Organisation and subjects
The order of speakers is given first to member states, then observer states and supranational bodies. Any other observers entities will have a chance to speak at the end of the debate, if they so choose. Speakers will be put on the list in the order of their request, with special consideration for ministers and other government officials of similar or higher rank. According to the rules in place for the General Debate, the statements should be in one of the United Nations official languages of Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian or Spanish, and will be translated by the United Nations translators. Each speaker is requested to provide 20 advance copies of their statements to the conference officers to faciltate translation and to be presented at the podium. Though there is no time limit for speeches, a voluntary guideline of 15 minutes is requested.
In addition to commenting on issues of individual national and wider international relevance, the President of the General Assembly Vuk Jeremić chose the theme: "Adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations by peaceful means." Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also said: "This year's General Debate will be among[st] our busiest ever. This reflects the tumultuous time in which we live -- a time of turmoil and transition." The General Debate will commence with the opening of the session on 25 September and continue until 1 October.
Morning schedule
United Nations – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
United Nations – 67th Session of the United Nations General Assembly – President Vuk Jeremić
Brazil - President Dilma Rousseff
United States of America - President Barack Obama
Serbia - President Tomislav Nikolić
Benin - President Boni Yayi
Finland - President Sauli Niinistö
Cyprus - President Demetris Christofias
Qatar - Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
Bulgaria - President Rosen Plevneliev
Indonesia - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Georgia - President Mikheil Saakashvili
Dominican Republic - President Danilo Medina Sánchez
France - President François Hollande
Lithuania - President Dalia Grybauskaitė
Honduras - President Porfirio Lobo Sosa
Namibia - President Hifikepunye Pohamba
Afternoon schedule
Rwanda - President Paul Kagame
Switzerland - President Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf
Argentina - President Cristina Fernández
Senegal - President Macky Sall
South Africa - President Jacob Zuma
Panama - President Ricardo Martinelli Berrocal
Jordan - King Abdullah II Bin Al Hussein
Hungary - President János Áder
Pakistan - President Asif Ali Zardari
El Salvador - President Carlos Mauricio Funes Cartagena
Democratic Republic of the Congo - President Joseph Kabila Kabange
Gabon - President Ali Bongo Ondimba
Slovakia - President Ivan Gašparovič
Nigeria - President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
Marshall Islands - President Christopher Loeak
Nauru - President Sprent Arumogo Dabwido
Czech Republic - President Václav Klaus
Afghanistan - President Hamid Karzai
Uganda - Vice President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi
Spain - Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy
Timor-Leste - Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão
Morning schedule
Yemen - President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi Mansour
Liberia - President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Zambia - President Michael Chilufya Sata
Luxembourg - Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg
Ukraine - President Viktor Yanukovych
Ghana - President John Dramani Mahama
Iran and the Non-Aligned Movement - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Kenya - President Mwai Kibaki
Poland - President Bronisław Komorowski
Egypt - President Mohamed Morsy
Mexico - President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa
United Kingdom - Prime Minister David Cameron
Japan - Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda
EU European Council - President Herman Van Rompuy
Kuwait - Prime Minister Jaber Al Mubarak Al Hamad Al Sabah
Italy - Prime Minister Mario Monti
Australia - Prime Minister Julia Gillard
Afternoon session
Colombia - President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón
Swaziland - King Mswati III
Guatemala - President Otto Fernando Pérez Molina
Madagascar - President Andry Nirina Rajoelina
Moldova - President Nicolae Timofti
Estonia - President Toomas Hendrik Ilves
Malawi - President Joyce Hilda Mtila Banda
Evening session
Kiribati - President Anote Tong
Zimbabwe - President Robert Mugabe
Haiti - President Michel Joseph Martelly
Latvia - President Andris Bērziņš
Togo - President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé (scheduled)
Bolivia - President Evo Morales Ayma
Gambia - Vice President Isatou Njie-Saidy
Belgium - Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo
Mali - Prime Minister Cheick Modibo Diarra
Niger - Deputy Prime Minister Mohamed Bazoum
Romania - Foreign Minister Titus Corlățean
Ivory Coast - Foreign Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan
Cameroon - Foreign Minister Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo
Central African Republic - Foreign Minister Antoine Gambi
Member states have the option to reply to comments on the day (or even to the days prior), but are limited to 10 minutes for the first response and five minutes for the second response. All speeches are made from the floor, as opposed to the podium for the General Debate.
