As is tradition before each session of the General Assembly, Secretary-General António Guterres drew lots to see which Member State would occupy the first seat in the General Assembly Hall for the session, with the other Member States following according to the English translation of their name. The same order is followed in the six main committees.[9] For this session the Czech Republic was chosen to take the first seat of the General Assembly Chamber.[1]
Most states had a representative speak about issues concerning their country and the hopes for the coming year regarding the actions of the General Assembly. The general debate serves as an opportunity for Member States to declare which international issues are most pressing to them. The General Debate occurred from 19–25 September 2017, with the exception of the intervening Sunday.[10]
The theme for the session's debate was chosen by President Miroslav Lajcak as "Focusing on People: Striving for Peace and a Decent Life for All on a Sustainable Planet."[10]
The speaking order for the general debate was as follows:[11]
The President of the General Assembly: Called the meeting to order
The Secretary-General: Introduced the “Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization”
The President of the General Assembly: Opened the general debate and made a speech
Brazil, as per tradition, was the first Member State to speak in the general debate
The United States of America, as the host country, was the second Member State to speak
All other full Member States (speaking order is based on the level of representation, preference and other criteria such as geographic balance)
Only the Holy See, the State of Palestine and the European Union are invited to participate in the general debate (speaking slots are determined by the level of representation)
A voluntary 15-minute time limit for statements is to be observed in the general debate. According to the rules in place for the General Debate, the statements should be in one of the United Nations official languages of Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian or Spanish, and will be translated by the United Nations translators.
Resolutions
Resolutions came before the UNGA between October 2017 and summer 2018.
^ abMinistry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand (2018). "United Nations Handbook 2018–19"(PDF). United Nations Handbook:: An Annual Guide for Those Working within the United Nations (56th ed.). Wellington: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand: 22. ISSN0110-1951.
^United Nations General Assembly C.1 (n.d.). "Bureau of the 72nd Session". United Nations General Assembly. United Nations. Retrieved 5 December 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^United Nations General Assembly C.2 (n.d.). "Bureau of the 72nd Session". United Nations General Assembly. United Nations. Retrieved 5 December 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^United Nations General Assembly C.3 (n.d.). "Bureau of the 72nd Session". United Nations General Assembly. United Nations. Retrieved 5 December 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^United Nations General Assembly C.4 (n.d.). "Bureau of the 72nd Session". United Nations General Assembly. United Nations. Retrieved 5 December 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^United Nations General Assembly C.6 (n.d.). "Bureau". United Nations General Assembly. United Nations. Retrieved 5 December 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^United Nations General Assembly (n.d.). "Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)". United Nations General Assembly. United Nations. Retrieved 5 December 2018.