Context:

• Recently, India’s External affairs minister addressed the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

About the 78th session of UNGA

• The theme of the 78th session of UNGA is “peace, prosperity, progress, and sustainability.”

Key Highlights of the  External Affairs Minister’s address:

•  India has evolved from the era of non-alignment to the “era of Vishwa Mitra,” or a friend to the world.
• India seeks to promote cooperation with diverse partners from the QUAD, BRICS to I2U2.
• Respect for territorial integrity and non-interference in internal affairs cannot be exercised in cherry picking,”
• The United Nations should make the Security Council contemporary and emphasized that broad representation is a prerequisite for both effectiveness and credibility.
  • The African Union’s inclusion in the G20 should inspire the United Nations to also make the Security Council contemporary.

What is the UNGA? 

The UNGA is the only universally representative body of the United Nations.

• Each of the 193 Member States of the United Nations has an equal vote.
• The six main Committees of UNGA are:
  • the Disarmament and International Security Committee
  •  the Economic and Financial Committee
  • the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee
  • the Special Political and Decolonization Committee
  • the Administrative and Budgetary Committee
  • the Legal Committee

What are the functions of the UNGA?

• UNGA appoints a Security General on the recommendation of the Security Council.
• Election of the non-permanent members to the Security Council.
• Approval of the UN budget.
• It discusses, debates, and makes recommendations on subjects pertaining to international peace and security, including development, disarmament, human rights, international law, and the peaceful arbitration of disputes between nations.
• It also considers reports from the other four organs of the United Nations and assesses the financial situations of member states.