UN Transcripts — https://transcripts.un.org/ar/asset/k1c/k1c4ndi8ce اجتماع عام للمجتمع المدني مع رئيسة الدورة 80 للجمعية العامة للأمم المتحدة — General Assembly — 29 January 2026 Language: en Automatically generated transcript — may contain errors. Not an official United Nations record. --- DGC · USG Global Communications · Melissa Fleming [0:01]: Good morning. May I ask everyone who's not seated to please take their seat? It's so wonderful to see so many distinguished representatives of civil society here today and partners joining us here in conference room one and online. So to those of you who couldn't make it to New York, we see you, too. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Melissa Fleming. I'm the UN Under Secretary General for Global Communications. And it is a pleasure to welcome you here today for an incredibly special town hall with Her Excellency, Annalena Baerbock, President of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Thank you not just for being here, but mostly for the essential work that each of you does each day to advance peace, development, human rights, and the values enshrined in the United Nations Charter. We need you to do this work, and we value it so much. The theme guiding our town hall today is called Better Together. In fact, this is the theme of the President of the General Assembly's presidency. So it starts with Better Together. The role of civil society in strengthening the United nations in fragmented times as the international community navigate profound challenges. You, I'm sure, are aware of the raging conflicts in our world, the displacement, the inequalities, the climate pressures, and also the rapid transformation of our digital landscape. And so, for these challenges, your voices and your advocacy and your standing up for values and human rights are indispensable. The Charter begins with we the Peoples reminding us that the legitimacy and effectiveness of this organization also depends on the inclusion of those it was created to serve. This milestone 80th session underscores that the United nations also must evolve in order to meet today's realities. And civil society, academia, researchers, youth and community leaders, all of you play a vital role in shaping solutions and bringing innovation. You know, giving us ideas and suggestions, but also holding the global system accountable to its promises. And in that spirit, I would like to recognize the young leaders here with us today. We have a delegation from Lehigh University. Did you make it? I understand they're running late. I will, but they're coming. This is DGC, associated and in consultative status with EchoSoft University. Youth are indispensable partners in multilateralism. In fact, they are our majority in this world. And we look to young people to bring us fresh ideas, but also technological fluency and their fierce commitment to justice and sustainability. Their decisions help ensure our decisions, or their voices help ensure our decisions are not only forward looking, but also grounded in the realities of what they're seeing and what they're fearing and what they're hoping for and what they're dreaming for. Civil society's active engagement is also essential as member states advance commitments made in the Pact for the future. And thank you to all of you who contributed to the Pact for the Future. But also as the next selection process for the Secretary General begins, it's a process that the PGA has announced and for which global expectations are strong and principled leadership is high. So we extend our appreciation to the more than 500 civil society stakeholders who submitted interest in this town hall. And I just wanted to say that across this 80th session of the GA, my team in the Civil Society unit has already supported 3,500 civil society representatives in the high level events thus far. And we look forward to continuing to bring stakeholder organizations into the many events ahead. And let's hope, let's take that challenge up now in this event and hopefully we'll have a candid and constructive exchange. Hopefully you'll also find space to raise your concerns, but also recommendations on how we can better deliver throughout our discussion. Today we're going to have a visual scribe from the UN SDG Action Campaign Team in Bonn, Germany. They're joining us remotely. And so our visual scribe is going to be capturing the ideas, themes and reflections shared in this room. And we're going to see a live illustration as we discuss. And it will be a visual record of our collective dialogue and a creative reminder of how your voices can shape a more people centered United Nations. May I please note that this event is available in the six official languages of the un so please tune into the language of your choice. You have earpieces and if you haven't found them already, they're at your seats. And you'll find the buttons for the choice of language on the desk itself. And if you are watching online, you can select the language you want to hear on the dropdown on your screen. For those of you who are posting on social media, we encourage you to follow us on Instagram and Twitter and our accounts are on the screen behind me, I hope. Yes. And if you may, if you could, please use the hashtag unwithcivilsociety and better together in your posts. And it is now my honor to introduce the President of the 80th session of the UN General assembly, her Excellency Annalena Baerbock. She is leading this session with a vision centered on collaboration, reform and the strengthening of the multilateral system. A former Foreign Minister of Germany, Ms. Baerbock was elected on 2 June 2025, becoming the first woman from the Western European and others group and the fifth woman overall to hold this office. So I'm looking forward, I will not summarize everything that she's done because it's more important that you hear from her. And over to you. GA · PGA · Annalena Baerbock [7:46]: Good morning and thank you, Under Secretary General. Dear Melissa, Good morning to everybody here in the room and also good afternoon, good evening around the world. Let me start by thanking you for being here. I know that it's even on normal days, not so easy for civil society to come to the UN to navigate the layers of security, procedure and formality. And as we are meeting in January, we now have the extra snow hills to overcome. But if these remain the only hurdles in the next month, I think we should be fine. Your presence matters literally, because the first words of our charter, as the Under Secretary underlined, are we the people and not we the delegates. This is not a club for the few. This is the house for the many. And if this year of near constant crisis. Thank you. If this year of near constant crisis has taught us anything, it is to keep multilateralism alive and strong. We must lean on like minded allies and partners across all layers of this system. Actually, across all layers around the world. We literally need you. The UN needs you. Particularly now. You see, we all see the headlines, we see the statements, and we see the pace at which the ground seems to shift beneath us. Sometimes, at least myself and I guess many as you as well, we look at the state of the world and think, can this be true? Is this really happening in the year 2026? I remember myself being very lucky and being born with 40 years or 44 years by now, only to live in a country and a region of peace. To have to explain to my daughter 4 years ago again what it means that more than 100,000 soldiers were lining up at another neighbor's country just 10 hours drive by car from our hometown. And already back then I thought, well, peace has been written in stone. But obviously it's not anymore. And I think looking at these last weeks, we all feel the same. Which was written in stone obviously is not a self given anymore. So this is obviously the world we live in. And if we are deciding not to close our eyes, it's really up to us now to stand up and to make very clear that there is a good reason that it has been written in stone that you cannot just take another country, neither by invasion nor by buying it, or that there's a good reason that every country no matter how big or small, has a secret seat and a voice at the international table. So yes, I hear that also quite often, especially we, the women hear that very often when we stand up for principle. Well, this is now a bit naive, but I'm deeply convinced that we can be principled without being naive. We can be realistic without becoming resignated. And we just opened the Secretary General and I an exhibition and we're at the anniversary in London 10 days ago where the first General assembly