Live Updates: World leaders convene for 78th UN General Assembly 2023

At the General Debate, the leaders of the member countries have the opportunity to speak on any topic of their choice. However, with such a large number of member states (193 to be exact), the question arises as to how the United Nations (UN) determines who will speak first. In the past, the honor of speaking first went to Brazil, followed by the host country, which is often the United States. This tradition arose from the time when leaders from other countries hesitated to address the assembly first during the first days of the General Debate.

In a bold move, Brazil took the initiative to end this reluctance. Their first opportunity to speak at the General Debate came at the fourth session in 1949. Brazil spoke first for the next two years, and from the tenth session in 1955, they inaugurated almost every debate.

After Brazil and the United States, the order of speakers is usually determined by an algorithm. This algorithm takes into account various factors, including geography, level of representation, and the order in which speech requests were received. By taking these factors into account, the UN can ensure fair representation and give all member states the opportunity to address the assembly.

To illustrate, at the upcoming session of the UN General Assembly, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will be the first world leader to take the podium, setting the stage for a series of important speeches and discussions to follow.