78th United Nations General Assembly: African Institutional Discourse in Pursuit of Reversing Interactional Frames

Clementine R. M. Lokonon, Michel M. Mehinto

Abstract: "We are tired of..., we are tired, we are tired", echoed in the august hall of the United Nations, expressing the desire for a world of trust and sustainability for individuals and states in 2023. Is this thematic appeal circumstantial or part of a conspiracy framework? This study examines the discourses of demands in a context where, in Africa, some voices are calling for the reversal of the institutional framework. Through an interactional and argumentative lens, it examines contributions from Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and Togo to understand the symbolic significance of discourse in reshaping global and institutional hierarchies. Does the expression given up suggest a reversal of the interactional discourse framework? Therefore, we posit that the argumentative offer guides the discursive construction for interaction. The study employs semi-automated data processing (using Google and Chat GPT-4) software to analyze the ritualization of the UN's argumentative space.

Keywords: United Nations, 78th General Assembly, African Discourse, Institutional Argumentation, Interactional Framework