Iran responded to Kuwait's assertion of UAE sovereignty over the Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Musa. The delegate added that Iran was willing to talk over the issue to avoid misunderstanding, but added that sovereignty was non-negotiatable. He further added that the international name of the body of water for the Persian Gulf was misrepresented as the Arabian Gulf.
Morning schedule
Slovenia - Prime Minister Janez Janša (scheduled)
Bosnia and Herzegovina - Chairman of the Presidency Bakir Izetbegović
Mongolia - President Elbegdorj Tsakhia
Tunisia - President Moncef Marzouki
Guyana - President Donald Rabindranauth Ramotar
Myanmar - President Thein Sein
Macedonia - President Gjorge Ivanov
Cape Verde - President Jorge Carlos De Almeida Fonseca (scheduled)
Equatorial Guinea - President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo
Comoros - President Ikililou Dhoinine
Brunei Darussalam - Crown Prince Haji Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah
Jamaica - Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller
Cape Verde - President Jorge Carlos De Almeida Fonseca
Palestine - Acting President Mahmoud Abbas
Slovenia - Prime Minister Janez Janša
Israel - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Lesotho - Prime Minister Thomas Motsoahae Thabane
Guyana - President Donald Rabindranauth Ramotar (scheduled)
Tunisia - President Moncef Marzouki (scheduled)
Bosnia and Herzegovina - Chairman of the Presidency Bakir Izetbegović (scheduled)
Afternoon session
Greece - (scheduled)
China - (scheduled)
Bahrain - (scheduled)
Norway - (scheduled)
Guinea - (scheduled)
Peru - (scheduled)
Micronesia - President Emanuel Mori
Maldives - President Mohamed Waheed
Paraguay - President Luis Federico Franco Gómez
Albania - President Bujar Nishani
Libya - President Mohamed Yousef El-Magariaf
Burundi - Vice President Thérence Sinunguruza
Seychelles - Vice President Danny Faure
Iraq - Vice President Khudayr al-Khuzai
South Sudan - Vice President Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon
Antigua and Barbuda - Prime Minister Winston Baldwin Spencer
Burundi - Vice President Thérence Sinunguruza (scheduled)
Libya - President Mohamed Yousef El-Magariaf (scheduled)
Evening session
Lebanon - Prime Minister Najib Mikati
Bangladesh - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
Thailand - Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra
Solomon Islands - Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo
Kyrgyzstan - Parliament Speaker Asylbek Jêênbekov
Somalia - Prime Minister Mohamed Ali
Turkmenistan - Deputy Prime Minister Raşit Meredow
Somalia - Prime Minister Mohamed Ali (scheduled)
Albania - President Bujar Nishani (scheduled)
Kyrgyzstan - President Asylbek Jêênbekov (scheduled)
Paraguay - President Luis Federico Franco Gómez (scheduled)
Solomon Islands - Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo (scheduled)
Thailand - Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra (scheduled)
Maldives - President Mohamed Waheed (scheduled)
Bangladesh - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (scheduled)
Micronesia - President Emanuel Mori (scheduled)
Lebanon - Prime Minister Najib Mikati (scheduled)
Antigua and Barbuda - Prime Minister Winston Baldwin Spencer (scheduled)
Iraq - Vice President Khudayr al-Khuzai (scheduled)
Greece - Foreign Minister Dimitris L. Avramopoulos
China - Foreign Minister Jiechi Yang
Norway - Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide
Bahrain - Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa
Norway - Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide (scheduled)
Guinea - Foreign Minister Edouard Niankoye Lama
Peru -Foreign Minister Rafael Roncagliolo Orbegoso
Iran responded to Netanyahu. Japan responded to China, China reciprocated and both used their second right of reply as well.
