The meeting responds to the request of more than a dozen member countries, including Jordan and Mauritania, the respective presidents of the Arab Group and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
This will be the 39th plenary session of the tenth special emergency session of the General Assembly pursuant to resolution ES-10/20 of June 13, 2018.
Shortly before confirming the meeting, the head of the 78th General Assembly met with Jordan’s representative to the United Nations, Mahmoud Hmoud; Mauritania, Sidi Mohamed Laghdaf; Palestine, Riyad Mansour; and Egypt, Osama Mahmoud Abdel Khalek Mahmoud.
According to Speaker of the Assembly President Monica Grayley, the meeting focused on the situation in the Middle East and the need for a next special session in the event of an emergency.
That day, the presidential office also received a third letter asking Francis to allow the meeting to be called “as soon as possible.”
The meeting comes a day after the Security Council hosted an open debate on Middle East tensions and the situation in Palestine on Tuesday.
After four previous meetings, the top security body has yet to table a draft resolution despite warnings of an escalation of the conflict that began on October 7.
Last week, the only organization on the planet responsible for maintaining international peace and security analyzed two drafts, prepared in that order by Russia and Brazil, to call for a ceasefire.
However, both failed in their first attempts.
The solution could lie in the submission of a third draft to the Security Council, a vote or a formal meeting of member states within the framework of the 78th General Assembly.
According to the organization itself, urgent global debates can lead to collective action.
“In the event of an ongoing conflict, this action may be to help stop the bloodshed, establish a ceasefire and ease the suffering of local civilians,” the United Nations news website said.
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