66th session of UN General Assembly opens in NYC.

UNITED NATIONS, September 14 (Itar-Tass) - The 66th session of the UN
General Assembly opened at the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday.
The session will focus on the following four main areas of work: a
peaceful settlement of disputes, a reform of the World Body and
invigoration of its work, a more effective prevention of and response to
natural calamities, and sustainable development and global prosperity,
Session President, Qatari diplomat Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser said in his
opening remarks at the session. He was elected to the post on a proposal
made b the regional group of African countries.
According to tradition, a general political debate will be held within
the framework of the session from September 21 to 27. A Russian delegation
will be headed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov.
A high-level meeting on nuclear security as well as a high-level
conference dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Durban
Declaration and Action Program will be held at the UN headquarters on Sept
22.
A high-level conference on non-infectious diseases is to be held
within the scope of the UNGA session from Sept 19 to 20. The conference is
to lay groundwork for the international community's actions aimed at
combating epidemics, at saving millions of human lives, and at
strengthening initiatives in the field of development.
The General Assembly is the main deliberative body of the UN. It
consists of representatives of all member nations, each having one vote.
The General Assembly had a membership of 51 countries in 1946. On July 14,
this year, Southern Sudan became a 193th UN member-state.