came together. And looking through the black and white old photographies back then you saw also some of them being under titled. They have been called naive, but they were the pure realistic persons because they have seen what it would mean to have a world or living in a world where principles did not matter at all and where we didn't have an international order. They were principled because they had experienced one or even two world wars. And this means for us now, standing up for the international order and our United nations while reforming where we must, because we are realistic. We know that this institution, after eight decades, needs a very deep reform. As every human being, as every company, you are evolving all over time. So we are doing this within our UNAD initiative led by the Secretary General, to have a hard and deep look at our finances, mandates and and structures. But we are also doing it to ensure that our principles of the Charter remain written in stone, holding fast up to our principles and to stand up for what we believe, what the world needs. And as I said, we cannot do this alone. The UN needs you in this process. So before I go over some of the mandates event this year for which I invite you to be engaged, I would like to talk about one of the subjects where we need your input, your involvement especially. It has been mentioned as well already by Melissa Fleming, the selection of the next Secretary General, because she or he will be the one responsible for making sure that we uphold the principles written in student. We all know this is no normal administrative exercise. It is a choice with profound implications for the un, for the wider multilateral system, including each of you, and for the world. It is a choice that will send a powerful message about who we are in the year 20, 26, 7, 8, and maybe even for a second term, and what the United nations stands for, whether it truly reflects the people it serves, of which half are women and girls. And I'm very aware that civil society is closely following this process and eager to contribute. So let me be very clear and frank. Civil society organizations will participate in the interactive dialogue with Secretary General candidates scheduled for the week of April 20th. And I count on you that these are not the end only events, but that you are as creative as in the past as well. While precise modalities for the dialogue will be released later in the process and will depend on the number of nominations, there will be dedicated space for CSOs as well as for questions interactions with the candidates in the bigger picture. And I strongly encourage you to put forward questions for the candidates because we need that conversation, particularly now given the geopolitical times and pressure of the un. And we need these questions on all three pillars of the United nations as we know they are deeply interconnected. I will ensure that the process is inclusive, but I think again in these times it's just more than ticking the box to have an exclusive process because the process itself can and in my point of view should be used as a tool to underline the diversity, experiences and contributions of the United nations and the multilateral community. So we must use the selection process as a real conversation not only amongst and about the candidates, but also as a means to discuss the priorities, principles and practices we, you, the people around the world, wish to work for within the United nations for the next century. The world must know who and what they are signing on for. So I welcome your suggestions today and also in the upcoming weeks and months on how to better engage with the candidates and how to make this process more inclusive and more engaging. And of course the Secretary General selection is not only the main and only focus, there will be other and many, many under mandated meetings and signature events coming up and I don't want to waste the time to read them all out. This is why we printed them out for you, as we also did two weeks ago with the Member States. But allow me to highlight a few where I think participation is especially important. In May we will hold the International Migration Review Forum and those of you who have been taking part in the first one already know that this has been quite challenging. So this time even more. It will include an informal multi stakeholder hearing and participation is highly welcomed on the 4th of May with a summary presented by the Civil Society Representative at the opening of the IMRF plenary on May 7. In the spring we will also convene a multi stakeholder interactive hearing on both HIV AIDS as well as on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response ahead of their respective high level meetings and throughout the Spring we will convene a series of discussion on the Pact for the Future with at least one of these serving as a dedicated stock taking of Pact implementation with a clear and visible platform for civil society to feed into the process. There are as mentioned, many more meetings and you will find them in the paper. And I hope that you will also actively engage in these process. As said at the beginning, and I also said it, you might have heard it in my priority speech to to the member States. The United nations needs the world. That means all of the world, including and I said that also to the member states, civil society so you we can reform, budget and streamline mandates. But if the heart of this institution, we the people, loses its meaning, then none of it endures. And I call the member states to form a coalition, an alliance, to stand by the Charter and to step up for multilateralism. And I extend that call to you. Better Together when we started with a theme in summer, we didn't know how important this theme was. But Better Together means everybody. The diversity of the world. We need the champions everywhere, civil society, business, media and political leadership, all those who believe in international law and a rules based international order and our UN to stand together and to hold the line. We need civil society to help to defend the Charter. And I have heard about some of the questions already. We will have an opportunity later for open floor question as well. And I would really like to encourage that participation of civil society does not only mean in the processes itself, but in the material and content of the different meeting. Because you are the experts, especially also the younger generation here. I mean, I'm trying, and we both are trying to be kind of, at least in the middle ground of social media, but especially on AI, especially on the digital platform, it's you out there who are knowing what's going on. So I count on all of you, not only today, but also for the upcoming weeks and months, not only here in the headquarter of the United nations, but all around the world, to engage, to discuss with your governments, with your politicians, what you expect from them in the different processes, be it the Secretary General process, be it the thematic processes, all together. Because at the end everybody knows it doesn't matter how strong or powerful you are, there are some crises out there nobody can fight alone. Neither CO2 nor the virus of the pandemic had a passport or would stop at the border. We can only face these challenges together. And as we have seen with the pandemic even too slow and too late, which I'm well aware, also coming from Europe. But we have seen that when we joined our hands altogether and vaccination was available everywhere, we could even stop this kind of pandemic and even we are living in shaky times. I still believe the glass is helpful, even though sometimes it look empty. So I count on you and I'm really looking forward to the questions and suggestions today. Thank you. DGC · USG Global Communications · Melissa Fleming [21:08]: Thank you. Dear Annelina Baerbock, our pga, for your thought provoking words and for your bold vision, as well as outlining all of your initiatives and how civil society can engage. We encouraged you to share questions and statements ahead of today's Sessions and my department was quite impressed to receive more than 100 contributions from across many voices and geographies. Of course we cannot read or ask for 100 interventions, but we did read them carefully and a number of representatives here with us today have been invited to get us started and we will take four questions at a time, so please remember to state your name and also affiliation before asking your question. And to open our first round of interventions, it's my pleasure to invite Mr. Shintang from the Vow center from