By Kings Office Correspondents
NEW YORK, USA – President of the United Nations General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, declared the current session a ‘make-or-break moment’ for the institution.
Addressing world leaders in New York on yesterday, as the United Nations marked its 80th anniversary, the Germany’s Foreign Minister urged member states to seize the opportunity to reform and strengthen the UN, warning that failure to act risks undermining its global relevance.
“This is not an ordinary year,” Baerbock said, highlighting crises in Gaza, Ukraine, Haiti, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. She rejected claims by cynics that the UN is outdated, insisting that its failures stem not from the institution or its Charter, but from member states’ reluctance to uphold it. “The Charter is only as strong as Member States’ willingness to uphold it,” she stated, calling for accountability for those who violate its principles.
Baerbock underscored the UN’s indispensable role, noting that without it, the world would be far worse off. She cited the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which educates 26 million children, and the World Food Programme (WFP), which supports nearly 125 million people. “Imagine how much worse off the world would be without the UN,” she said, framing it as ‘a compass pointing towards peace, humanity and justice’ since its founding in a world on fire 80 years ago.
The General Assembly President introduced the session’s theme, “Better Together: 80 Years and More for Peace, Development and Human Rights”. She acknowledged the UN’s history of falling and rising, of pulling each other back up and trying harder, urging leaders to summon the unity shown in San Francisco in 1945. Leadership, she argued, is about lifting others up through altruism and mutual benefit, as seen in global responses to pandemics, climate crises, aviation safety regulations, and efforts to govern artificial intelligence.
However, Baerbock stressed that the UN must evolve to meet today’s challenges. “Even the house of dialogue and diplomacy needs a renovation,” she said, advocating for the UN80 initiative and broader reforms to deliver an agile, cost-effective and fit-for-purpose institution.
She called for reforms in every capital, accelerated progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, and implementation of the Pact for the Future, warning that without these steps, lasting peace remains elusive. “This session is about finding the resolve to be better together,” she concluded.
CALLS FOR FIRST FEMALE UN SECRETARY GENERAL
NEW YORK, USA – It is time for a woman Secretary General.
This is the strong view of Annalena Baerbock, the President of the UN General Assembly, who has called for the United Nations to appoint its first female Secretary General.
She described the move as critical to the institution’s credibility. Speaking at the opening of the General Assembly’s high-level week in New York on Tuesday, she highlighted the upcoming selection process as a chance to address a historic gender gap in the UN’s leadership.
As the UN celebrates its 80th anniversary, Baerbock noted that no woman has ever served as Secretary-General. “It is not only an issue of representation but also of the credibility of the UN,” she said, urging member states to prioritise gender equality in the selection to succeed António Guterres. The call comes amid broader demands for UN reform, with Baerbock framing the institution’s future as a ‘make-or-break moment’.
In her address, she underscored the UN’s vital role, citing its work through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which educates 26 million children, and the World Food Programme (WFP), which aids nearly 125 million people. Yet, she warned, the UN’s legitimacy depends on member states’ commitment to its Charter. “The Charter is only as strong as Member States’ willingness to uphold it,” she said, rejecting claims that the institution is irrelevant.
Baerbock introduced the session’s theme, “Better Together: 80 Years and More for Peace, Development and Human Rights”, urging leaders to emulate the unity of the UN’s founders. She highlighted the organisation’s role as ‘a compass pointing towards peace, humanity and justice’ and stressed that leadership means “lifting others up” for mutual benefit, as seen in global cooperation on pandemics, climate action, and artificial intelligence governance.
The push for a female Secretary-General aligns with Baerbock’s call for a reformed, inclusive UN. As crises in Gaza, Ukraine, Haiti, and the Democratic Republic of Congo test the institution, she insisted that a diverse leadership is essential to strengthen its moral authority and global impact.
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Courtesy Pic)
