COMMITTEES
Six Main Committees
With the close of the general debate, the Assembly begins consideration of the substantive items on its agenda. Because of the great number of questions it is called upon to consider (160 agenda items at the sixtieth session, for example), the Assembly allocates items relevant to its work among its six Main Committees, which discuss them, seeking where possible to harmonize the various approaches of States, and then present to a plenary meeting of the Assembly draft resolutions and decisions for consideration.
- The Disarmament and International Security Committee (First Committee) is concerned with disarmament and related international security questions;
- The Economic and Financial Committee (Second Committee) is concerned with economic questions;
- The Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee (Third Committee) deals with social and humanitarian issues;
- The Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) deals with a variety of political subjects not dealt with by the First Committee, as well as with decolonization;
- The Administrative and Budgetary Committee (Fifth Committee) deals with the administration and budget of the United Nations; and
- The Legal Committee (Sixth Committee) deals with international legal matters.
On a number of agenda items, however, such as the question of Palestine and the situation in the Middle East, the Assembly acts directly in its plenary meetings.