Morning schedule
St. Vincent and the Grenadines - Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves
Saint Lucia - Prime Minister Kenny Davis Anthony
Bhutan - Prime Minister Lyonchoen Jigmi Yoezer Thinley
Tonga - Prime Minister Lord Tu’ivakano
Germany - Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle
Samoa - Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi
San Marino - Prime Minister Antonella Mularoni (schedule)
Samoa - Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi (scheduled)
Saint Kitts and Nevis - Prime Minister Denzil Douglas
Vanuatu - Prime Minister Meltek Sato Kilman Livtunvanu
San Marino - Prime Minister Antonella Mularoni
Germany - Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle (scheduled)
Nepal - Deputy Prime Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha
Malta - Deputy Prime Minister Tonio Borg
Netherlands - Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal
Chile - Foreign Minister Alfredo Moreno Charme
Tanzania - Foreign Minister Bernard Kamillius Membe
Burkina Faso - Foreign Minister Djibrill Ypènè Bassolé
Turkey - Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu
Afternoon session
Croatia - Prime Minister Zoran Milanović
Guinea-Bissau - Former Interim President Raimundo Pereira (scheduled)
São Tomé and Príncipe - Prime Minister Patrice Emery Trovoada
Ethiopia - Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn
Morocco - Prince Moulay Rachid
Ireland - Deputy Prime Minister Eamon Gilmore
Laos - Deputy Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith (scheduled)
Austria - Vice Chancellor Michael Spindelegger
Nicaragua - Foreign Minister Samuel Santos López
Russia - Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov
Laos - Deputy Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith
South Korea - Foreign and Trade Minister Kim Sung-hwan
Saudi Arabia - Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal
Sweden - Foreign Minister Carl Bildt
United Arab Emirates - Prime Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Monaco - Foreign Minister José Badia
Uzbekistan - Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Komilov
Azerbaijan - Foreign Minister Elmar Maharram Mammadyarov
Fiji - Foreign Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola
Andorra - Foreign Minister Gilbert Saboya Sunyé
Papua New Guinea - Foreign Minister Rimbink Pato (scheduled)
Bolivia responded to Chile's comments about the maritime dispute, which Chile then countered. Then North Korea responded to the South Korean comments about its nuclear weapons programme. Iran then responded to claims of sovereignty over the islands by the UAE, and in Arab solidarity over the issue, as well as the Persian Gulf naming controversy. Bolivia took the stand again and was duly followed by Chile. UAE followed up its counter points to Iran's reply; it was then followed, in turn, by Iran's rebuttal and UAE closed out the session in its second reply.
