2 June 2025, Ms. Annalena Baerbock (Germany) was elected President of the General Assembly at its 80th session by secret ballot; in accordance with the established regional rotation. The President of the eightieth session of the General Assembly is to be elected from the Western European and Other States Group. Baerbock obtained 167 votes, following a transparency and inclusive process convened by the Assembly in May: an informal interactive dialogue with candidates to present their vision statements, and to conduct informal interactive dialogues with Member States.
Ms. Baerbock – President Elect, on her first address said ‘today we live in challenging times. We are walking on a tightrope of uncertainty. But the birth of the United Nations 80 years ago, reminds us that we have lived through difficult times before. It’s up to us to take on these challenges. She then emphasized by saying, we need to be bold, ambitious, and ready to take difficult decisions. The UN80 initiative should not be a mere cost cutting exercise. Our common goal is a strong, focused, nimble and fit for purpose organization, one that can materialize its core objectives. We need a United Nations that delivers on peace, development and justice.’
Philemon Yang – President of the seventy-ninth session of the General Assembly, said, ‘it is fitting that in this milestone 80th year of the General Assembly, leadership should fall to someone whose career has been defined by an unwavering commitment to multilateralism. Ms. Baerbock was the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany during one of the most turbulent periods in recent memory. Her experience at the helm of diplomacy amidst global uncertainty will serve this Assembly well.’
António Guterres – Secretary-General for his part said, ‘this is a moment for us to unite, to forge common solutions and to take action to confront these challenges. President elect Baerbock ‘s vision ‘Better Together’, is an inspiring rallying cry for today’s world and to the global problem-solving system embodied by the United Nations in addressing these challenges.’
Following the election, Ms. Baerbock spoke at a media stakeout outside the General Assembly Hall and said, ‘as only the fifth woman in this position within 80 years, I’m aware that peace and development can only be sustained when half of the population – which is in every country, women – have an equal seat at the table. She then specified, mentioning that peace and security are not an isolated pillar of the United Nations from the last 80 years. We know peace and security, development and human rights are interconnected, and that sustainable peace depends on sustainable development.’
Related link:
Elected GA President: Annalena Baerbock in UN’s 80th Year | United Nations
