Which description best fits the UN General Assembly?
A The UN’s main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ
B The UN’s principal judicial organ
C A military command of the Security Council
D The administrative secretariat only
Answer: The UN’s main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ. The General Assembly provides the UN’s broad forum for deliberation and policymaking.
Who is represented in the General Assembly?
A Only the permanent Security Council members
B All UN Member States
C Only countries with large populations
D Only UN specialized agencies
Answer: All UN Member States. All 193 UN Member States are represented in the General Assembly.
What voting principle applies to Member States in the General Assembly?
A Votes weighted by population
B Votes weighted by GDP
C One country, one vote
D Permanent members have vetoes
Answer: One country, one vote. Each Member State has one vote in the General Assembly.
When does the General Assembly’s regular annual session open?
A January
B March
C December
D September
Answer: September. The regular session opens each year in September.
How many main committees support the General Assembly’s work?
A Six
B Three
C Five
D Ten
Answer: Six. The General Assembly works through six main committees as well as plenary meetings.
Which topic is handled by the First Committee?
A Budget and administration
B Disarmament and international security
C Social and humanitarian affairs
D International law only
Answer: Disarmament and international security. The First Committee deals with disarmament and international security.
Which committee focuses on economic and financial questions?
A First Committee
B Fourth Committee
C Second Committee
D Sixth Committee
Answer: Second Committee. Economic and financial questions are assigned to the Second Committee.
Which committee covers social, humanitarian, and cultural issues?
A Second Committee
B Fifth Committee
C Sixth Committee
D Third Committee
Answer: Third Committee. The Third Committee addresses social, humanitarian, and cultural matters.
Which General Assembly committee deals with special political and decolonization issues?
A Fourth Committee
B First Committee
C Second Committee
D Fifth Committee
Answer: Fourth Committee. The Fourth Committee handles special political and decolonization matters.
Which General Assembly committee considers administrative and budgetary questions?
A Third Committee
B Fifth Committee
C Fourth Committee
D Sixth Committee
Answer: Fifth Committee. The Fifth Committee is responsible for administrative and budgetary questions.
Which committee is primarily concerned with legal questions?
A First Committee
B Second Committee
C Sixth Committee
D Fifth Committee
Answer: Sixth Committee. The Sixth Committee is the General Assembly’s main legal committee.
What voting threshold is generally required for important questions such as the budget?
A Unanimous approval of all Member States
B A simple majority in every case
C Approval by the five permanent members
D Two-thirds majority of members present and voting
Answer: Two-thirds majority of members present and voting. Important questions specified in the Charter require a two-thirds majority of members present and voting.
Who elects the non-permanent members of the Security Council?
A The General Assembly
B The International Court of Justice
C The Secretary-General
D The Economic and Social Council
Answer: The General Assembly. The General Assembly elects the ten non-permanent Security Council members.
What role does the General Assembly have in appointing the Secretary-General?
A It selects the Secretary-General by public vote
B It appoints the Secretary-General on the Security Council’s recommendation
C It appoints the Secretary-General without Security Council involvement
D It asks the ICJ to appoint the Secretary-General
Answer: It appoints the Secretary-General on the Security Council’s recommendation. The General Assembly appoints the Secretary-General following a Security Council recommendation.
What does the General Assembly do with the UN’s regular budget?
A It delegates approval to the World Bank
B It asks the ICJ to approve it
C It considers and approves it
D It leaves approval to the Secretary-General alone
Answer: It considers and approves it. The General Assembly has authority to consider and approve the UN budget.
What is the General Debate at the opening of a regular session?
A A court hearing for treaty disputes
B A Security Council veto session
C A meeting restricted to agency heads
D A forum where Member States present their views on global issues
Answer: A forum where Member States present their views on global issues. The General Debate is a high-level forum for Member States to discuss international issues.
What is the status of most General Assembly resolutions on substantive matters?
A They are recommendations rather than binding laws for states
B They are automatically criminal judgments
C They override every national constitution
D They are Security Council sanctions
Answer: They are recommendations rather than binding laws for states. Most substantive General Assembly resolutions are recommendations, though they can carry political significance.
Which document allows the General Assembly to make recommendations to Member States?
A The Rome Statute
B The UN Charter
C The WTO Agreement
D The Paris Agreement
Answer: The UN Charter. Articles 10–14 of the UN Charter describe the Assembly’s power to discuss and make recommendations.
What does the General Assembly decide on the admission of a new UN Member State?
A It admits a state without any Security Council role
B It asks ECOSOC to vote first
C It decides after a Security Council recommendation
D It asks the ICJ to certify statehood
Answer: It decides after a Security Council recommendation. Admission requires a General Assembly decision upon a Security Council recommendation.
Which city hosted the first General Assembly session in 1946?
A Geneva
B New York City
C Paris
D London
Answer: London. The first session of the General Assembly opened in London in January 1946.
What is the main difference between a General Assembly session and its main committees?
A Committees examine subjects in detail before plenary consideration
B Committees can replace every Member State
C Committees act as international courts
D Committees consist only of permanent Security Council members
Answer: Committees examine subjects in detail before plenary consideration. The six committees prepare and examine issues that may then be considered in plenary.
Which major global framework was adopted by the General Assembly in 2015?
A The UN Charter
B The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
C The Kyoto Protocol
D The Bretton Woods Agreement
Answer: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda, including the SDGs, in 2015.
Which human-rights declaration was adopted by the General Assembly in 1948?
A Convention on the Rights of the Child
B Geneva Conventions
C Universal Declaration of Human Rights
D International Covenant on Maritime Law
Answer: Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December 1948.
Which UN body was created by a General Assembly resolution in 2006 to address human rights?
A Security Council
B Trusteeship Council
C International Law Commission
D Human Rights Council
Answer: Human Rights Council. The Human Rights Council was established by the General Assembly in 2006.
How is the President of the General Assembly selected?
A Elected by the Assembly for a session
B Appointed by the Security Council permanently
C Chosen by the ICJ judges
D Selected by the Secretary-General alone
Answer: Elected by the Assembly for a session. The General Assembly elects its President for each session.