China. VOW Center · Xin Tang [22:15]: Madam President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates and colleagues, my name is Xin Tang. I speak today as a member of the Volunteer Groups alliance vga, an SDG stakeholder constituency, and as an organizational representative of the VOW Center. In the context of growing geopolitical tensions, climate risks and constrained development financing, attention to sustainability and corporate responsibility has become uneven across regions. As civil society and volunteers continue to contribute directly to the achievement of the SDGs. How do the General assembly and Member States plan to more systematically integrate volunteering and and citizen participation into SDG reviews, national strategies and decision making processes? DGC · USG Global Communications · Melissa Fleming [23:05]: In particular, how can science based data accountability and the citizen generated evidence be better used to strengthen governance and ensure that the commitment to leave no one behind is upheld even amid shifting global priorities? Thank you. Thank you Mr. Cheng, for your excellent question. I now invite Rosario Del Pierre Pilar Diaz Garavito from the organization the Millennials Movement. Millennials Movement · Executive Director · Rosario Del Pierree Pilar Díaz Garavito [23:36]: Your Excellency, my name is Rosario. I'm the founder and Executive Director of the Millennials Movement and also co facilitator of the Lack Impact Coalition. The UN AD Initiative needs to represent a people's effort to ensure the United nations can respond to the challenges for the present and the future. We hold on the UN Charter values, but now more than ever, the widow peoples cannot be achieved without dialogue. Therefore, the UN needs to establish paths for a wide engagement of different stakeholders for the UN AD Initiative that allows peoples from diverse regions to actively engage from their territories and the resources for that, as well as the strengthening of the national UN systems. We understand the challenges and now more than Ever everyone needs to be on board. We believe the UN80 process has to be coherent as well with the commitments made on the Pact for the future in the LAC region, especially regarding the Chapter 2 and 5. The UN80 process needs to be relevant to ensure peace, sovereignty, human rights and fair multilateralism. Approaches included in the Pact for the Future, the 2030 Agenda, the Human Rights Declaration and different UN instruments. From the Millennials movement, we have played a pivotal role supporting the establishment of the LAC Children and Youth Mechanism. Also, we mobilized more than 38,000 Peruvians for the definition of the SDGs. And now from our role as co facilitators of the LAC Civil Society Mechanism at unequac, in my case being the first Millennial in that position, we called you to come with us to ensure multilateralism keeps relevant and in our nations and the UN Charter a tangible reality for we the people. Thank you. Thank you. DGC · USG Global Communications · Melissa Fleming [25:31]: I love it when you get applause for a question. Thank you, Ms. Garavito. The next intervention comes from from Ms. Indira Alvardo from Lehigh University. Lehigh University · Indira Alvarado [25:53]: Hi. NGOs play a critical role in connecting the United nations to local communities. And in particular this affects young people. What steps can the General assembly take in order to institutionalize partnerships between well established NGOs and youth led organizations in a way that ensures that there is meaningful participation and shared decision making rather than symbolic inclusion? DGC · USG Global Communications · Melissa Fleming [26:26]: Thank you very much, Ms. Alvarado. And our final intervention in this round comes from Mr. Paris Horiz Bhai Soni from Erdofun Foundation Trust in India and whose question I will read because he couldn't be with us today. In fragmented times marked by climate stress, inequality and declining trust in multilateralism, civil society plays a critical role in reconnecting the United nations with people on the ground. From grassroots experience in rural India, we see that local communities are not just beneficiaries, but co creators of solutions, whether in water security, ecosystem restoration, inclusive education or community resilience. My question to the President of the General assembly is how will the 80th session strengthen meaningful participation of grassroots civil society, particularly from the Global south, in UN decision making, beyond consultation and towards co design and co implementation. We urge the UN to modernize its engagement by simplifying access for community based organizations, supporting long term partnerships rather than project based interactions, and bringing global policy with local action. Protecting UN principles requires investing in trusted local actors who translate multilateral commitments into real impact. A stronger UN is possible only when civil society is not at the margins, but at the table, better together. So thank you Mr. Soni, for your excellent question and also statement. Your Excellency, we welcome your thoughts. GA · PGA · Annalena Baerbock [28:28]: Thank you very much. And I welcome very much the thoughts from all of you. I share many, many things. I won't repeat it due to time, but maybe even the last one relating to better together underlines that even from other continents and being active in grassroots organization, people are following some things closer than some of the delegates, not knowing what the theme of the 80s session is. So I'm very, very happy that it has been taken up also by Mr. Parshabi. So in general the chino was how to better include civil society. But also with the last question of some of you grassroots, the good thing is the process is already underway and unad the reform process. And this is why I engage encourage you so much to engage in it is a unique chance because we are really turning every stone of this institution. In every crisis lies a chance. So the liquidity crisis is not only crisis, it's a disaster. And member states are obliged to fail their contributions due to time. However, there are elements where we have to say frankly and openly that we are not working in the most efficient way. We have too much duplication, especially on the ground, especially in the most difficult areas. And therefore the sg, his team, especially the DSG, together with UNEP and many, many other agencies, they are trying to align their work way better. And also with the understanding, as it has been mentioned before, that civil society grassroots organizations sometimes know things way more in in depth than others. On the other hand, and I must say that also a bit for my former role being a minister in the government, and that you have to be responsible in front of your budget committee and everybody else. The big challenge and because the question was not long time trusted and pre resourced bodies beforehand, if some things happen, obviously people will be responsible. And this is why the balance between being fast, being capable of working together with people on the ground who haven't been there for 20 years already, meaning also that you don't know them as long has to be put in line. So it's not always to say we don't trust grassroots community, but it's also the question about how we can ensure that every relation obviously is in line with all our ethical rules. And by that the resident coordinators are mainly important because they know also the people on the ground best. They have brought us many, many inputs similar as yours here and especially within the Secretariat we are looking now how under UN 80 and work theme 3 this can be implemented. On the more concrete point from Ching Tang. Thank you for the question on the SDGs on the national level. So there is now this strong call of systematically looking into the national SDG strategies and reviews, trying to integrate them better also than here together in New York. And also especially with the voluntary national strategies and review and the national reviews for the voluntary work. As many of you know, especially the younger ones, UNV is also celebrating its birthday and the contribution they are giving us, they are faster than many other agencies, they work closer with grassroots, they are working with the younger generation. So there's especially a lot one can learn from UNV in this regard. Rosario was asking with regard to the question of the wider engagement of different stakeholders in the UNAD process. There's also been the question from Indra on youth again having served to a national government