UN General Assembly: A 75-year journey toward the future we want

NEW YORK: The United Nations came into existence at a time of great despair when the penholders of its founding document dared to imagine a better world, one that would be defined by peace and equality. Visionary world leaders chose hope over cynicism, empathy over indifference and partnership over distrust when they came together in San Francisco on June 26, 1945 to sign the Charter of the UN. They embarked upon a new, rules- based world order, with an organization of unrivaled legitimacy at its core.

Over the past 75 years, the UN General Assembly has served as a “parliament of humanity.” As the primary deliberative, policymaking and representative body of the United Nations, the assembly provides a forum to share perspectives, forge partnerships and build consensus. It is rooted in equality of both voice and vote. When there is disagreement, the assembly provides space for respectful debate, where members can generate understanding and reach compromise.

Within its remit as a principal organ of the United Nations, the General Assembly has assisted in guiding the transformation of our world over the past three quarters of a century. It adopts resolutions across a wide breadth of issues that reflect the aspirations of humanity across the three pillars of the work of the UN: human rights, peace and

Preamble to the Charter of the United Nations, which was signed in San Francisco on June 26, 1945.

security, and development.

Building blocks

General Assembly resolutions have helped create the building blocks for the normative development of international law. In 1959, Assembly Resolution 1472 ( XIV) created the Committee on

the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. This initiated work that facilitated the use of modern technology and telecommunications. In 1957, the assembly, by Resolution 1105 (XI), decided to convene the first United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, paving the way for the adoption in 1982 of humanity’s first “constitution for the seas” — the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Charter of the United Nations set out the objective to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.” Accordingly, the General Assembly has worked hard towards the goal of eliminating atomic weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction. This was the genesis of the normative development of the international regime of disarmament and non-proliferation.

In 1948, the assembly, by Resolution 217 (III), adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This set of inalienable rights set out standards for equal treatment of all people and re- affirmed the preamble of the Charter:

“We, the peoples of the United Nations, determined... to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women...”

Self- determination

The world has changed significantly since 1945, with more than 80 former colonies joining the organization. In response to the peoples of the UN yearning for independence, the assembly, in its 15th year, adopted Resolution 1514, which provided the most authoritative and comprehensive formulation of the principle of self-determination. In 1966, Resolution 2202 A (XXI) declared apartheid a crime against humanity. The assembly continues to promote equality and dignity