UNITED NATIONS (TIP): The United Nations General Assembly officially opened for its 67th session on Tuesday, September 18, and an estimated 123 world leaders arrived at U.N. Headquarters in New York before the General Debate which will begin on September 25 and conclude on October 1, 2012.

As the 66th Session of the General Assembly came to a close and the new President of the Assembly of the 193-member body Vuk Jeremic took the gavel, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon opened the new session with a note of caution:
“We are living through a period of unease. These are times of rising unemployment, rising inequality, rising temperatures – and rising intolerance.”

There was also an urgent call for cooperation to tackle the economic and political uncertainty which is being experienced in many parts of the world and ensure there are peaceful solutions to international disputes.
And President of 67th UNGA, Vuk Jeremic emphasized that resolving international disputes by peaceful means is the overarching theme of the 67th session of the General Assembly.

He said maintenance of international peace and security was enshrined in the UN Charter as the first stated purpose of the world organization to make it possible for human beings to live in greater prosperity.

Jeremić said although the United Nations cannot solve all the problems overnight, he is strongly convinced that the Organization remains critical to addressing the growing needs of humankind.

“One simply cannot imagine a world in which peace and the dignity of all could flourish without the United Nations. Having consulted widely on the matter, I have chosen bringing about adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations by peaceful means as the overarching theme for our work over the next 12 months.”

President of the 67th UNGA stressed that the Assembly should focus not just on achieving the eight anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), but also on the post-2015 agenda. In particular, he underscored the importance of fulfilling the commitments made during the UN Sustainable Development Conference (Rio+20), which was held in Brazil in June. He stated :-

“Our objective should be the full implementation of the mandate this body received at the Rio+20 Conference. This will require a decisive commitment to observe not only procedural deadlines but also the political and financial objectives it has been designed to accomplish.”

The General Assembly is the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United. Comprising all 193 Members of the United Nations, the General Assembly meets in regular session intensively from September to December each year and thereafter as required.

In the next two weeks world leaders will converge on New York to debate various global issues.