UN General Assembly allows Zelensky to give pre-recorded speech

The General Assembly has adopted a decision to exclusively allow the Ukrainian head of state to submit a pre-recorded speech to the General Debate next week, instead of physical presence.

Representatives of all other member states and observers will have to be physically present at the General Assembly Hall if they wish to make a statement at this year’s General Debate.

The decision on Friday said that Ukraine may submit a pre-recorded statement of its head of state, which will be played in the General Assembly Hall at the General Debate. The President of the General Assembly will circulate the pre-recorded statement as a document of the Assembly.

The decision says it will not set a precedent for future General Debates and mandated high-level meetings planned for future high-level weeks of the General Assembly, Xinhua news agency reported.

UN general Assembly/IANS

The draft resolution, tabled by Ukraine and some 50 other states, was adopted with 101 votes in favuor, 7 against and 19 abstentions.

Belarus tabled an amendment to the draft decision, which would have allowed leaders of other member states who cannot participate in person for reasons beyond their control to speak by pre-recorded statements. The amendment was rejected by the General Assembly in a vote.

United Nations headquarters in New York, the United States.IANS

Before and after the vote on the draft decision tabled by Ukraine, several member states voiced concern that such a decision would jeopardise sovereign equality among member states and politicise a procedural issue of the General Assembly.