UNITED NATIONS, Sep 15 : The UN General Assembly has adopted the work programme for its seventy-ninth session, deciding to include items on addressing the legacy of nuclear weapons and on lethal autonomous weapons systems in its agenda, while Russia and Ukraine voiced opposing views on the body\u2019s consideration of an item relating to the war-hit eastern European country.<\/p>\n
Acting on the recommendation of its steering committee, the 193-member Assembly decided that the general debate, which will be held from 24 to 30 September, will continue on Saturday, 28 September. [The general debate will not be held on Sunday, 29 September.]<\/p>\n
More than 130 heads of state\/government, including Pakistan\u2019s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, are expected to attend the high-level debate.<\/p>\n
The Assembly President Phil\u00e9mon Yang of Cameroon, highlighted the Committee\u2019s other recommendations on the organization of the session, concerning rationalization of work, closing date of the session, the general debate and the conduct of meetings.<\/p>\n
The Assembly also took note of information on the \u2018right of reply\u2019 \u2014 particularly the organ\u2019s practice that statements delivered in exercise of the right of reply to addresses made by Heads of State be in writing.<\/p>\n
It decided to consider the draft agendas titled \u201cAddressing the legacy of nuclear weapons: providing victim assistance and environmental remediation to Member States affected by the use or testing of nuclear weapons\u201d and \u201cLethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS)\u201d under the \u201cDisarmament\u201d heading on its agenda. (LAWS are weapons that select and apply force to targets without human intervention).<\/p>\n
Under the \u201cOrganizational, administrative and other matters\u201d heading, it decided to consider the draft agendas titled \u201cEightieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War\u201d, \u201cObserver status for the Regional Anticorruption Initiative in the General Assembly\u201d and \u201cObserver status for the International Coffee Organization in the General Assembly\u201d.<\/p>\n
During the meeting, Russia disassociated itself from consensus on the decision to include the item titled \u201cThe situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine\u201d in the Assembly\u2019s agenda. Stating that this wording does not reflect reality and intentionally misleads the international community, the Russian representative stressed that it also denies the fundamental principle of self-determination.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe bloody pro-Nazi coup in Kyiv in 2014 initiated by the West\u201d caused the systematic persecution and physical elimination of ethnic Russian, Russian-speaking and Christian Orthodox residents in Ukraine, the Russian representative said. Meanwhile, she continued, this agenda item only serves to propagate the Kyiv regime\u2019s unsubstantiated accusations and propaganda. Further, because the topic of Ukraine is also discussed in other forums, this agenda item is a clear example of duplication of efforts.<\/p>\n
The representative of Ukraine, for her part, thanked the Assembly for the inclusion of this agenda item. \u201cWe deeply regret the disrespectful attitude displayed by the Russian delegation towards the General Assembly, the most-representative principal organ of this Organization,\u201d she said. Against the backdrop of the Russian Federation\u2019s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, retaining this item in the agenda is of paramount importance.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are convinced that the vigilant attention of the General Assembly as a primary deliberative policy-making and representative body is indispensable in addressing Russia\u2019s heinous acts of terrorism,\u201d she stressed, adding that Member States have shown substantial interest in this year\u2019s debate on the item \u2014 which only underscores its significance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UNITED NATIONS, Sep 15 : The UN General Assembly has adopted the work programme for its seventy-ninth session, deciding to include items on addressing the legacy of nuclear weapons and on lethal autonomous weapons systems in its agenda, while Russia and Ukraine voiced opposing views […]<\/p>\n
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