United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon claimed that the UNGA has truly become a "parliament for all people." He was speaking at the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the first UNGA meeting on January 10 at the UN headquarters in New York.

Ban called on UN officials and delegates to save more lives, advance more progress and promote ever greater respect for human rights in the world, also emphasizing that the General Assembly is more important now than ever.

"The resolutions adopted by the General Assembly may not all be acted on right away. Yet they stand as our common position on the most pressing issues of our times," said Ban during the commemoration.

"These resolutions tell the story of our resolve. They reflect our conviction that the countries of the world can come together to do far more collectively than they ever could alone" said Ban.

"Each delegate who speaks, each vote that is cast, every gavel that opens a new meeting adds a little more hope to the world," said the Secretary General.

On January 10, 1946, representatives from 51 nations came together at Westminster Central Hall in London, England, and called to order the first meeting of the UNGA.

At the ceremony, Ban also highlighted some of the most notable General Assembly achievements in 2015, including the Addis Ababa Action Agenda agreement, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Climate Change Conference's Paris Agreement.

(Reporting from New York City )