League of Nations General Assembly

The League of Nations General Assembly (LoNGA or GA) is one of four primary parts of the League of Nations, serving as the main deliberative, policy-making, and representative organ of the League of Nations. The General Assembly is the main deliberative assembly of the body. Composed of all League member states, the assembly meets in regular monthly sessions, but emergency sessions can also be called. The first session convened 10 January 1956. The Assembly is responsible for amending the Code of the League of Nations. The Assembly shall also consider resolutions, as needed, condemning violations of global order and human dignity, which may or may not include a recommendation for action by the League of Nations Security Council. It may consider any other business as needed.

The General Assembly currently meets under the Provost-General in annual sessions at the headquarters of the League of Nations in Alba Concordia. It can also reconvene for special and emergency special sessions. Its composition, functions, powers, voting, and procedures are set out in Chapter 1 Part II of the Code of the League of Nations. The first session was convened in July of 1955.

Voting in the General Assembly on certain important questions, namely, recommendations on peace and security, budgetary concerns, and the election, admission, suspension or expulsion of members is by a simple majority of those present and voting. Each member country has one vote. Apart from approval of budgetary matters, including adoption of a scale of assessment, Assembly resolutions are not binding on the members. The Assembly may make recommendations on any matters within the scope of the League of Nations, except matters of peace and security already under Security Council consideration. The one state, one vote power structure potentially allows states comprising just five percent of the world population to pass a resolution.

Membership
Each member nation designates one voting representative in the General Assembly, and each representative shall have one vote. Said representative or delegate shall serve as the pleasure of their respective government, and shall be permitted to sit in the General Assembly so long as their government consents.

Agenda
The Assembly may make recommendations on any matters within the scope of the LoN, except matters of peace and security that are under consideration by the Security Council.

Besides admissions and various types of removals, there are three kinds of measures that can come to the floor of the General Assembly. They all require a simple majority to enact. They are:


 * Bills, formally titled “AN ACT” - These are measures that amend the Code of the League of Nations and must be advanced by the Codes Committee before it can be voted on by the Assembly as a whole.


 * Resolutions - These indicate the general sense and voice of the General Assembly on a matter of international concern. They are non-binding.


 * Resolutions with Recommendations - These indicate the general sense and voice of the General Assembly, but include a provision recommending action taken on the resolution by the League of Nations Security Council. Individual permanent members of the Security Council may veto these, but provided they are not vetoed, the Resolution with Recommendation is forwarded along to the Security Council to consider.