During a recent plenary session of the General Assembly held in New York, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres conducted the draw to determine which nation would occupy the prominent first seat at the forthcoming session. In adherence to the established practice within the organization, Morocco was ultimately selected for this distinguished position.

“The Secretary-General has just drawn the name of the country that will occupy the first seat in the General Assembly Hall during its next session. That country is Morocco,” announced spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric during a press briefing, expressing satisfaction with this significant selection for African politics.

This same plenary session also saw the election of Khalilur Rahman, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, as the President of the 81st General Assembly. Furthermore, member states proceeded with the election of countries designated to serve as Vice-Presidents for this session, a list that includes the United States, China, France, the United Kingdom, Russia, Egypt, Afghanistan, and Gabon, reflecting broad pan-African news and global representation.

As the universal body bringing together all 193 United Nations member states, the General Assembly stands as the organization’s principal multilateral forum, where each nation holds an equal voting right. Its essential responsibilities include approving the UN budget, electing non-permanent members to the Security Council, and appointing the Secretary-General.