UNCPGA Fact Sheet

 

Introduction to the UNCPGA

The Council of Presidents of the United Nations General Assembly (UNCPGA) was founded in 1997 with the purpose of supporting the President of the UN General Assembly (PGA), providing institutional memory to the Office of the PGA (OPGA) and advancing multilateralism through a revitalized General Assembly.

In accordance with its Charter, the UNCPGA is composed of all living former Presidents of the UN General Assembly and includes each serving President of the UN General Assembly as an ex officio member. The UNCPGA is chaired by the former Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, H.E. Dr. Han Seung-Soo, who also served as the President of the 56th session of the UN General Assembly. H.E. Mr. Jan Kavan, former Deputy Prime Minister of the Czech Republic and President of the 57th Session of the General Assembly serves as the Vice-Chairman. As an eminent Leadership Forum, it serves as a repository of institutional memory, diplomatic expertise, and a platform of support for the PGA.

 

Organization and Activities of the UNCPGA

  • The Secretariat: In accordance with the Charter of the UNCPGA, a Secretariat was established in June 2023 in New York. The Secretariat is headed by a Secretary-General who is elected by members of the UNCPGA and supported by a small professional team based at UN Headquarters in New York. The UNCPGA Secretariat supports the activities of the UNCPGA, including its meetings at the UN and around the world, working closely with the OPGA, supporting the Group of Friends of the PGA, building partnerships with other Global Leadership Forums and undertaking special projects directly related to the work of the PGA.
  • UNCPGA Charter: the Charter of the UNCPGA (attached) sets out the guiding principles and values of the organization and outlines UNCPGA's mission, objectives, and structure and provides a framework for the organization's activities.
  • Annual Meetings: The UNCPGA traditionally convenes at least three meetings a year, including a meeting at UN Headquarters in New York to discuss major issues on the agenda of the UN General Assembly. The PGA has traditionally participated in all the UNCPGA meetings, including more recently in New York, Seoul, Manama, Doha, and Bratislava (forthcoming). These meetings concluded with the adoption of consensus Declarations, which were subsequently issued as official documents of the UN General Assembly.
  • The Group of Friends of the PGA (GoF-PGA): the GoF-PGA is an initiative of the UNCPGA composed of the Permanent Representatives of the Member States of all the former (living) Presidents of the UN General Assembly. It serves as an informal consultative forum and a standing diplomatic resource to support the PGA in regard to his priorities and initiatives for the execution of his UN mandate. It also aims to support the efforts of the PGA to strengthen the role of the UN General Assembly - particularly through the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly.
  • At the beginning of each UNGA session in September, the UNCPGA hosts an annual diplomatic reception at UN Headquarters in New York to mark the transition between successive Presidents of the UNGA.
  • Attendance of Opening UNGA session: over the past two years, the newly elected President of each UNGA session has invited the Chairman of the UNGPGA and its members as special guests and recognized their presence in the UNGA Hall in their opening addresses to the UNGA.
  • Relationship with the UN diplomatic community and the media: The diplomatic receptions and other functions organized by the UNCPGA Secretariat in New York have fostered proximity to and recognition by the diplomatic community. The Chairman and members have actively engaged with national and international media during major meetings and participated in the sessions of the UNGA.

 

Collaboration with the Office of the PGA

The PGA has appointed a senior level focal point in his Cabinet to facilitate regular collaboration with the UNCPGA Secretariat. The UNCPGA Secretary-General and his team continue to have meetings with the PGA and his team on a regular basis, especially during visits of former PGAs to UN Headquarters.

 

UN General Assembly Mandate to Engage with the PGA and the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the GA

  • Three General Assembly resolutions (resolutions A/RES/68/307 (paragraph 33), A/RES/69/321 (paragraph 48), A/RES/70/305 (paragraph 51) encourage exchanges between the President-elect and former Presidents of the General Assembly to strengthen institutional memory. They read as follows: “Encourages exchanges between the President-elect of the General Assembly and the Council of Presidents so that Presidents-elect may benefit from the experiences of former Presidents in terms of best practices and lessons learned, as part of strengthening the institutional memory of the Office of the President of the Assembly.”
  • General Assembly resolution A/77/942 adopted on 1 September 2023 "Welcomes the efficiencies of the biennialized format and recent innovations in the working methods of the Ad Hoc Working Group, including informal interactive dialogues with former Presidents of the General Assembly, and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research workshops for Member States, and encourages further efforts to improve the Working Group with a view to enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the General Assembly."
  • Section II, paragraph 24 of resolution A/77/942 further notes that "Emphasizing the importance of institutional memory, delegations […] commended the convening of the informal dialogue with former Presidents of the General Assembly held on 22 February 2023."
  • In light of the above, at the invitation of UNCPGA, the Co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly briefed the Group of Friends of the PGA at two working luncheons of the Group of Friends over the past year. In addition, the Co-Chairs invited the UNCPGA to submit written input on the thematic debates of the Working Group during the 79th session of the UNGA. They also offered to convene a virtual meeting with the members of the UNCPGA in this regard.