annoy them to be blank and open. Yeah, I always said also back in time, you know, it's not like politicians or ministers if they have the pile of letters like this saying was just throw them all into a basket. If there's a pile of letters you start saying oh, obviously this is a very important topic. So sometimes I totally understand you think okay, write letters and petitions and whatsoever. But it has on most of governments, ministers, parliamentarians an effect. So the engagement also on the unad, which might seem a bit more boring because it's quite, quite technical. And I'm also encouraging national member states to engage in the parliament in this process. They have to discuss where should we focus on if we have less money. They have to discuss what kind of Secretary general do we want to have. And there's for example, an example from India. They told me they are engaging in the SG selection process also with their own screenings. When we have the hearings here, they have an open debate in their countries. So if you go to the national context also on the different reform initiatives to say let's have a debate. We have is it next week when IPU is in two weeks time at the IPU meeting all the parliamentarians from around the world till two weeks time get in contact with them, ask so what is your input as parliamentarians in the reform process? The third question. With regard to the issue of engaging more on use context. We had a very good experience during the high level meeting in September. Also on the intergenerational one where we encouraged member states to share their speaking time with youth delegates. And then the officials there were different models, some gave it all to the youth delegates. I think this was a very good experience. And also taking up in the third committee and this is Obviously a process. We could do more and use it more as well. And again, annoy also us here at the UN and it's annoying in a positive way. We need your examples. Write to us, write to the different agencies when we have the international Women's Day saying, you know, in Cameroon or in Chile, we're doing this and this, these are leading women, these are younger women. We are always looking for new voices being heard here also at the high level meetings. So if you have people which are also outstanding but not so known to the world already, let us know. DGC · Deputy Director · Robert Skinner [35:22]: So I think we would go to the second round. Yeah. Thank you your excellency for the thorough and insightful responses by but un80 boring. Never. Obviously I'm not undersecretary general Fleming anymore, but due to her complicated schedule, we've had a call for backup. And that's me. I know many of you. I'm Robert Skinner and worked in civil society with civil society for many years. And I'm one of under secretary General Fleming's deputy directors. But it's a pleasure to be with you and of course to be with you, PGA Baerbock. So we'll get right to the next set of questions. So the next round of interventions begins with the representative from Women and Youth Advancement Inc. Ms. Judith Snell. We are glad you could join us today and you have the floor. Women and Youth Advancement Inc. · Executive Director · Judith Steele [36:13]: Thank you. Madam president and colleagues, my name is Judith Steele, the Executive director of Women and Youth Advancement Inc. And and the convener of the Collaborative AI Group. Our work focuses on mostly AI powered capacity building for women, youth and underserved community today. My question is how can a global multilateral institution or institutions like the United nations integrate AI as social infrastructure in ways that meaningfully support grassroots and youth led civic ecosystems, especially in marginalized communities. So that AI governance and capacity doesn't just protect human rights, but actively supports community agency, economic inclusion and equitable participation in digital and civic life. DGC · Deputy Director · Robert Skinner [37:12]: Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Snell. The next question comes from Mr. Mohammed Yousef. Any from education above all. Thank you for joining us, sir. Education Above All · Yusuf Aini [37:26]: Thank you so much. Your excellency, Madam President, distinguished members, my name is Yusuf Aini. I'm a representative of Education above all, focusing for better education for underserved communities and more. And a member of civil society directly affected by the situation in Afghanistan. As we enter 2026, Afghan women and girls are clearly excluded from almost all aspects of public life. The ban on secondary education for girls now persists into its fourth year, depriving Afghanistan of female doctors, entrepreneurs, teachers and critical leaders for the country today and for its future. Media freedom is increasingly restricted and journalists face intimidation, detention and censorship. Now my question is what concrete and enforceable steps will the United Nations General assembly will take to move beyond statements of concerns and ensure accountability, sustained international pressure and meaningful protection of Afghan women's rights and precisely their right to education and access to work? Thank you. DGC · Deputy Director · Robert Skinner [39:01]: Thank you, Mr. Andy, for that important question. I now welcome Mr. Ninan Veroges from UNAIDS to ask a question on behalf of the UNAIDS Program Coordinating Board NGO delegation critical for effectively including community voices in the key global Policy forum for unaids. Thank you for being here. The floor is yours. UNAIDS · Ninan Varogis [39:25]: Good morning and thank you, Madam President and DGC colleagues and civil society representatives here. It's my distinct honor to represent the UNAIDS NGO pcb, our Program Coordinating Bureau delegation here at this town hall. As you know, UNAIDS was the first UN entity to have civil society as a formal role in its Program Coordinating Board. And I shall read the statement now. As the UNAIDS PCB NGO delegation, we represent communities denied life saving health services and facing discrimination, criminalization and violence. As people living with hiv, gay and trans people, people engaged in sex work or drug use, young people and women, our rights are increasingly under attack. UN reform and beyond must be done with us, not to us. Civil society must have elected accountable representation in UNAT decision making. UNAT must also address civil society's serious concerns regarding proposals to close UNAIDS, concerns endorsed by over 1,000 organizations globally. UNAIDS demonstrates what meaningful participation looks like. Its formal civil society roles in strategy, oversight and accountability show how lived experience and community leadership strengthen governance and impact. This model must become the norm across the UN system that requires clear UN wide standards for civil society engagement, formal roles for grassroots organizations, adequate resourcing and capacity support, removal of linguistic and procedural barriers and strong feedback mechanisms so communities see how their inputs shapes decisions. As we approach this year's high level meeting on hiv, we expect meaningful civil society engagement and feedback. We also call for a UN wide commitment to safeguarding global civic space in the face of organized opposition and protections so criminalized communities, including trans people facing escalating attacks, can participate safely. I thank you. DGC · Deputy Director · Robert Skinner [41:36]: Thank you Mr. Varogis for sharing that on behalf of you. UNAIDS NGO Delegation Important Comments I'll be reading our final intervention in this round sent to us from Mr. Gopal Das from Bolan Medical College in Keta, Pakistan. In a world growing more fragmented by conflict, inequality, climate crises and technology advancements at a pace never before known Civil society, particularly youth, remains essential for building trust in the future of multilateralism. Being myself a youth student, Obviously not me, a youth student from a developing country. The United nations is not just a platform of diplomacy, but a platform of hope to remain accessible, responsive and people centered. Civil society organizations also function as a link between international commitments and local realities. They give a voice to marginalized actors, offer locally based data and ensure that institutions are held accountable for meaningful engagement. It is not enough to have consultations, it is a necessity to have co creation. At the 80th session of the General Assembly, I make a call to institutionalize youth and civil society engagement in agenda