Published 14:28 IST, July 23rd 2020
UN General Assembly to hold virtual meeting for first time in 75 years
For the first time since its establishment, UN General Assembly annual meet, scheduled for September, is set to go virtual owing to coronavirus pandemic.
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For the first time since its establishment, UN General Assembly annual meet is set to go virtual. Owing to coronavirus pandemic, the 193 member organisation has decided that the heads of state and governments would not be present physically this year, instead, they would submit their prerecorded statement for the session scheduled to be held in September.
Pre Recorded statement to be sent
The decision which was announced on July 22 instructed all member and observer states to submit a pre-recorded statement of their heads. The session which marks the 75th year of UN General Assembly is scheduled to begin on September 15.
"Each Member State, observer State and the European Union can submit a pre-recorded statement of its Head of State, Vice-President, Crown Prince or Princess, Head of Government, Minister or Vice-Minister, which will be played in the General Assembly Hall during the general debate of the Assembly at its seventy-fifth session, the high-level meeting to commemorate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations and the high-level meetings...after introduction by their representative who is physically present in the Assembly Hall," UNsaid in a statement.
As per the norms o the assembly, the General Debate is held at the beginning of each session of the General Assembly. It usually runs for over a week when leaders and ministers from the 193 UN member states address the world from the iconic lectern in the General Assembly hall. According to international media reports, all telecommunication arrangements have been in place since March as the UN has been conducting meetings and webinars virtually.
14:28 IST, July 23rd 2020