Editing United Nations General Assembly (section)

== Reform and UNPA ==
{{main|Reform of the United Nations}}
{{See also|United Nations Parliamentary Assembly}}
On 21 March 2005, [[Secretary-General of the United Nations|Secretary-General]] [[Kofi Annan]] presented a report, ''In Larger Freedom'', that criticized the General Assembly for focusing so much on consensus that it was passing watered-down resolutions reflecting "the lowest common denominator of widely different opinions."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/59/2005|title=Report of the Secretary-General in Larger Freedom towards development, security and human rights for all|access-date=31 August 2017|archive-date=25 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190125121231/https://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/59/2005|url-status=live}}</ref> He also criticized the Assembly for trying to address too broad an agenda, instead of focusing on "the major substantive issues of the day, such as international [[human migration|migration]] and the long-debated comprehensive convention on terrorism." Annan recommended streamlining the General Assembly's agenda, committee structure, and procedures; strengthening the role and authority of its [[President of the United Nations General Assembly|president]]; enhancing the role of [[civil society]]; and establishing a mechanism to review the decisions of its committees, in order to minimize [[unfunded mandate]]s and [[micromanagement]] of the [[United Nations Secretariat]]. Annan reminded UN members of their responsibility to implement reforms, if they expect to realize improvements in UN effectiveness.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.un.org/largerfreedom/chap5.htm|title=In Larger Freedom, Chapter 5|publisher=United Nations|access-date=29 June 2017|archive-date=26 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726035111/http://www.un.org/largerfreedom/chap5.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

The reform proposals were not taken up by the United Nations World Summit in September 2005. Instead, the Summit solely affirmed the central position of the General Assembly as the chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations, as well as the advisory role of the Assembly in the process of standard-setting and the codification of international law. The Summit also called for strengthening the relationship between the General Assembly and the other principal organs to ensure better coordination on topical issues that required coordinated action by the United Nations, in accordance with their respective mandates.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Johnstone|first=Ian|date=2008|title=Legislation and Adjudication in the UN Security Council: Bringing down the Deliberative Deficit|journal=American Journal of International Law|volume=102. No 2|issue=2|pages=275–308|doi=10.2307/30034539|jstor=30034539|s2cid=144268191}}</ref>

A United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, or United Nations People's Assembly (UNPA), is a proposed addition to the United Nations System that eventually could allow for direct election of UN parliament members by citizens all over the world.

In the General Debate of the 65th General Assembly, [[Jorge Valero]], representing [[Venezuela]], said "The United Nations has exhausted its model and it is not simply a matter of proceeding with reform, the twenty-first century demands deep changes that are only possible with a rebuilding of this organisation." He pointed to the futility of resolutions concerning the [[United States embargo against Cuba|Cuban embargo]] and the [[List of modern conflicts in the Middle East|Middle East conflict]] as reasons for the UN model having failed. Venezuela also called for the suspension of veto rights in the Security Council because it was a "remnant of the Second World War [it] is incompatible with the principle of sovereign equality of States."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Assembly |first1=General |title=Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of H.E. Mr. Jorge Valero Briceño, Chairman of the Delegation |url=https://www.un.org/en/ga/65/meetings/generaldebate/View/SpeechView/tabid/85/smid/411/ArticleID/297/reftab/235/t/Venezuela-Bolivarian-Republic-of/Default.html |website=United Nations |access-date=29 June 2017 |archive-date=14 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914193208/http://www.un.org/en/ga/65/meetings/generaldebate/View/SpeechView/tabid/85/smid/411/ArticleID/297/reftab/235/t/Venezuela-Bolivarian-Republic-of/Default.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Reform of the United Nations General Assembly includes proposals to change the powers and composition of the U.N. General Assembly. This could include, for example, tasking the Assembly with evaluating how well member states implement UNGA resolutions,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.globalpolicy.org/images/pdfs/04revitalization.pdf|title= Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly |publisher=Globalpolicy.org|access-date=11 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090715221519/https://www.globalpolicy.org/images/pdfs/04revitalization.pdf|archive-date=15 July 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> increasing the power of the assembly vis-à-vis the [[United Nations Security Council]], or making debates more constructive and less repetitive.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cfr.org/international-organizations-and-alliances/role-un-general-assembly/p13490|title=The Role of the UN General Assembly|work=Council on Foreign Relations|access-date=11 January 2015|archive-date=9 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170509111927/http://www.cfr.org/international-organizations-and-alliances/role-un-general-assembly/p13490|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The U.N. General Assembly approved the "Pact for the Future," a plan to address global challenges including climate change, AI regulation, inequality, and conflicts. It calls for reforms to the Security Council, nuclear disarmament, and greater inclusion of youth and women in decision-making. U.N. Secretary-General Guterres urged leaders to act on these commitments.<ref>{{cite news|title=U.N. General Assembly approves blueprint to foster global unity |date= 21 September 2024|url=https://www.africanews.com/2024/09/23/un-general-assembly-approves-blueprint-to-foster-global-unity/|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240923064857/https://www.africanews.com/2024/09/23/un-general-assembly-approves-blueprint-to-foster-global-unity/|archive-date=23 September 2024 |access-date=24 September 2024}}</ref>