UN General Assembly Adopts Seventy-Ninth Session Agenda Amidst Controversies

The UN General Assembly has approved its agenda for the seventy-ninth session, incorporating key topics such as the legacy of nuclear weapons and lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS). The decision follows a heated debate over the inclusion of an item regarding the conflict in Ukraine, which saw opposing views from Russia and Ukraine.

The Assembly’s agenda now includes discussions on “Addressing the legacy of nuclear weapons” and “Lethal autonomous weapons systems,” both critical issues under the “Disarmament” heading. Additionally, under “Organizational, administrative and other matters,” draft agendas for the “Eighty-th anniversary of the end of the Second World War,” and observer status requests for the Regional Anticorruption Initiative and the International Coffee Organization will be considered.

The general debate, scheduled from September 24 to 30, will feature over 130 heads of state, including Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

During the session, Russia expressed its discontent with the inclusion of the item “The situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine,” arguing that it misrepresents the situation and undermines self-determination principles. Russia criticized the agenda item as biased and duplicative of discussions in other forums.

Conversely, Ukraine welcomed the inclusion, asserting that global scrutiny of Russia’s actions is crucial given the ongoing invasion. The Ukrainian representative emphasized the significance of maintaining focus on Russia’s alleged terrorism and highlighted the Assembly’s role in addressing such critical issues.