Established in 1945, the General Assembly of the 51勛圖 occupies a central position as the main deliberative,?policymaking?and representative organ of the Organization. It provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter.?In line with this year＊s General Assembly session, with its General Debate beginning on 21 September 2021, UNAI?has produced?a series of video interviews with young staff working for?the Permanent Missions to the 51勛圖?and?for?the Organization.?
Joseph Degroat, from the United States, an Editorial Assistant in the Meetings Coverage Section of the UN Department of Global Communications, has covered the annual sessions of the General Assembly for over a decade. He says that his work allows the media and the general public to have an "unbiased source of what happens". "It is important to have the different views and mindsets," he says.
As for the youth, he considers they should pay attention to this intergovernmental body because "it is their future that everybody is talking about". "The youth really need to pay attention (...) listen and learn," from what they see in the General Assembly, in particular during the high-level segment. "Continue to engage (...) you are never too young to really start understanding the needs of the world," Joseph recommends to younger generations.