General Assembly

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the closing of the seventy-fourth session of the United Nations General Assembly, in New York today:

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message for the virtual thirty-fifth International Prayer Breakfast, in recognition of the opening of the seventy-fifth United Nations General Assembly session, in New York today:

The General Assembly convened today to hold the first meeting of its thirty-first special session on the COVID-19 pandemic, adopting one decision — and taking note of six others recently approved through the organ’s temporary silence procedure — related to the session’s leadership and other modalities.

The General Assembly adopted two resolutions today on the global response to COVID-19, nearly six months after the novel coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), alongside a third resolution on the fight against malaria under way in Africa.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the General Assembly and Security Council on the 2020 Report on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace, in New York today:

The General Assembly fleshed out the agenda of its upcoming seventy-fifth session today, deciding by recorded vote to include the situation in Ukraine and the responsibility to protect, on the second day of its first in-person proceedings since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-March.

The Committee on Information closed its annual session during a videoconference meeting today, approving two hallmark draft resolutions, one focused on core questions of press freedom and the second laying out its requests and expectations for the newly reformed Department of Global Communications.

The General Assembly adopted three resolutions today, as the world body held its first plenary meeting since the start of coronavirus-related restrictions at Headquarters, taking note of more than 70 texts it had adopted under its silence procedure since 27 March.

The General Assembly decided on 14 August to postpone a meeting of a committee tasked with drafting a global treaty to combat online crimes, noting with concern current COVID‑19 pandemic restrictions.

The General Assembly adopted 10 resolutions and decisions by its silence procedure from 6 to 12 August, including one extending its seventy-fourth session until mid-September and several postponing events and deadlines for report submissions, reflecting ongoing COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions.