The First Committee is on Disarmament and International Security. It deals with disarmament, global challenges and threats to peace that affect the international community and seeks out solutions to the challenges in the international security regime. It considers all disarmament and international security matters within the scope of the UN Charter or relating to the powers and functions of any other organ of the UN; the general principles of cooperation in the maintenance of international peace and security, as well as principles governing disarmament and the regulation of armaments; promotion of cooperative arrangements and measures aimed at strengthening stability through lower levels of armaments. It works in close cooperation with the UN Disarmament Commission and the Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament. It is the only Main Committee of the General Assembly entitled to verbatim records coverage.

The Second Committee is on Economic and Financial matters. It deals with issues relating to economic growth and development; financing for development; sustainable development; human settlements; globalization and interdependence; eradication of poverty; operational activities for development; agriculture development, food security and nutrition; information and communications technologies for development; and towards global partnerships. It considers also issues relating to groups of countries in special situations, as sovereignty of the Palestinian people and of the Arab population in Syrian Golan over their natural resources. At the 72nd session, this Committee took action on 43 draft proposals and it is engaged in updating its working methods and practices in order to improve the quality of debates and the impact of their deliberations and decisions. The formal meetings of this Committee are webcast live at the UN Web TV website. Past meetings of the session will also be available from the video archives.

The Third Committee in on social, humanitarian and cultural issues. It deals with agenda items relating to social, humanitarian affairs and human rights issues that affect people all over the world. It focuses on the examination of human rights questions, including reports of the special procedures of the Human Rights Council, independent experts, and chairs of working groups as mandated by the Human Rights Council. It also discusses questions relating to the advancement of women, the protection of children, indigenous issues, the treatment of refugees, the promotion of fundamental freedoms through the elimination of racism and racial discrimination, the right to self- determination, important social development questions such as issues related to youth, family, ageing, persons with disabilities, crime prevention, criminal justice, and international drug control. Its formal meetings are webcast live on UN Web TV, in the six official languages of the UN.  Past meetings are available from the video archives.

The Fourth Committee is on Special Political and Decolonization. This Committee considers a broad range of issues covering a cluster of five decolonization-related agenda items, the effects of atomic radiation, questions relating to information, a review of the question of peacekeeping operations and of special political missions, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the Report of the Special Committee on Israeli Practices and International cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space. It also considers the items on Assistance in mine action, and University for peace biennially and triennially respectively. Its formal meetings are webcast live on UN Web TV, in the six UN official languages. Archive videos are also available on a dedicated Committee page.

- Fifth Committee is on Administrative and Budgetary matters. This Committee deals with responsibilities for administrative and budgetary matters. Based on its reports, the General Assembly considers and approves the budget of the UN in accordance with the UN Charter. The Assembly also considers and approves financial and budgetary arrangements with specialized agencies and makes recommendations to the agencies concerned. For this reasons, this Committee meets during the main part of the General Assembly session (September to December), during a resumed session in March, and in May to deal with administrative and budgetary aspects of UN Peacekeeping. This Committee considers also urgent matters relating to the financing of a peacekeeping mission authorized by the Security Council at any of its sessions.

-  Sixth Committee is on Legal matters. This Committee is the primary forum for the consideration of legal questions in the General Assembly. It is entrusted with furthering the cause of justice in the world, redressing genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity and the creation of universally agreed jurisdictional norms to ensure that such atrocity crimes are investigated, prosecuted and punished. All of the UN Member States are entitled to representation on this Committee as one of the main committees of the General Assembly. Member States may also assign advisers, technical advisers, experts or persons of similar status to these committees. Its formal meetings are webcast live on UN Web TV. Archive videos are also available on a dedicated Committee page and provides links to related websites on legal matters: Compilation of extracts of resolutions adopted by the General Assembly, and Deadlines for the submission of comments and observations (2018–2020)