly meets in regular session intensively from September to December each year. At the beginning of each regular session, the assembly holds a general debate, often addressed by heads of state and government to express their views on pressing international issues.

Brazil is always the first member state to speak in the general debate since the 10th session of the General Assembly in 1955; the United States as the host country is the second member state to take the floor.

But this year the tradition was broken: U.S. President Barack Obama was late, so Chad, after Brazil, was the second to speak at the General Debate.

According to the original list of speakers, Idriss Deby Itno, the president of Chad was the third to address the general debate,

For all other member states, the speaking order is based on the level of representation, preference and other criteria such as geographic balance. Endit