setting, implementation and monitoring, especially concerning health equity, climate, digitalization and peace. Reform of the UN for the 21st century must place a high priority on issues of transparency, equity between generations and collaboration in which local knowledge counts. Thank you, Mr. Doss, for sending us your impactful statement. Your Excellency, we now invite your reflections on the interventions and questions in this latest round. Thank you very much and thank you for the in depth question. And as often, there's not the one perfect answer. So I'm not even pretending that there's one perfect answer for you. GA · PGA · Annalena Baerbock [43:27]: Did your remarks on AI and digitalization to maybe start with a positive note on that one, especially as you were mentioning remote areas. And we also know that so far the companies with regard to AI are based only in very, very few countries. However, the whole process over global digital compact, but also the whole debate again the SG started on NI was I would say, really an icebreaker which opened the process, the engagement of many, many countries, companies, individual and also youth. So this is in my point of view, because we always speaking about what doesn't work, a very positive sign. Why also for new topics and things. Seems the United nations is the place where everybody can come together. And if we would debate that only in other institutions, where not every country has a seat at the table, they would be excluded right from the beginning on. So the Scientific Panel, for example, opened the call for proposals and there are hundreds of proposals from all over the world. And it has been agreed that the diversity has to be reflected. And I was attending a meeting in Davos from the African governments, kind of all of them, because it was on the African Free Trade Agreement and they focused mainly on the digital free trade. And in this meeting for myself again you could hear like joining these forces, maybe also using these difficult times where we are discussing trades and tariffs. This could be a unique chance, especially also with regard to the African continent, but also for others, if they join our hands in these first processes that there can be really capacity building all over UN and especially UNEP and other organizations, they have really tailored programs. You spoke about remote areas with regard to skills, with regard to empowerment, younger generations also, for example, the initiatives like UNO Global AI Networks, Global Use, AI Future Innovation, Competition. So they are out there, if they are not known everywhere. We can share the details again and put it again on the positive note coming from one of the so called, even though I don't like it, industrialized countries with new technologies there's always a benefit to leapfrog. So especially with digital payments, for example, we see that in many, many countries not being called industrialized countries in the past, but with new technologies and leapfrogs they are well advanced. So we have to keep this now just the last short note on that one because I spoke about the positive chances. Obviously we know that every technology has also the dangers. So the repetition of old biases is there. You all know it. The algorithm, we know the new system. You send in pictures and suddenly you are as a woman and girl being undressed. So it's not only participation again by all regions of the world, but gender parity, especially with regard to AI is crucial. One number deep fakes, 96 of them are targeted to women engaging in sexual contact. Obviously not willing needs. So these deepfake videos, they are set up to target women, otherwise it would be not 96%. So with regards to algorithm programming, the question again of biases is one of the crucial one. Besides the important point of access, you mentioned the second question coming from Mohammed Yusuf with regard to to the situation in Afghanistan and this is exactly the topic where I say unfortunately we don't have the perfect answer. I agree with everything you said. The situation is horrible is not the right word. These are the most severe human rights violation to half of the society which are women and girls. And therefore I would like to underline maybe a thing which is not known that under the cedaw, a universal Declaration of Human Rights and CEDAW there is a court case. It's a complicated process with regard to the responsibility of Afghanistan as a country under cedaw, obviously in total violation with all the women and girls, right? But we have seen with other court cases, the advisory opinion of the ICJ was clear climate. And again, especially those young people have been called naive when they brought sea level rising to the courts and saying what is this purpose? And then we had this landmark advisory opinion. So one track CEDAW but also with Regard of, I think two ministers responsible for the violation of the right of education to women and girl, I think is one track. We not only have to follow within the court what we have to speak about and member states have to speak about with the support of civil society. And then all the initiatives. Again, this is where you show what you can do in support of governments education with regard to online in schools, making it possible where women, especially older girls can go. Again, funding for these kind of initiatives is. Is crucial. And the third point I would like to make is awareness raising. So it was very good that the Under Secretary General Rosemary DiCarlo just visited Kabul report again in the Security Council because we have everywhere in the world the discussions in these kind of situation, neighboring countries, other countries, normalizing the contacts with the government. And obviously if they drop the topic of the situation of women and girls, it has been always on the top of every discussions. But we have to ensure that it remains and stays there. So thank you very much for raising the important topic, HIV aids, especially for transgender people, lgbtiq. Again, very important topic in my perspective, a topic which is not black and white. Because we're discussing with regard of the proposed mergers, because again, this is a success story also of the UN agencies, civil society and especially the World Health Organization, the rates dropping. I mean, you were speaking about discrimination. But back in time, what we have seen was incredible. So bringing it to the un, having an international organization dealing with, offering support, taking away the taboo, helped so many people to survive, to treat them. So in the whole UN 80 reform process, I think it's very good that we speak about also agencies project where we say we have succeeded, this is a success story. And if a success story is coming to an end, we can be proud. Obviously and member states debated this also in the reform process. We have not succeeded finally, because we have still people living not only with HIV aids, the danger of spreading again, but also the discrimination part. So this is a very important discussion of how you can reduce the work without destroying all the successes you had in the part. And therefore the engagement of civil society is highly important. During the session we will task with convening two high level meetings, one on HIV aids. And I said pandemic prevention and preparedness. And in these discussions there will be the benchmark guiding the discussion for the future of UNH joint program. And also, as I mentioned before, there will be a multi stakeholder interactive human hearing to inform about the negotiations and also to include civil society before the outcome document on the high level meeting in June and The co chairs appointed for the process being announced soon they will, as in other processes more than before, engage also in the outreach with civil society. So thank you for mentioning it again. And the last question being read out again, thank you very much for underlining it. The link between international commitment and local realities. I think we touched it already a bit before so I just briefly repeat it because I think it sounds so simple. But it's not simple and it's very effective. These initiative where we share speaking time and governments are inviting not only young people, you can also do this for civil society to speak on behalf of the national statements or hold the national statement on behalf or together with the national government. I think to have this more and also thematic content and not only in use high level meetings could be very productive. DGC · Deputy Director · Robert Skinner [53:06]: Thank you again Excellency for those comprehensive and