INTERNATIONAL POLICY ANALYSIS President or Paper Tiger? The Role of the President of the General Assembly of the United Nations TOMAS ANKER CHRISTENSEN January 2018 n The tectonic plates of global power and economic strength undergirding the UN’s stability and continuity since its creation are in motion. Whereas historically the cen­tral axis of power and decision making at the UN has been the relationship between the Secretary-General and the five Permanent Members of the Security Council, the Member States of the UN are increasingly turning to the General Assembly when it comes to tackling global challenges. n This creates new expectations regarding the performance of the Assembly and fun­damentally alters the political and diplomatic role of the President of the Assembly. The time has come to review and strengthen the Presidency of the General Assem­bly in order to ensure that as an institution it can deliver effectively on the expecta­tions of the Member States. n Reforms could include creating a competitive process for the Presidency, extending the President’s term in office to two years, creating a post of Vice-President, chang­ing the date of transition for the President and creating a permanent core staff for the Office of the President.