Morning schedule
Montenegro - Foreign Minister Nebojša Kaludjerović
Iceland - Foreign Minister Össur Skarphéðinsson
Kazakhstan - Foreign Minister Yerzhan Kazykhanov
Cambodia - Foreign Minister Hor Namhong
Tajikistan - Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zafiri
Algeria - Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci
Mozambique - Foreign Minister Oldemiro Marques Balói
Malaysia - Foreign Minister Anifah Aman
New Zealand - Foreign Minister Murray Mccully
Bahamas - Foreign Minister Frederick A. Mitchell
Liechtenstein - Foreign Minister Aurelia Frick
Uruguay - Foreign Minister Luis Almagro
Tuvalu - Foreign Minister Apisai Ielemia
Singapore - Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam
Chad - Foreign Minister Moussa Faki Mahamat
Mauritania - Foreign Minister Hamady Ould Hamady
Sudan - Foreign Minister Ali Ahmed Karti
Papua New Guinea - Foreign Minister Rimbink Pato
Morning schedule
Canada - Foreign Minister John Baird
Armenia - Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan
Oman - Foreign Minister Yousef bin Al-Alawi bin Abdulla
Cuba - Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla
India - Foreign Minister S. M. Krishna
Djibouti - Deputy Prime Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf
Syria - Foreign Minister Walid Al-Moualem
Barbados - Foreign Minister Maxine Pamela Ometa McClean
Eritrea - Foreign Minister Osman Mohammed Saleh
Sri Lanka - Foreign Minister Gamini Lakshman Peiris
Congo - Foreign Minister Basile Ikouébé
Mauritius - Foreign Minister Arvin Boolell
Costa Rica - Foreign Minister Enrique Castillo
Togo - Foreign Minister Elliot Ohin
Trinidad and Tobago - Foreign Minister Winston Dookeran
Angola - Permanent Representative to the U.N. Ismael Abraao Gaspar Martins
Afternoon schedule
Philippines - Foreign Minister Albert F. Del Rosario
Belize - Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington
Belarus - Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei
Botswana - Foreign Minister Phandu T. C. Skelemani
Suriname - Foreign Minister Winston G. Lackin
Sierra Leone - Foreign Minister Joseph Bandabla Dauda
Trinidad and Tobago - Foreign Minister Winston Dookeran (scheduled)
Holy See - Secretary for Relations with States Dominique Mamberti
North Korea - Vice Foreign Minister Kung Sok Ung
Ecuador - Vice Foreign Minister Marco Albuja
Vietnam - Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh
Grenada - Permanent Representative to the U.N. Dessima Williams
Palau - Permanent Representative to the U.N. Stuart Beck
Denmark - Permanent Representative to the U.N. Carsten Staur
Portugal - Permanent Representative to the U.N. José Filipe Moraes Cabral
Venezuela - Permanent Representative to the U.N. Jorge Valero Briceño
Dominica - Permanent Representative to the U.N. Vince Henderson
United Nations – 67th Session of the United Nations General Assembly – President Vuk Jeremić (closing remarks)
Pakistan responded to India's claim to Kashmir. Iran then responded to a "Western delegation" statement on its nuclear issue and criticised Israel. Azerbaijan responded to Armenia's comments and was then, in turn, replied to by Armenia. Eritrea then responded to Djibouti before Pakistan replied to India's reply and was then followed by Azerbaijan. At second responses, India briefly rebutted Pakistan's comment, before Armenia responded to Azerbaijan. President of the session, Vuk Jeremić, then closed out the meeting.
During the events around the General Debate, the Contact Group for Syria was scheduled to meet, according to Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr, whose country recently invited Iran to join the group, who was speaking alongside Turkey's Ahmet Davutoğlu and Iran's Ali Akbar Salehi. Salehi added: "To expect a quick solution from one meeting is unrealistic. We must be patient. But I confirm to you that the things we agree on are greater than our differences. [We could table a proposal that] we hope, God willing, will produce a result that satisfies everyone...But this needs more talks." The UN-Arab League envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi said he would make his next report to the Security Council and Arab ministers who will be attending for the General Debate. The meeting on 26 September, unnamed Arab foreign ministers met Brahimi. Tunisia's President Moncef Marzouki then suggested "a peacekeeping operation by Arab nations is something we could well imagine. We have really pushed for a peaceful solution, but if it is necessary, it must be an Arab peacekeeping force, yes." He also called Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "a bloodthirsty dictator." The previous day, though Qatar's Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani told the General Debate of an Arab intervention, Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby said he did not interpret this as a "fighting force" and added that he told the UNSC it must support Brahimi by enforcing its resolutions on Syria as "binding on all parties."