thoughtful responses. And to open the next round of interventions, I call on Ms. Rebecca Snyder from the Stimson center who will speak on implementing the Pact for the Future. The floor is yours. Hi all and thank you for organizing this town hall. My name is Rebecca Snyder and I'm the Coordinator of the Global Governance Innovation Network. Global Governance Innovation Network · Coordinator · Rebecca Snyder [53:27]: We are currently supporting the PACT Innovation Forum which is an independent, multi stakeholder platform designed to help realize the full potential of the PACT for the Future Declaration on Future Generations and Global Digital Compact's actions and commitments. The PACT Innovation Forum is a dynamic service oriented project consisting of motivated partners from UN missions, the UN system and civil society, including Global Governance Innovation Network, scholars and policy researchers and the Coalition for the UNE Supported Impact Coalitions. It features two flagship activities, a PACT Innovation Plan which provides practical guidance, visualizations and evidence based options to facilitate PACT follow through and a PACT Monitoring Toolkit which pulls together existing as well as proposed new indicators to complement official efforts to gauge progress on the road to the official September 2028 pact for the Future review. We have supported and are eager to continue to lend assistance to PACT follow through and monitoring. And in this regard we would be thankful to hear your thoughts and suggestions on the avenues available for engaging scholars and policy researchers in the follow through to the September 2024 summit of the future. DGC · Deputy Director · Robert Skinner [54:31]: Thank you. Thank you Ms. Snyder. And thank you for keeping a pack focus on the pact. Our next question comes from Ms. Censka O'. Donnell. Ms. O' Donnell from the organization. Women fill voice we are glad you could join us today. The floor. Speaker 22 [54:50]: Right? DGC · Deputy Director · Robert Skinner [54:53]: Ms. O', Donnell, if you're here, can you please raise your hand so we can get the microphone on? Oh, okay. Women for Voice and Activist · CEO · Senska O’Donnell [55:01]: Excellency, Madame Annalina BER Buck President of the General Assembly, Distinguished delegates, members of civil Society My name is Senska o'. Donnell. I am Haitian born and raised, a mother and the CEO of Women for Voice and Activist. I stand here not just with a statement, but with a scream from the soul of my homeland, Haiti. Excellency Madam President, distinguishing delegate. I cannot show my son our family home lost in 2010 earthquake because that street is now controlled by gangs who weaponize rape against women and girls. A child's right to memory and heritage is held hostage by violence and Port au Prince while political actors debate powers. Our terms are simple. The right for a woman to walk safely and a child to learn without fear. This crisis is stripping away our very feeling of humanity, our safety, hope and tomorrow. Civil society plays a cross critical role, but the United nations has a responsibility to ensure that the protection of women rights translate into meaningful action through support for women led initiatives, accountability for violations and inclusive decision making processes. We need that mission activated with decision, decisive action, not just observation. Eradicating this violence is a political choice that must be fueled by a human choice, the choice for unwavering compassion. My question is how do you ensure compassion is actively included in policy rather than just processes? Because compassion can move humanity forward in Haiti and elsewhere. Thank you. DGC · Deputy Director · Robert Skinner [57:04]: Thank you, Ms. O', Donnell, for those important thoughts and important question. The next intervention comes remotely for Mr. Prince Gaya Wyu of the Liberian Youth for Environmental Safety and Development, whose statement I will read. Ensuring grassroots movements, especially youth and women's organizations, can have a real voice in United nations processes will require both structural reforms and practical strategies. Here are some important and comprehensive actions for ensuring grassroots movements, especially youth and women's organizations, have a real voice in United nations processes. First, institutionalized participation. We need to create formal consultative mechanisms where grassroots organizations can submit input directly to UN bodies, some similar to ECOSOC consultative status but simplified. For smaller organizations, we need to establish permanent youth and women's advisory councils attached to UN agencies, ensuring their perspectives are integrated into decision making. Second, accessible platforms. We need to expand digital participation tools, online consultations, hybrid meetings so grassroots groups from remote areas to can contribute without prohibitive travel costs. Third, capacity building. We should offer training programs for grassroots leaders on UN processes, negotiation and advocacy. We should provide funding and scholarships to enable participation of underrepresented groups. Fourth, partnerships with civil society. We need to Strengthen collaboration between UN agencies and local NGOs, women's networks and and youth movements. End of statement A very important statement for Mr. Way and I hope that we are through our participation of remote participants in this, helping to alleviate some of those questions on the prohibitive travel cost. We always welcome and hope people will be here in the room with us, of course, because the interaction is the best. But the fact that we can do this and have these questions remotely I think is very important. The final question comes to us from Broad from Mr. Obedience John from the center for Initiative and Development, Taraba in Nigeria. And again I will read Mr. John's question in the context of the UNAD initiative. What concrete steps will the General assembly take to ensure that civil society organizations from low and middle income countries, particularly grassroots youth and women led groups, are systematically included in decision making processes beyond consultation and that their contributions meaningfully influence outcomes? Thank you Mr. John for that important question. And over to you, your excellency. GA · PGA · Annalena Baerbock [59:49]: Thank you for the important questions and also recommendations. Again I won't comment due to time. Many, many things also we discussed here before. So thank you for the important input on the institutionalized information sharing and also participation of civil society and also the digital participation. I would say especially after the pandemic we have used way more ways also today, but also in other meetings for doing this and also with regard to the UNAD process, this will be enlarged also in other so we are on our track what Prince Gailer was suggesting and also Obed. In addition to that, the Pact dedicated the implementation team which is housed in the Executive office of the Secretary General, especially also with regard to the inclusion of the civil society. So the pact has taken taking their step forward for the institutionalization of the exchange. To your concrete question, Rebecca, we will have, as I said before, the pact review commitments and acknowledges in different meetings. So when we review again how we implement different parts of the pact in a series of discussions and as in the past, we will be interactive in nature in the digital way, but also in person. And these series for the implementation of the Pact are open to ECOSOC and accredited NGOs. So I hope to see many of you in this series as well with regards to your question. Not only your question Senska, but also sharing your story. Well first of all, thank you very much for sharing it. Again, this is especially important in these times because we all hope that with Resolution 1325, with regard to all the work we and women before us did for women, peace and security, also again with courts, that rape is being seen as a method of warfare, that it's a crime against humanity, that you will be held accountable to this. This has been progress in the past, yet When I was speaking about headwinds, unfortunately, we as women in conference halls, but even more around the world and unfortunately in the battlefields are also feeling the backlashes here. So there are some trying to delete gender, women, women, peace and security out of resolution. So it's so important that you and hopefully many others share. Again, I know it's again, the stories and the importance, exactly what you said. I don't want to repeat it because