Here Are The Three Things To Look For At The 73rd United Nations General Assembly Debate

The debate of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly is all set to kick off from September 25 and will go on till October 5. The nine-day event will be held at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The 73rd session of the United Nations General assembly already began on September 18, 2018. Like every year, there is a theme of the annual debate in the UNGA and the theme for this year is to make the United Nations relevant to all people: global leadership and shared responsibilities for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies. 

READ: Here's All You Need To Know About The New Deputy Special Representatives Of The United Nations, Ingrid Hayden

What is the United Nations General Assembly debate:

Each year, diplomats and representatives from each of the 193 member-states of the United Nations, speaks on global issues at the UN headquarters. Each member is alloted 15 minutes to complete his or her speech at the debate. Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro holds the highest record of delivering the longest speech at the UNGA debate as he gave a speech for about four hours.

Here are the Three things to look for at the UNGA debate, 2018: 

1. UNGA debate will be presided by a woman for the fourth time:

Republic of Ecuador 's Minister of Foreign Affairs, María Fernanda Espinosa has been elected as the new president of the United Nations General Assembly on September 18, 2018. She will become the fourth woman president to conduct the general debate at the UNGA. India's Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit was the first woman to become the president of the UNGA in 1953. 

Courtesy: Getty

2. Not the US, but Brazil takes the lead

The host country, the US will not start the debate at the UNGA as it's Brazil who will take the lead. This has been the tradition since 1947 as in that year Brazil became the first country to speak at the debate. The US will be the second country to speak after Brazil which will be followed by other countries. 

READ: Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan Passes Away At The Age Of 80. Here's All You Need To Know About The Ghanian Diplomat

3. Member States to discuss key issues

On September 24, a meeting on the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals will be held. This will be followed by international commitment and Action for Peacekeeping event and violence against LGBTQ event on September 25. On September 26, a meeting will be held to end Tuberculosis.