UNITED NATIONS, September 9 (WSH) — The United Nations General Assembly opened its 80th session on Tuesday with Annalena Baerbock, former German foreign minister, taking the oath of office as President and urging Member States to confront global crises with courage, inclusiveness, and reform.
‘No Ordinary Session’ Ahead
Swearing on the original 1945 UN Charter, returned to Headquarters for the first time in decades, Baerbock stressed that the Assembly faces overlapping crises from wars and climate change to poverty and displacement. “This will be no ordinary session,” she pledged, vowing to serve all 193 members equally and to act as a “bridge builder.”
She also accepted the Assembly’s ornate gavel from her predecessor, Philémon Yang of Cameroon, a ceremonial symbol of order in what she called “the parliament of the world.”
Baerbock becomes only the fifth woman to preside over the Assembly in its history.
UN’s Role in a World in Pain
In her inaugural address, Baerbock painted a stark picture: children starving in Gaza, Afghan girls banned from school, Ukrainian families sheltering from missile attacks, and Pacific Islanders watching their homes disappear under rising seas.
“Our world is in pain, indeed,” she told delegates. “But imagine how much more pain there would be without the United Nations.”
She praised agencies like UNICEF, the World Food Programme, and the World Health Organization for providing life-saving support to millions, and urged reforms to make the UN “fit for the 21st century.” Priorities she outlined include implementing the UN80 reform agenda, overseeing the process to select the next Secretary-General, and advancing peace, development, and human rights.
Guterres: Charter Requires Action
UN Secretary-General António Guterres congratulated Baerbock and warned that the UN’s founding promise requires renewed political will. “The United Nations provides the place. The Charter provides the tools. But nothing can happen without this Assembly – all of you – working as one,” he said.
He called for unity in upholding international law, accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, advancing renewable energy, and supporting developing nations. Referring to the “Pact for the Future” adopted last year, Guterres urged Member States to rebuild trust and deliver tangible results.
Continuity and Promise
Closing the 79th session earlier in the day, outgoing President Philémon Yang highlighted his work on humanitarian law, small arms control, sustainable development, and gender equality. He reminded delegates that “in spite of rising global conflicts, the Charter and the United Nations itself represent a collective promise for a better future world.”
A Year of High Stakes
Baerbock’s presidency begins at a pivotal time, with wars in Ukraine and Sudan, humanitarian crises in Gaza and Afghanistan, and the urgent need for climate action dominating the agenda.
Challenging delegates to match the resilience of people in crisis zones, she declared: “If girls in Afghanistan or parents in Gaza can wake up – in the darkest hours of life – and push forward, then so can we. We owe it to them. But we owe it also to ourselves, because there is simply no alternative.”
(Source: UN News)
