DILI, 03 June 2025 (TATOLI) — Annalena Baerbock, Germany’s former foreign minister, has been elected President of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly on Monday, 2 May, 2025.
Baerbock, who recently lost her ministerial post in Germany’s national election, secured 167 votes—almost double the 88 needed to win the position.
At 44, she became one of the youngest leaders ever to assume the role, the first woman from the Western European group to hold the position, and the fifth woman to serve in that post in 80 years.
The UN Assembly also elected on Monday its Vice-Presidents for the eightieth session, as well as the Bureaus of its Main Committees.
For the first time, Timor-Leste has been elected as a Vice President of the UN General Assembly, joining a diverse group of countries including Andorra, Argentina, Bangladesh, Cabo Verde, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Lebanon, Lesotho, Maldives, Montenegro, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Venezuela.
These nations will serve alongside the five permanent members of the UN Security Council— China, France, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and the United States — which serve annually as Assembly Vice-Presidents.
Meanwhile, Niger was chosen to occupy the first seat in the Assembly Hall and this seating order will be observed in the Main Committees.
In her address to the Assembly following her election, Baerbock underscored the theme of her presidency, “Better Together” — emphasizing inclusivity, transparency and trust-based dialogue. She promised an open-door policy and affirmed her commitment to upholding the UN Charter as the “irrevocable foundation of our work”.
Baerbock reminded Member States that the Organization was forged out of the devastation of war to build a hopeful, cooperative world order based on peace, human rights and respect for international law. Despite the pressures currently facing the UN — political and financial — she insisted that “nothing would be better without the United Nations”, and that now, more than ever, countries must work better together.
Baerbock outlined three key priorities for her presidency, focusing on modernizing the Organization, accelerating progress on sustainable development, and promoting inclusive multilateralism.
Her first priority is to support Member States modernizing the United Nations, ensuring it is “fit for purpose” in the 21st century. “The Secretary-General’s UN80 Initiative must not become a ‘mere cost-cutting exercise’, but a process grounded in bold and inclusive decision-making, she said, as she called for reliable financing and greater system-wide efficiency,” UN said in a statement.
Baerbock’s second priority centers on advancing the Pact for the Future and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Her third focus is on inclusive multilateralism, with a strong call for gender equality. “Peace and development can only be sustained when half of the world’s population — women — have an equal seat at the table,” she emphasized.
“This is the task of our time: To make the United Nations fit for purpose. To uphold the Charter. To deliver tangible results for everyone. I am honoured to work with all of you in this challenging endeavour. Better together,” she concluded.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres acknowledged that Annalena Baerbock is taking on the presidency at a difficult and uncertain for the multilateral system. “Mistrust and divisions are rife,” while the Sustainable Development Goals are alarmingly off-track,” he said.
“And our institutions and structures still reflect the world of yesterday, not a vision of tomorrow,” he added.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
