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Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie
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UN General Assembly: The Heart of Global Debate and Oversight of the Refugee Agency


Thu 16 Oct 2025 | 05:59 PM
Hatem Dwidar

New York – The United Nations General Assembly stands as the primary deliberative body of the international organization, comprising representatives from all member states — each holding one vote. As the centerpiece of global decision-making, the Assembly plays a pivotal role in addressing the world’s most pressing issues and overseeing the work of UN agencies, notably the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Decision-Making Mechanism and Oversight of UNHCR

Decisions within the General Assembly are adopted through specific voting mechanisms:

Two-thirds majority: Required for critical matters such as peace and security, the admission of new members, and budgetary issues.

Simple majority: Applied to other, less fundamental matters.

Under the UNHCR Statute, the High Commissioner for Refugees operates in line with directives issued by both the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Oversight is exercised through the High Commissioner’s annual reporting on the agency’s global humanitarian operations and results to the Assembly.

Annual Reporting and the Role of the Third Committee

The High Commissioner submits two main reports every year:

An oral report to the Economic and Social Council each summer.

A written annual report to the General Assembly in early November, through the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee — widely known as the Third Committee.

The Third Committee plays a crucial role in reviewing the work of the UNHCR and annually considers three key draft resolutions related to its operations:

Resolution Subject Decision Process

Omnibus Resolution Covers the overall activities of the High Commissioner’s Office. Negotiated annually and adopted by consensus, traditionally led by a Scandinavian delegation in Geneva.

African Assistance Resolution Focuses on aid for refugees, returnees, and displaced persons in Africa. Negotiated annually and adopted by consensus, with African nations leading the talks.

Executive Committee Expansion Resolution Concerns technical adjustments to expand UNHCR’s Executive Committee membership. A procedural measure that involves limited negotiation.

The adoption of these key resolutions by consensus following extensive consultations underscores the global commitment to humanitarian cooperation and the shared responsibility to protect human rights under the United Nations framework.