your voice is the credible voice. We have to hear it about Haiti, but it's everywhere. I've been myself at the frontline in Ukraine, women telling me, if women are not safe, nobody is safe. The same. The women in Iran are saying the same. The women in Gaza are saying the same. The women in Sudan are saying, so this is our work. In the afternoon, I will go to the Peace Building Commission saying the same there. This is also part of the Peace Building Commission. We know that also the Peace Building Commission is under pressure. So thank you for sharing. As you know better than myself in the Security Council Council, Haiti is a topic. We have the discussion with the missions. But sharing your story here and remembering that also with regards to the work of the Security Council and Haiti and the mission, women participation in it and addressing the rape, addressing the pressure not only on women, but on children is heavily important. So thank you. Thank you very much. I think these were all the questions. DGC · Deputy Director · Robert Skinner [1:03:59]: Yes. No. Thank you, your excellency, again, for those comprehensive and direct responses. Now comes the tricky time for the moderator, and that's when we open the floor to questions. And just a couple of ground rules. We have about 20 minutes for questions, so I would ask everyone to be respectful and keep your questions short. I consider myself generally a nice person, but I will cut you off if it appears that you're making a very long statement. Statement rather than asking a question, because these are intended to be questions for the pga. We're going to take three at a time, and we'll get through as many as we can in this 20 minutes that we that we have left for the session. So I will open the floor. I know there's a hand up here in the tan jacket. You had your hand up first? Yes, please. Speaker 28 [1:04:59]: Thank you. Good afternoon. Hi, Robert. How are you? Her Excellency, Analina Baerbock. First of all, I want to just say you rock. And I'm coming to you about artists. Okay. I've been working with the UN with artists for many years, but how do we bring artists in? And I would like to work with your office to do so to bring artists in from all over the world, the ones who are unknown, known, well known, because they can influence the work that we do. Okay. They can make a difference not across a city, but across a country. And the way that we integrate them in and give them a seat at the table with each member state is very important. So how do you feel we can do that? And I'm at your service because. Because I've worked with a lot of them. Thank you. DGC · Deputy Director · Robert Skinner [1:05:50]: Thank you. And that's roughly the ideal length of the question. I'm going to go here in the corner. Also in a tan sweater. Yes. Galladez Black Woman Institute · Focal Point · Leticia Leobert [1:05:57]: Thank you. Now. Thank you. Madam President and colleagues. I am Leticia Leobert, focal point of the recently established stakeholder group of People Africa the Sand. And I am represent Galladez Black Woman Institute from Brazil. As we mark the 80th anniversary of United nations, civil society recognizes the need for reform to strengthen the organization in fragmented times. However, we are increasingly concerned that amid political pressures, the human rights pillar is being weakened, including commitments to gender and racial justice and. And specifically anti racism. In the context of UN reforms, there is a real risk that existing anti racist mandate may be dulled rather than strengthened. As we approach the 2550th anniversary of Durban declaration and program of action, my question is how will the President of General assembly ensure that reform process reinforce rather than undermine the human rights pillar and that anti racism remains a visible and accountable priority in the next General assembly cycle? Thank you. DGC · Deputy Director · Robert Skinner [1:07:25]: Thank you. I'm going to go in front here to this gentleman with the suit and tie on. You, sir, with your hands still up. Yes. WHO · Member [1:07:36]: I don't know if the mic is on. I'm part of the WHO's civil society task Force on Antibiotic resistance and my question is antibiotic resistance is a cross border crisis that no country can solve alone. What can the UN do to play a stronger convening and coordinating role to ensure coherent global action to control antimicrobial resistance? And how can civil society contribute to these efforts? DGC · Deputy Director · Robert Skinner [1:08:07]: Great, thank you. Well done, group. That was three. So over to you, Excellency. GA · PGA · Annalena Baerbock [1:08:16]: Well, the last question was very sharp and short, but I'm not a doctor, not a biologist, so I want to be very open and frank. Yeah. So under the World Health Organization and with regard to all the discussions we are having around the resolution on health, this will be a topic, but how deeply imprecise with antimicrobial resistance. We will have to come back to you in this process and what part it is directly in it. But on the broader level on the health issue, as I said, also on women's issues, it's not self given. So there are many, many lessons learned from the past. But now we have to ensure in all the high level meetings and the upcoming resolutions that they get hopefully the consensual or big majority support. Here we had the discussion about the NCDs, nonconumerable diseases, again I would say a process with big participation from different form of civil society. So on the led of World Health Organization, but for example also in cooperation with the International Olympic Committee because including sports in these kind of discussions with many, many different universities around the world, this is exactly the alliances we need, especially in times when topics might come under pressure that this is not being seen as a single issue topic but a cross sectional topic for all different parts of life, society and member states. And this goes a bit also to your question. Thank you very much. With regard to anti racism, this is a cross sectional topic, so you were highlighting, I would say very correctly with regard to the human rights pillar. But in these times for me it's very important to underline there won't be any sustainable development. We won't reach the 2030 agenda if we are not sharp on human rights because these are rights mainly in the SDGs. There's a right of education, there's a right of water, there's a right to health, there's a right of women. So the interconnecting them is heavily important. And especially again with anti racism for myself, because you asked what is the PGA doing? I'm trying to look at anti every topic in exactly this approach that it's interconnected and make these relations. For example, yesterday we had the memorial of the Holocaust survivor and having the debate on antisemitism. But I underlined in my speech that antisemitism has been always based and especially with the horrible crimes of the Holocaust of Nazi Germany, on dehumanization people, on putting them against others, on singling out Jews just because they were Jews, on their religion. But also I underline it and many others as well, singling out sinti and Roma, singling out those who back then Nazis believed that they were inhuman and this is a responsibility and I said that yesterday in the General assembly hall to fight antisemitism and also fight when there's racial profiling at your neighbor's door next to you. Also fight Islamophobia. Also fight against sexism and homophobia because it's all coming down to dehumanization and questioning whether the person next to you has the same rights. So thank you very much for upholding it. And. On the other hand you mentioned and specifically Durban Declaration, the important milestones we are having, some might say. So why do we have always these anniversary years? Especially in these times, it's important to uphold them and not celebrate them, but always draw the lesson. What does it mean today, speaking about where the numbers are still high or even increasing again with regard to racism or any other form of dehumanization. I forgot to answer, Rebecca, sorry from the round before, because you asked precisely engage also trainees and interns in the work. So also in the OPGA of the office of the President of the General assembly we do have junior professional offices and also training for JPOs and maybe also you can share it. It's like with questions. The office is very small, so we are a bit more than 40 people working there, so we can only take four fellows. But the call is out or will come out very very soon. So you could also share