The General Assembly and Security Council

Summary
This is an introductory lesson about the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations.

Objectives
• to describe and discuss how the General Assembly and the Security Council are organized;

• to describe and discuss the major functions and responsibilities of the General Assembly;

• to describe the functions and responsibilities of the Security Council.

Suggested Grades
5th Grade
6th Grade

Excerpt
The General Assembly and the Security Council are the two main work groups that make up the body of the United Nations.

1. The General Assembly acts like a world parliament and it is the main part of the U.N. All 192 member countries are equally represented in the General Assembly, which means that each country has one vote regardless of its size, race, location, or economic situation. The General Assembly meets every fall, from September to December. It also holds special or emergency meetings when these are needed. The first meeting of the General Assembly, consisting of the initial 51 members, was held in London on the 10th January 1946.

The General Assembly is the main policymaking body of the United Nations, and it provides a forum where multi-national discussions can take place. The members can discuss and act on many world issues, such as the following:

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