UN General Assembly to hold virtual meeting for first time in 75 years

The new virtual format is mainly due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, with many countries continuing to grapple with the health, social and economic fallout from the crisis.

While the number of new cases of COVID-19 in New York has dramatically fallen, since the city was for a while, the global epicenter of the pandemic in April, the US has almost four million reported cases than any other country.

In a press briefing on Thursday, Reem Abaza, Spokesperson for the President of the General Assembly, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, said that each Member State, Observer State, and the European Union, was invited to submit a pre-recorded video, delivered by its designated high-level official, which will be played in the General Assembly Hall.

The Hall will not be empty; however: Ms. Abaza explained that the videos would be introduced by a representative of each State, who will be physically present. 

The same procedure will apply for a series of special high-level sessions scheduled to take place, including a commemoration of the landmark 75th anniversary of the United Nations, a summit on biodiversity, and a meeting to commemorate, and promote, the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

Ms. Abaza told correspondents that more details regarding the organization of this year's events, including logistics, will be released "in due course."

Side-events, such as New York Climate Week, are unlikely to welcome attendees to New York venues this year, following Mr. Muhammad-Bande's suggestion that they should be moved online.

The decision to introduce pre-recorded videos to the High-Level General Debate, which took place at the beginning of the 75th session of the General Assembly, was made by the UN body on Wednesday, using the novel's silence procedure' method.

Under this method, draft resolutions are circulated by the President of the General Assembly, which gives the Member States a deadline of at least 72 hours, to raise objections. If there are no objections, the President circulates a letter, confirming that the resolution has been adopted.