In regards to the Senkaku Islands dispute and the recent purchase by Japan of three uninhabited islands from a private Japanese citizen which also led to anti-Japanese protests in China, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi told his Japanese counterpart Kōichirō Genba on 25 September that Japan had "severe[ly] infringement" its sovereignty. He added that China–Japan relations would remain strained until the purchase was reversed. A statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry later read: "The Chinese side will by no means tolerate any unilateral action by the Japanese side on the Diaoyu Islands [sic]." The same day, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said after the UNGA meeting: "So far as the Senkaku islands are concerned, they are an integral part of our territory in the light of history and of international law. It is very clear and there are no territorial issues as such. Therefore there cannot be any compromise that could mean any setback from this basic position. I have to make that very clear. The resolution of this issue should not be by force, but calmly, through reason and with respect for international law." The dispute re-arose after Yang spoke about the issue at the General Debate and Japan then responded during the Right of Reply and was countered by China, leading to rebuttal by Japan and another statement by China.
At the same time, on the first day of the General Debate, discussion involved the recently passed controversy over Innocence of Muslims and the violent protests that followed. Discussions included how to regulate freedom of speech in regards to religious sensitivities and where to make some speech illegal. Opponents suggested such proposals for regulation could be misused in order to silence dissent. Similarly, Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan added during his speech that religious denigration and incitement should not occur. U.S. President Barack Obama also condemned the video, but added such violent protests that led to deaths should also be condemned. Yemen's Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi also condemned the film and the violent protsts, while also criticising the facade of freedom of expression that is cited to produce such films. Liberia's Ellen Johnson Sirleaf also criticised the incitement to Muslims, as did Egypt's Mohamed Morsi in criticising Islamophobia and calling the release of the video as an "organised campaign against Islamic sanctities" which requires a "firm stand." At the same time, he called for rejecting violent protests. They were joined by Kuwait's Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah who criticised the violent protests and the incitement, while mentioning Kuwaiti's Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah's call for keeping all religious symbols above the purview of freedom of express. Australia's Julia Gillard added: "Denigration of religious beliefs is never acceptable...However, our tolerance must never extend to tolerating religious hatred and incitement to violence. The sentiment was echoed by Guatemala's Otto Pérez Molina, Latvia's Andris Bērziņš, Belgium's Elio Di Rupo, Niger's Mohamed Bazoum, Romania's Titus Corlățean, Bosnia and Herzegovina's Bakir Izetbegović, Comoros' Ikililou Dhoinine, Brunei Darussalam's Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, Maldives' Mohammed Waheed Hassan, Albania's Bujar Nishani, Antigua and Barbuda's Winston Baldwin Spencer, Lebanon's Najib Mikati, Greece's Dimitris Avramopoulos, Bahrain's Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Saint Lucia's Kenny Davis Anthony, Turkey's Ahmet Davutoğlu São Tomé and Príncipe's Patrice Emery Trovoada, Morocco's Moulay Rachid, Saudi Arabia's Saud Al-Faisal, UAE's Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Azerbaijan's Elmar Mammadyarov, Oman's Yousef Bin Al-Alawi Bin Abdulla, India's S. M. Krishna, Djibouti's Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Costa Rica's Enrique Castillo, Botswana's Phandu T. C. Skelemani and Sierra Leone's J. B. Dauda. While some said violence is never recourse to the right to free speech; and other said religious should not be abused; yet others called for the inviobility of diplomatic missions to be respected in line with the Vienna Convention.
Myanmar's Thein Sein met U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the sidelines of the summit. She announced the lifting of some sanctions against his country, namely the allowing of imports from the former to the latter after support for the move from the government and the opposition in Myanmar. In turn Sein thanked her and the U.S. saying the gesture was approved by his people.
Under the behest of Saudi Arabia, a "Friends of Yemen" summit was held to support new Yememi President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi's call for a national dialogue in his country amidst the 2011–2012 Yemeni uprising.
A high-level discussion was also held amongst member states, the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs and NGO's on the topic of "Women, disarmament, non-prolifertation and arms control" during the first week of the General Debate. A joint statement was signed by all members for promoting the equitable representation of women in decision-making; and a General Assembly resolution is expected during this session.
