Editing United Nations General Assembly (section)

=== Regular sessions ===
The General Assembly meets annually in a regular [[Meeting (parliamentary procedure)#Session|session]] that opens on the third Tuesday of September, and runs until the following September. Sessions are held at United Nations Headquarters in New York unless changed by the General Assembly by a majority vote.<ref name="RULES/PROCEDURE"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/en/ga/sessions/regular.shtml |title=Ordinary sessions |date=n.d. |website=United Nations General Assembly |publisher=United Nations |access-date=17 January 2020 |archive-date=16 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216172421/https://www.un.org/en/ga/sessions/regular.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>

The regular session is split into two distinct periods, the main and resumed parts of the session. During the main part of the session, which runs from the opening of the session until Christmas break in December, most of the work of the Assembly is done. This period is the Assembly's most intense period of work and includes the general debate and the bulk of the work of the six Main Committees. The resumed part of the session, however, which runs from January until the beginning of the new session, includes more thematic debates, consultation processes and working group meetings.<ref name="Swiss Handbook"/>

==== General debate ====
[[File:General Assembly of the United Nations.jpg|thumb|Spanish Prime Minister [[José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero]] addressing the General Assembly in New York, 20 September 2005]]

[[File:President Barack Obama addresses the United Nations General Assembly (6170938103).jpg|thumb|United States President [[Barack Obama]] addresses the UN General Assembly in 2011.]]
[[File:Rousseff UN General Debate.jpg|thumb|Brazilian President [[Dilma Rousseff]] delivers the opening speech at the 66th Session of the General Assembly on 21 September 2011, marking the first time a woman opened a United Nations session.<ref>{{cite news |last=Llenas |first=Bryan |date=4 January 2017 |title=Brazil's President Rousseff to be First Woman to Open United Nations |url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/brazils-president-rousseff-to-be-first-woman-to-open-united-nations |work=Fox News |location=New York |access-date=29 September 2015 |archive-date=6 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106001639/https://www.foxnews.com/world/brazils-president-rousseff-to-be-first-woman-to-open-united-nations |url-status=live }}</ref>]]
The general debate of each new session of the General Assembly is held the week following the official opening of the session, typically the following Tuesday, and is held without interruption for nine working days. The general debate is a high-level event, typically attended by Member States' [[heads of state]] or [[Head of government|government]], government ministers and United Nations delegates. At the general debate, Member States are given the opportunity to raise attention to topics or issues that they feel are important. In addition to the general debate, there are also many other high-level thematic meetings, summits and informal events held during general debate week.<ref name="UN HANDBOOK">{{cite journal |editor1-last=Manhire |editor1-first=Vanessa |date=2019 |title=United Nations Handbook 2019–20 |journal=United Nations Handbook (Wellington, N.z.). |url=https://www.mfat.govt.nz/assets/Peace-Rights-and-Security/Our-work-with-the-UN/UN-Handbook-2019-20.pdf |edition=57th |location=Wellington |publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand |page=17 |issn=0110-1951 |access-date=18 January 2020 |archive-date=8 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308131305/https://www.mfat.govt.nz/assets/Peace-Rights-and-Security/Our-work-with-the-UN/UN-Handbook-2019-20.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://ask.un.org/faq/154658 |title=What is the general debate of the General Assembly? What is the order of speakers at the general debate? |date=10 July 2019 |website=Dag Hammarskjöld Library |publisher=United Nations |access-date=17 January 2020 |archive-date=23 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523100429/http://ask.un.org/faq/154658 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://gadebate.un.org/en/faq |title=Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) |date=n.d. |website=United Nations General Assembly |publisher=United Nations |access-date=17 January 2020 |archive-date=27 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927205513/https://gadebate.un.org/en/faq |url-status=live }}</ref>