WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Former German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock has been elected as President of the General Assembly's 80th session. Her appointment comes as the regional group that includes Western Europe takes its turn at the helm of the UN body.
She assumes the role at a challenging time, with ongoing conflicts, faltering development goals, mounting financial pressures, and the upcoming selection of the next Secretary-General.
Baerbock received 167 votes in a secret ballot. Write-in candidate Helga Schmid, also from Germany, received seven. Fourteen delegations abstained from voting.
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, Baerbock is also one of the youngest leaders to secure the top job.
Baerbock's election comes at a critical juncture for the multilateral system, spearheaded by the United Nations.
With the Security Council deadlocked - especially on moves to help end the wars in Ukraine and Gaza - the Assembly has become a vital forum for diplomatic engagement and consensus-building, even without binding authority on peace and security issues.
As conflicts rage, the Assembly has passed a series of resolutions calling for ceasefires, humanitarian access and the protection of civilians.
Many now see the Assembly as an essential platform for accountability and maintaining international focus on intractable crises, especially through the 'Veto Initiative' adopted in 2022 which ensures that issues blocked by permanent members on the Security Council are debated in the Assembly as a priority.
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, emphasizing her theme of 'Better Together.'
Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2025 AFX News
