Annalena Baerbock, former German Foreign Minister, was elected President of the UN General Assembly’s 80th session despite strong opposition from Russia.
According to the United Nations statement, Ms. Baerbock received 167 votes following the secret ballot. Write-in candidate Helga Schmid, a former OSCE Secretary-General and career diplomat, also from Germany received seven. Fourteen delegations abstained.
She becomes the first woman from the Western European group to hold the post and the fifth woman overall to lead the General Assembly. The presidency rotates among the world body’s five regional groups.
At 44 years, Ms. Baerbock is also one of the youngest leaders to secure the top job.
The vote for the presidency of the UN General Assembly is typically conducted by acclamation. However, this year Russia, which opposed Annalena Baerbock’s candidacy, requested a secret ballot, according to diplomatic sources cited by AFP.
Baerbock emerged as a candidate only in March, shortly before stepping down as Germany’s foreign minister following the country’s parliamentary elections in February. She replaced diplomat Helga Schmid, whose candidacy for the UN post had been announced the previous year.
Russia objected to the switch, criticizing Baerbock for what it described as “repeated incompetence, extreme bias, and a lack of understanding of basic diplomatic principles.”
“The decision by the authorities in Berlin to push through her candidacy is nothing less than a slap in the face to the world organization and a blatant show of disrespect,” Russian Deputy Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said in May.
Pledge to be an honest broker
In her acceptance speech, President-elect Baerbock acknowledged the current global challenges and pledged to serve as “an honest broker and a unifier” for all 193 Member States, emphasising her theme of “Better Together.”
She outlined three priorities for her presidency: making the Organization more efficient and effective; advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; and making the Assembly a “truly inclusive forum”.
She called for a UN “that embraces everyone. I see the diversity of the General Assembly as our strength. This is the place where all nations come together and where every country has a seat and a voice.”
She also highlighted the importance of promoting gender equality, multilingualism, and engagement with civil society and youth.
UN80 initiative
Ms. Baerbock also touched on the UN80 initiative, which was launched by Secretary-General António Guterres in March.
“The UN80 Initiative should not be a mere cost-cutting exercise,” she said, stressing the need for bold ambition and readiness to take difficult decisions.
“Our common goal is a strong, focused, nimble and fit-for-purpose organization. One that is capable of realising its core objectives – we need a United Nations that delivers on peace, development and justice.”
China said Monday that its decades-long boundary dispute with India is “complicated” and will require time to resolve, while expressing openness t...
Over $2.5 billion in new deals and commitments between the United States and African partners were announced at the 17th summit, underscoring the U.S....
The European Union has extended the restrictive measures on Russia for an additional six months, until 31 January 2026, due to the Moscow's ongoing ac...
When European Union leaders agreed in April to hold a summit with China in late July, they believed they would enter the talks from a position of stre...
Central Asia’s growing influence in regional development will take centre stage at the 17th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), s...
Germany’s foreign minister arrived in Kyiv on Monday, pledging continued support for Ukraine as calls grow for more Western aid following new Russian attacks.
Germany’s data protection commissioner has called on Apple and Google to block the Chinese AI app DeepSeek from their platforms over illegal data transfers and privacy concerns.
Germany will halt funding for Mediterranean migrant rescue missions, redirecting aid to conflict-hit regions like Sudan, in a move critics warn will worsen the humanitarian crisis at sea.
Germany has urged Iran to resume cooperation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog amid concerns over rising tensions with Israel, warning that Tehran’s recent moves send the “wrong signal” and risk derailing a fragile ceasefire.
The U.S. economy faces a 40% risk of recession in the second half of 2025, JP Morgan analysts said on Wednesday, citing rising tariffs and stagflation concerns.
China has ramped up efforts to protect communities impacted by flood control measures, introducing stronger compensation policies and direct aid from the central government.
Severe rain in Venezuela has caused rivers to overflow and triggered landslides, sweeping away homes and collapsing a highway bridge, with five states affected and no casualties reported so far.
A malfunction in the radar transmission system at the Area Control Center in Milan suspended more than 300 flights at the weekend, across northwest Italy since Saturday evening according to Italy's air traffic controller Enav (National Agency for Flight Assistance).
Thousands of protesters rallied in Bangkok on Saturday, demanding Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra resign as political and economic tensions mount.
One person was killed and two seriously injured in a stabbing incident at an electric utility company in south-central Germany, police said.
The European Union has extended the restrictive measures on Russia for an additional six months, until 31 January 2026, due to the Moscow's ongoing actions destabilizing the situation in Ukraine.
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested reviewing subsidies granted to Elon Musk’s companies to save federal funds, reigniting a public feud after Musk’s sharp criticism of the government’s latest tax and spending bill.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for 1st July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy praised Türkiye’s strategic role in regional peace and stability during his visit to Ankara, highlighting its efforts in addressing the Ukraine war, the Gaza crisis, and broader UK-Türkiye relations.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment