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| United Nations General Assembly Special Session | |
|---|---|
| Name | United Nations General Assembly Special Session |
| Type | Intergovernmental meeting |
| Organizer | United Nations General Assembly |
| Participants | Member states of the United Nations, Observer states |
| Status | Active |
United Nations General Assembly Special Session A Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly is an extraordinary meeting called to address urgent international matters, distinct from the regular United Nations General Assembly annual sessions and United Nations General Assembly emergency special sessions. It brings together representatives from United Nations Security Council members, Secretary-General of the United Nations, and delegations from African Union members and European Union observers to focus on crises or global initiatives such as responses to conflicts like the Gulf War, public health emergencies like the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa, or disarmament issues like the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Special Sessions have been convened under the authority of instruments including the Charter of the United Nations, the United Nations General Assembly resolution mechanism, and consensus requests from regional organizations such as Organization of American States and Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Special Sessions are defined under procedural practice established by the United Nations General Assembly and guided by precedents involving actors such as the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the President of the United Nations General Assembly, and committees like the United Nations Security Council and the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Their purpose has spanned crisis diplomacy seen during the Suez Crisis response, humanitarian mobilization during events like the Rwandan genocide, arms control deliberations tied to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, and normative development related to instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights discussions or the 1992 Earth Summit follow-up processes.
The practice of calling Special Sessions evolved alongside landmark moments including the Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the post-Cold War conflicts involving Yugoslav Wars actors. Notable historical convenings drew participation from states engaged in treaties like the Geneva Conventions and featured speeches by individuals associated with forums such as the Nobel Peace Prize laureates and heads of state from countries including United States, Russia, China, France, and United Kingdom. The institutional record reflects interplay with initiatives by entities like the World Health Organization, International Committee of the Red Cross, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund during development, humanitarian, and security crises.
A Special Session is typically convened when a majority of United Nations member states or the United Nations Security Council requests it, or when the Secretary-General of the United Nations receives a formal appeal supported by instruments such as letters from regional bodies like the Arab League or the African Union. Procedural rules reference prior resolutions and rules of procedure of the United Nations General Assembly, with logistical coordination involving United Nations Office at Geneva, United Nations Office at Vienna, and United Nations Headquarters in New York City. Agenda-setting often involves subsidiary organs such as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security), Second Committee (Economic and Financial), and Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural).
Special Sessions have addressed disarmament topics linked to the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Ottawa Treaty, humanitarian crises connected to events like the Syrian civil war and the Yemeni Civil War, public health emergencies tied to HIV/AIDS pandemic and the COVID-19 pandemic, and development agendas building on the Millennium Development Goals and the Sustainable Development Goals. Sessions have also examined migration linked to the Global Compact for Migration, climate matters related to the UNFCCC process and the Paris Agreement, and nuclear proliferation involving discussions on Iran–United States relations and the North Korean nuclear program.
Participation includes delegations from Member states of the United Nations, representatives of Observer states, and accredited NGOs with consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council, as well as officials from agencies like the United Nations Development Programme, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and United Nations Children's Fund. Voting follows the Assembly's rules where important questions may require a two-thirds majority as referenced in the Charter of the United Nations, while other matters can pass by a simple majority; blocs and caucuses such as the Non-Aligned Movement, Group of 77, European Union, and Organization of Islamic Cooperation often coordinate positions.
Outcomes of Special Sessions have included political declarations, action plans modeled on instruments like the Responsibility to Protect doctrine, emergency humanitarian appeals coordinated with the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and normative advances influencing treaties such as the International Criminal Court statute. Impacts range from mobilizing sanctions endorsed by the United Nations Security Council and bilateral measures by states like United States and European Union members, to catalyzing funding from multilateral banks like the World Bank and policy shifts within national legislatures and regional bodies such as the African Union.
Critics point to politicization involving permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and disputes reminiscent of the Cold War era, procedural gridlock linked to veto politics, and concerns about efficacy when Special Sessions produce non-binding resolutions similar to contentious debates during the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and the Kashmir conflict. Other controversies cite tensions with humanitarian actors like Médecins Sans Frontières and accountability debates associated with tribunals such as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.