General debate of the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly
| Abbreviation | General Debate of UNGA |
|---|---|
| Type | IGO |
| Legal status | Active |
| Headquarters | United Nations Headquarters |
| Location | |
|
Official language
|
English, French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian |
 John William Ashe
|
|
 Ban Ki-moon
|
|
|
Parent organization
|
United Nations |
| Website | https://gadebate.un.org/ |
The General Debate of the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly commenced on 24 September 2013 and ended on 4 October 2013. Leaders from a number of member states addressed the UNGA. There was controversy in this session. Controversially, Libya broke with protocol.
The order of speakers is given first to member states, then observer states and supranational bodies. Any other observers entities will have a chance to speak at the end of the debate, if they so choose. Speakers will be put on the list in the order of their request, with special consideration for ministers and other government officials of similar or higher rank. According to the rules in place for the General Debate, the statements should be in of the United Nations official languages of Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian or Spanish, and will be translated by the United Nations translators. Each speaker is requested to provide 20 advance copies of their statements to the conference officers to facilitate translation and to be presented at the podium. Though there is no time limit for speeches, a voluntary guideline of 15 minutes is requested.
In addition to commenting on issues of individual national and wider international relevance, the President of the General Assembly John William Ashe chose the theme: "The Post-2015 Development Agenda: Setting the Stage!." This means he calls on member states and other stakeholders "to promote dialogue, reflection and commitment to the formulation of an effective new agenda to overcome poverty and insecurity and ensure sustainable development."
The topics of the General Debate included the Syrian civil war and Iran and nuclear weapons. Other issues included the annual debate on United Nations reform, climate change (particularly amongst the Small Island Developing States), Ashe's chosen subject and the Arms Trade Treaty.
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