PREVIEW - UN Kicks Off 77th Session Of General Assembly

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th September, 2022) The United Nations 77th session of the General Assembly, a discussion forum many world leaders attend, is set to start on Tuesday.

UNGA 77, which will run from September 13-27 with high-level debate set to begin on September 20, marks the first in-person gathering of the body since the pandemic began.

Many experts and political leaders from all over the world fly to New York to attend the event. Experts help shed light with their detailed knowledge on specific issues, while presidents and ministers express their national positions and have meetings with other high officials The representatives participate not only in multilateral meetings, where other states are attending and usually are focused on a particular topic, but also in bilateral meetings with others.

The concentration of everyone makes it more efficient to exchange opinions and get closer to specific agreements. Often it also happens that less friendly nations can schedule an unofficial meeting, which will have less impact in the media than if that would be an inter-state official visit to another state.

In that regard, all over the premises of the United Nations, there are booths for bilateral and multilateral meetings. The ad-hoc walls are from opaque materials so that the parties do not get disturbed and no one can see who is meeting with whom and what kind of gestures they have.

The main events of the debate are: the summit on Transforming education on September 19, the General Debate starting on September 20 to 26, Commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to Minorities on September 2, and the High-level plenary meeting to commemorate the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on September 26.

UKRAINE CONFLICT, US-RUSSIA TENSIONS LIKELY TO DOMINATE AGENDA

Even though the General Assembly kicks off on September 13, the most attention comes with the second week and, in particular, on September 20, when the General Debate starts. This is when all the governmental leaders who decided to attend will deliver their speeches.

The debate is organized according to diplomatic protocol, in which the heads of states go first, followed by prime ministers, foreign ministers, and other officials, and then permanent representatives.

Some states do not receive delegations from the capitals, such as North Korea, whose speech is presented yearly by its ambassador.

Every year, those who attend are under great scrutiny, and many analysts are implying what their attendance means for the world and the United Nations. Sometimes, the leaders need to give an accent or show their attitude towards something, and hence, they decide to attend.

For example, this year, the President of the United States, Joseph Biden, is expected to participate in person. He has one of the highest security levels. It is, however, unclear who will represent Russia as it is uncertain if Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will receive his visa.

The US and Russia have long-standing problems with the United States not issuing permits to some of the vital Russian representatives, an issue which has already been multiple times raised with the United States' local authorities and the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

Throughout the debate, the biggest topic is expected to be Ukraine. Many officials are anticipated to speak about their views on the conflict, gather on the sidelines aiming to find solutions. In that regard, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy might attend the debate, although it is not confirmed.

On a personal level, many delegates who are stationed in New York, complain about lack of sleep and long working hours already prior to the debate. Already now, individual missions are working hard to accommodate the visitors from their capitals, who often expected to be cared about - flights, hotels, restaurants and free time activities if time allows.

A UN diplomat told to Sputnik that 100 people are coming from his capital to New York, while his team has to work on the details for each of them.

The streets of New York, especially around the Headquarters are filled with mantinels and police men watching the crows, while easing the road for the multiple-car convoys to drive through to where they need.

Last but not least, there will be the funeral of the Queen Elizabeth II on September 19 in Windsor Castle, and it may slightly disrupt the attendance of some leaders and many have to show presence.