Fiji bids for top job
Fiji is bidding for the post of the president of the United Nations General Assembly for 2016 to 2017.
This was confirmed by Minister for Foreign Affairs Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, who remained tightlipped on Fiji’s likely candidate for the post.
The current president of the UN’s 69th General Assembly is Sam Kahamba Kutesa. He was the Ugandan Minister of Foreign Affairs and was elected in June 11, 2014.
Fiji has held top posts in the United Nations before. Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama was elected by the UN in New York as the chair of a major international body – the Group of Seventy Seven developing nations plus China known as the G77 from 2012 to 2013.
Wth 132 Member States, the G77 is the largest intergovernmental organisation of developing countries in the UN.
Speaking at the opening of the Asia/Russia Regional Bureau Heads of Mission at Seoul, South Korea, last Friday Ratu Inoke said: “I also encourage you to take pro-active approach in engaging with the host countries for their support towards our candidacy in the multilateral arena. We must proactively campaign for the membership of the Human Rights Council and the Presidency of the UN General Assembly.”
In a release from the UN it said: “In line with the existing regional rotation scheme, the president of the General Assembly for the 70th session will be nominated by the Western European and Other states Group.
According to the UN, the term of office is one year, beginning at the opening of the session and running until the end of the session.
No formal criteria for the president exist in the Charter or the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure.
As a matter of practice (but not formal rule), the president may not be a national of any of the Permanent five members of the Security Council.
Compensation for the president of the General Assembly is determined by the home Member State, which pays the president a salary. This salary is in addition to the privileges granted to all persons acting in the service of the UN or its Member States.
THE REGIONAL NOMINATIONS FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
- 70th GA – Western European and Other states (2015-2016)
- 71st GA – Asian states (2016-2017)
- 72nd GA – Eastern European states (2017-2018)
- 73rd GA – Latin American and Caribbean States (2018-2019)
- 74th GA – African states (2019-2020)
According to the UN the president does not vote on General Assembly decisions but has control over all other aspects of the discussions including time limitations for speakers, closure of the list of speakers, suspension and adjournment of debate, and ruling on points of order.
In addition to these formal duties, the president also has an informal facilitative role to play by consulting bilaterally with delegations to assess differences in position, propose solutions, and build consensus for proposals.
The General Assembly is made up of all the 193 Member States of the United Nations.
It provides a forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the UN Charter. It meets in regular session intensively from September to December each year, and thereafter as required.
Fiji is bidding for the post of the president of the United Nations General Assembly for 2016 to 2017.
This was confirmed by Minister for Foreign Affairs Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, who remained tightlipped on Fiji’s likely candidate for the post.
The current president of the UN’s 69th General...
Fiji is bidding for the post of the president of the United Nations General Assembly for 2016 to 2017.
This was confirmed by Minister for Foreign Affairs Ratu Inoke Kubuabola, who remained tightlipped on Fiji’s likely candidate for the post.
The current president of the UN’s 69th General Assembly is Sam Kahamba Kutesa. He was the Ugandan Minister of Foreign Affairs and was elected in June 11, 2014.
Fiji has held top posts in the United Nations before. Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama was elected by the UN in New York as the chair of a major international body – the Group of Seventy Seven developing nations plus China known as the G77 from 2012 to 2013.
Wth 132 Member States, the G77 is the largest intergovernmental organisation of developing countries in the UN.
Speaking at the opening of the Asia/Russia Regional Bureau Heads of Mission at Seoul, South Korea, last Friday Ratu Inoke said: “I also encourage you to take pro-active approach in engaging with the host countries for their support towards our candidacy in the multilateral arena. We must proactively campaign for the membership of the Human Rights Council and the Presidency of the UN General Assembly.”
In a release from the UN it said: “In line with the existing regional rotation scheme, the president of the General Assembly for the 70th session will be nominated by the Western European and Other states Group.
According to the UN, the term of office is one year, beginning at the opening of the session and running until the end of the session.
No formal criteria for the president exist in the Charter or the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure.
As a matter of practice (but not formal rule), the president may not be a national of any of the Permanent five members of the Security Council.
Compensation for the president of the General Assembly is determined by the home Member State, which pays the president a salary. This salary is in addition to the privileges granted to all persons acting in the service of the UN or its Member States.
THE REGIONAL NOMINATIONS FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
- 70th GA – Western European and Other states (2015-2016)
- 71st GA – Asian states (2016-2017)
- 72nd GA – Eastern European states (2017-2018)
- 73rd GA – Latin American and Caribbean States (2018-2019)
- 74th GA – African states (2019-2020)
According to the UN the president does not vote on General Assembly decisions but has control over all other aspects of the discussions including time limitations for speakers, closure of the list of speakers, suspension and adjournment of debate, and ruling on points of order.
In addition to these formal duties, the president also has an informal facilitative role to play by consulting bilaterally with delegations to assess differences in position, propose solutions, and build consensus for proposals.
The General Assembly is made up of all the 193 Member States of the United Nations.
It provides a forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the UN Charter. It meets in regular session intensively from September to December each year, and thereafter as required.
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