Sixth Committee (Legal) 〞 79th session
Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly (Agenda item 121)
- Authority: resolutions and and decision 75/548 B
Documentation
- 〞 Draft decision
Summary of work
Background (source: )
At its forty-fifth session, the General Assembly, under the item entitled “Review of the efficiency of the administrative and financial functioning of the United Nations”, decided to include in the draft agenda of the forty-sixth session the item entitled “Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly” (decision 45/461). The Assembly had the item on its agenda at its forty-sixth to forty-eighth and fifty-second sessions and has had the item on its agenda annually since its fifty-third session (resolutions , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and and decisions 52/479, 53/491, 54/491, 74/537 A and B, 75/510, 75/548 A and B, 76/519, 76/523, 76/525, 76/537, 76/545,76/546 and 77/538 A and B).
At its fifty-eighth session, the Assembly decided that, in July of each year, the General Committee would conduct a review of the proposed programme of work for the forthcoming session of the Assembly, on the basis of a report submitted by the Secretary-General, and submit recommendations on the matter to the Assembly at its forthcoming session; and that the report would include information on the status of documentation to be issued during the forthcoming session (resolution ).
At its seventy-seventh session, the Assembly decided to establish, at its seventy-eighth and seventy-ninth sessions, in accordance with the biennialized format agreed in resolution , an ad hoc working group on the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly, open to all Member States, (a) to identify further ways to enhance the role, authority, effectiveness and efficiency of the Assembly, inter alia, by building on the progress achieved in past sessions as well as on previous resolutions, including evaluating the status of their implementation, with the primary focus on: (i) during the seventy-eighth session: role and authority of the Assembly, and working methods; and (ii) during the seventy-ninth session: strengthening the accountability, transparency and institutional memory of the Office of the President of the Assembly and selection and appointment of the Secretary-General and other executive heads; (b) to also place the primary focus on implementation of the resolution during the seventy-eighth session, and to submit a report thereon to the Assembly at its seventy-ninth session; and (c) to consider the next resolution during the seventy-ninth session and biennially thereafter; decided that the ad hoc working group should continue its review of the inventory of Assembly resolutions on revitalization annexed to the report of the ad hoc working group submitted at the seventy-seventh session and, as a result, continue to update the inventory to be attached to the reports to be submitted at the seventy-eighth and seventy-ninth sessions of the Assembly, including the separate indication of relevant provisions that were not implemented, with reasons, and therefore invited each Main Committee to further discuss its working methods, as appropriate, under the agenda item on the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly earlier at the seventy-eighth and seventy-ninth sessions, including the possibility of holding substantive and interactive dialogues; requested the General Committee, while exercising its functions under rule 40 of the rules of procedure of the Assembly, and within its mandate, to discuss gaps, overlaps and duplication and make recommendations annually to the Assembly for its consideration; requested the Secretary-General, during the seventy-eighth session of the Assembly, to assess and report on executable options for consideration by the Assembly on making available to all Member States the bulk registration of participants in official conferences and meetings of the United Nations, without prejudice to the current available option in this regard; requested a briefing by the Secretariat at the seventy-eighth session assessing the impact of the entry into effect of the earlier start date of the Assembly at the seventy-eighth session, and on the expected impact of possibly moving the start date to late August, and decided to discuss during the seventy-ninth session options regarding an earlier start date of the regular session; decided to further assess during the seventy-ninth session of the Assembly the selection and appointment process of the Secretary-General, to consolidate the advances gained in the relevant Assembly resolutions and to explore possible steps to improve future processes, including the collaboration between the Assembly and the Security Council, consistent with Article 97 of the Charter; decided to discuss, at its seventy-ninth session, questions related to the term assigned to the President of the Assembly and the financial and logistical implications thereof; and requested the Secretariat to issue, during the seventy-ninth session, within existing resources, in coordination with the Office of the President of the Assembly, a compendium of best practices of past Presidents that could serve to contribute to strengthening the institutional memory of the Office (resolution ).
At its seventy-eighth session, the Assembly considered the item in a joint debate, with the item entitled “Implementation of the resolutions of the United Nations”, where statements were made by the President and 34 delegations (see and ).
