Each year, in September, the United Nations General Assembly convenes for a new year, and for that one year, it has a new president and vice president—as well as an assortment of committee chairs—but the 72nd General Assembly that begins later this year will feature a name recognizable to many Americans.
Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the world body, was elected Wednesday to be vice president of the General Assembly. In that role, he will chair General Assembly meetings and participate in setting its agenda for the year.
Danon has been a rising star among the 109 members of the General Assembly. Last year, he was elected to his current role as chair of the 6th Committee, which is the primary forum for the consideration of legal questions in the General Assembly.
“It is an honor to represent the state of Israel in this leadership position at the United Nations,” he said in a statement released following the election. “We have proven once again that Israel is ready and able to serve in significant positions in the U.N. and the attempts to block this progress won’t succeed.”
Danon was nominated as the representative of the Western European and Others Group. Slovakian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Miroslav Lajčák was elected president of the 72nd General Assembly.
As of this writing, U.S. Permanent Representative Nikki Haley has not yet responded to the new development. However, her office announced Wednesday that she will be traveling to Israel for a three-day trip next week to meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders and to observe U.N. peacekeeping activities in the Middle East. {eoa}
