 General Assembly is the main UN body. All UN Member States are represented in the General Assembly and each Member State has one vote. Decisions on such key issues as international peace and security, admitting new members and the UN budget are decided by two-thirds majority. Other matters are decided by simple majority. In recent years, a special effort has been made to reach decisions through consensus, rather than by taking a formal vote.
The Assembly cannot force action by any State, but its recommendations are an important indication of world opinion and represent the moral authority of the community of nations.
The Assembly holds its annual regular session from September to December. When necessary, it may resume its session or hold a special or emergency session called by the Security Council, majority of Member States, or an individual Member State if other States agree. Regular sessions begin with a general debate, in which Member States express their views on a wide range of matters of international concern. Because of the great number of issues which the Assembly is called upon to consider, it allocates the majority of issues to its six Main Committees. Main Committees of the General Assembly are: First Committee -Disarmament and International Security Committee, Second Committee - Economic and Financial Committee, Third Committee - Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee, Fourth Committee - Special Political and Decolonisation Committee, Fifth Committee - Administrative and Budgetary Committee, Sixth Committee - Legal Committee.
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