The 75th anniversary session of the UN General Assembly, which will be attended by the heads of about 120 States, has started its work in New York today.

"It took two world wars and the horrors of the Holocaust for world leaders to come to international cooperation and the rule of law. This collaboration has yielded results. The third world war, which so many feared, was averted," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reminded the world. According to him, never before in modern history has there been such a long period, not overshadowed by conflicts between major powers.

"This is an outstanding achievement that UN member States can be proud of and that we should all preserve," the Secretary - General said. Among other historical achievements, he noted the UN's peacekeeping activities, the movement for decolonization, the development of human rights standards and mechanisms for their implementation, the victory over apartheid, the provision of vital humanitarian assistance to millions of victims of conflicts and disasters, the eradication of diseases, the steady reduction of hunger, the development of international law, the development of historical agreements to protect the environment and our entire planet.

Tomorrow is the first day of the General debate. The high-level week will be held from September 22 to 29. 119 heads of state and 54 heads of government are scheduled to speak. Due to the pandemic, for the first time, the session will be held in an unusual format: some speakers will speak remotely, and some will personally visit the site of the General Assembly.

Earlier, we reported that the anniversary session of the UN General Assembly will be held in an unusual format.