UN General Assembly, sets modalities for 75th session – new dates

The General Assembly adopted five decisions on 21 and 22 July, which include the modalities for a virtual opening of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly and revised dates for the summit on biodiversity and the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women.

In line with its reliance on the silence procedure to adopt decisions, the General Assembly’s decision titled, ‘High-level meetings of the General Assembly in September 2020’ (A/74/L.75), calls for UN Member States, observer States and the European Union to submit pre-recorded statements by Heads of State, Vice-Presidents, Crown Princes or Princesses, Heads of Government, Ministers or Vice-Ministers. They will be played in the General Assembly Hall during the general debate, following an introduction by their representative who will be physically present in the Assembly Hall.

These arrangements will also apply to several events that were scheduled to take place during the opening week of the UNGA’s 75th session: the high-level meeting to commemorate the UN’s 75th anniversary, the summit on biodiversity, a high-level meeting on the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, and a high-level plenary meeting to commemorate and promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

The summit on biodiversity will now take place on 30 September 2020, rather than the originally anticipated dates of 22-23 September. The date for the high-level meeting on the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women has also been changed, from 23 September to 1 October 2020. And the high-level plenary meeting to commemorate and promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons will take place on 2 October 2020, instead of 26 September. 

Through another decision titled, ‘Extension of the procedure for taking decisions of the General Assembly during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic until the end of August 2020’ (A/74/L.76), the General Assembly has agreed to extend its use of the silence procedure. It authorizes the President of the General Assembly to circulate draft decisions to all Member States at least 72 hours after consultation with the General Committee.  If the silence is not broken, those decisions are considered adopted. [UN Press Release on decisions regarding 75th UNGA opening session]