A Rights Commissioner Who Denounced Violations in Cameroon Talks to UN Today

World leaders and heads of government delegations have gathered at the United Nations Headquarters in New York for the annual General Assembly – the highest organ of the UN structure.

Presidents, Prime Ministers and leaders of delegations will be presenting their statements starting today, September 25, 2018.

As the program for the 73th general assembly unfolds, a high-level event will examine issues of poverty and the right to legal representation surrounding the death penalty today.

A special focus will be on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions which have been reported in Cameroon recently. Highly expected is the revelations of the newly appointed UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, who will be among the distinguished panel members.

Some key moments of this assembly are:

1. The 73rd session opened on 18 September 2018 and is expected to run till early next month
2. The session is presided by Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, of Ecuador.
3. The General Assembly is one of the six main organs of the United Nations.
4. The General Debate according to the UN runs from 25 September to 1 October.
5. The General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly is the occasion for world leaders to gather at UN Headquarters to discuss global issues.
6. The theme for the 2018 general debate is the same as that of the General Assembly.
7. The theme is: “Making the United Nations relevant to all people: global leadership and shared responsibilities for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies.”
8. The UN has honoured two African giants: South African Nelson Mandela and Ghana’s Kofi Annan. Mandela with a statue and Annan with a tribute at the opening ceremony.
9. The General Assembly is uniquely the only branch of the UN structure in which all Member States have equal representation: one nation, one vote.

By: MFORMI