Since its sixtieth session, pursuant to resolution and in order to facilitate the work of the Main Committees, the Assembly has decided annually, on the recommendation of the General Committee, to allocate the item to all the Main Committees for the purpose of discussing their working methods, as well as considering and taking action on their respective tentative programmes of work. Accordingly, at its seventy-seventh session, the Assembly approved the provisional programme of work and timetable of the First Committee for 2023 (decision 77/519); the proposed programme of work and timetable of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) (decision 77/534); the draft programmes of work of the Second Committee (decision 77/539) and the Third Committee (decision 77/544); and the provisional programme of work of the Sixth Committee (decision 77/521) for the seventy-eighth session of the Assembly. At the same session, the Assembly decided that the Bureau of the Second Committee would convene informal dialogues to discuss the revitalization of the work of the Committee in the first months of 2023 and that the Second Committee would convene a plenary meeting following those dialogues to take stock of the deliberations and, as appropriate, take action on any recommendations, for subsequent approval by the Assembly, to allow any change to come into effect ahead of the seventy-eighth session (decision 77/538).
Consideration at the seventy-ninth session
The Sixth Committee considered the item at its 1st, 37th and 39th meetings, on 2 October and 8 and 12 November 2024 (see A/C.6/79/SR.1, A/C.6/79/SR.37 and A/C.6/79/SR.39).
Statements were made by the representatives of of Colombia (on behalf of a group of States), Latvia (on behalf of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia), Sri Lanka and Costa Rica.
Several delegations expressed concern about current working methods, with particular emphasis on low participation rates in debates. There was broad support for implementing more interactive dialogue formats and utilizing guiding questions to enrich discussions. Several delegations advocated transitioning from lengthy statements to more focused interventions. Support was expressed for the designation of focal points to facilitate ongoing dialogue about procedural improvements. Several delegations emphasized the need for systematic evaluation of working methods rather than continuing with established practices.
Support was expressed for strengthening the General Assembly's role when the Security Council is unable to fulfill its mandate. Several delegations noted the significant increase in General Assembly interventions on peace and security matters. Multiple speakers emphasized that the Assembly's position as the main deliberative and policymaking organ must be protected from perceived encroachment. There was broad agreement on the need for the Assembly to be more proactive in addressing global challenges while maintaining its unique position as the most representative organ of the United Nations.
Several delegations raised concerns about scheduling conflicts between different UN bodies and committees. Furthermore, a proposal was made for specific measures to improve coordination with the International Law Commission, including webcasting plenary sessions, conducting some sessions in New York, and enhancing substantive discussions during International Law Week. Several delegations called for improved consultation between the Secretariat and member states. There was widespread support for better coordination between specialized agencies, programs, and funds to avoid duplication of efforts.
Several delegations strongly advocated for appointing a woman as Secretary-General, noting the historical absence of female leadership. Several delegations expressed concern about gender composition in various UN bodies. There was broad support for encouraging member states to nominate more female candidates and ensuring geographical balance in appointments. Multiple states emphasized the importance of maintaining gender parity in panel discussions and side events, while also promoting inclusive participation from smaller delegations.
Specific practical improvements were also proposed, including establishing focal points with equal geographical rotation, providing adequate preparation time after the General Debate, and limiting parallel events during high-level weeks. Several delegations supported enhanced digital communication strategies and improved time management for committee meetings. Several states emphasized the importance of better scheduling to avoid meeting overlaps and more structured dialogue formats.
Several delegations highlighted the need to address financial sustainability through innovative funding mechanisms and improved budget allocation processes. Reference was also made to the importance of encouraging timely member contributions. Concerns were raised by several delegations about resource implications of extended meetings and interpretation services. There was support for ensuring adequate budgetary support for proposed changes.
Archived videos and summaries of plenary meetings
(2 October 2024, 10:00am 每 1:00pm) | Summary
(8 November 2024, 10:00am 每 1:00pm) | Summary
(22 November 2024, 3:00pm 每 6:00pm) | Summary
Action taken by the Sixth Committee
At the 39th meeting, on 22 November, the Chair introduced a draft decision containing the provisional programme of work of the Committee for the eightieth session of the General Assembly, as proposed by the Bureau ().
At the same meeting, the Committee adopted the draft decision () without a vote.
Subsequent action taken by the General Assembly
- Report of the Sixth Committee:
- GA decision: 79/524 [for the text of the decision, see the Sixth Committee's report to the General Assembly]
This agenda item will be considered at the eightieth session (2025).