it, especially with people from further away. With regard to the artist, thank you very much and a team member also will come to you afterwards because for the International Women's Day we are planning a big campaign. I cannot spoil it right now, but hopefully you will see it around the 8th of March. But it's especially altered with artists. So we come back to you yet. There's a long story of the UN in partnership, especially from the Department of Global Communication. So as you know, filmmakers, musicians, very known and famous people from all around the world. Sudan, Mali, Colombia, Lebanon and lobbying them as well to participate in our campaign here as well. But we are always happy to have even more on board again, especially in times where some people are not speaking up as they did before. It needs even more voices from all around the world. DGC · Deputy Director · Robert Skinner [1:14:07]: So thank you for your engagement there. Great. I can't wait to hear more about that campaign. I'm looking to forward to it and see how we can support ourselves. There are lots of hands and I see some of you are familiar with the technique of putting on your light to request the floor. Speaker 36 [1:14:21]: So you've been in a lot of meetings before. I am going to go into the upper section for this round to start with all the way in the back, last row. Yes. Her Excellency, Madam President. Good afternoon. Regarding your focus on better together, which also encompasses energy related question, what the General assembly is doing to balance the. Need for grid scale renewable energy technologies with the need to address energy poverty. For over 600 million people in least developed countries. DGC · Deputy Director · Robert Skinner [1:14:57]: Thank you. Thank you. I'm going to go in the first row of the second level there. Yes, you. Just. For those. When the light's green, it's getting ready, but then they're finding you when it goes red, you can speak. IMPACT Coalition on Strengthening International Judicial Institutions · Co-Convener · Rebecca Shute [1:15:21]: Thank you. My name is Rebecca Shute and I'm the co convener of one of the IMPACT Coalitions, the IMPACT Coalition on Strengthening International Judicial Institutions. Madam President, in your vision statement, you emphasize the UN Charter, the rule of law, and a revitalized multilateral system capable of delivering peace and security. At a time when Security Council paralysis, often linked to the use of the veto, has constrained collective action in the face of serious violations, international judicial institutions play an essential role. So my question is, what concrete steps can Member States take to support the integrity, independence and effective use of institutions such as the International Court of Justice and the International Crisis Criminal Court? And how can these efforts complement ongoing discussions on Security Council reform, including restraint in the use of the P5 veto? Thank you. Thank you. And thank you for the work on the IMPACT Coalition. I'm going to go to the gentleman who's had this light on for a long time. DGC · Deputy Director · Robert Skinner [1:16:15]: I'm going to honor the light. Yes. No, no, I'm the gentleman to your left there. Yeah, yeah. Sorry. Yeah. Oh, here. Yeah, there we go. You're on. It's on. Yeah. Thank you, Mr. President. Speaker 40 [1:16:35]: As a young African from Chad, I would like ask how to United Nation can better include voices from local communities and virtual countries in global decision making. In places like Chad, youth and community group often responds first to challenge in peace, education and climate. How can the UN work more closely with these local actors to create a real and lasting impact on the ground? Thank you. DGC · Deputy Director · Robert Skinner [1:17:11]: Thank you. And I'm going to go right here, ma'. Am. Again, I seem to have lots of tan and white sweaters. Thank you. Yeah, you're on. You're on now. Can you hear us? Speaker 42 [1:17:23]: Thank you, Excellency. So my question is about the Article 109. Could you activate it with the General Secretary? And because we have, I have a huge opportunity during the 15th Congress of Crime Prevention and Criminal justice, which will occur in Abu Dhabi. My topic has been selected as an ancillary conference. It is a huge opportunity to take together all the civil society to be aware about how we can help UN for revising the UN Charter. And it will be something we can do together. And we will really want to help UN to make the people aware about the importance of that fact. As you said before, thank. DGC · Deputy Director · Robert Skinner [1:18:23]: Could you just be a little more concrete on specifically what Space you're talking about working in. Well, Article 109 was mandatory for the General assembly to revise the UN charter. So that was the revising, mandatory revising of that article. So why we don't understand why you don't do it. Because it was mandatory. And actually pga, I hope you'll forgive me. That was four questions. So I went one extra back to you. GA · PGA · Annalena Baerbock [1:19:02]: Thank you. And in all my papers I lost a bit. The first one before energy. The one before energy. DGC · Deputy Director · Robert Skinner [1:19:11]: Was the first one. I believe the first question was on the green skills and energy. Yeah, it was okay. GA · PGA · Annalena Baerbock [1:19:24]: Question again topic very dear to my heart and then also going with the different sets up see which is important for discussion also under UN 80 because we have such a strong body with UNFCCC. So the UN Convention on Fighting Climate Change and also the results out of UNFCCC which has led us and again I would say a positive story. We have to celebrate. 2015 was obviously the Paris Agreement and we are only 10 years later. You have been engaged in international diplomacy for a long time. 10 years in international diplomacy is kind of nothing. Yes, the world is burning. We see that sea level is rising. However, we have been on a 4 degrees pathway 10 years ago and now we at least succeeded to come rather to a 3 degrees pathway. This is still not 1.5 degrees pathway. But again I think it's very important to keep what we have achieved altogether and to build on that one. However big member states leaving UNFCCC knowing that within UNFCC you need unanimity. Looking at the NCDS which are currently there, they are not on a 1.5 degrees track. There's also intense debate within the membership and also with regard to the Climate Secretariat to say how can we bring the climate topic closer to the General assembly debate. So one point I mentioned already the advisory opinion on sea level rise. I know that many small island state countries are also discussing currently how to bring the findings into the General Assembly. We had that also with other advisory opinions with other topics to bring it into the General Assembly. Then we have also the strong connect in the SDGs. Fighting climate crisis is part of the SDGs. So it's anyway in the 2030 agenda. And the President of ECOSOC and I we are having a joint meeting and a joint event GA and ecosoc especially on the point of energy security, infrastructure, climate change. For those countries where energy security is still a challenge, it is embedded in the goal number seven and it has been also a promise of the Paris Agreement electrifying Africa Was one of the promises. Besides fighting the climate crisis. And obviously we are lacking behind, there is the biggest investments in renewable energy, especially in solar, in the last year. Again something to celebrate, however, mainly in Asia and in Europe. So now the question is, how can we bring these installations to the places where you underlined so importantly, there is no electrification yet, but also where there's a highest potential potential, which is in many, many African places. So working together not only with the unfccc, but also with irena, the International Agency for Renewable Energy, the international energy agencies, to deliver the techniques we are having there, again, I would say the positive story, especially on climate, is there are negative tipping points, melting and things we cannot draw back, but they are also positive one. And this is in a capitalized world, the investments, no investor wants to have stranded investments. So you can deny the climate crisis, even though it's happening. You can also say we don't like it, but the investments are going on anyway. So this is, I think, the positive trend. And now we have to make sure that this is accessible all around the world and not being sidelined by discussion to question again whether we need more solar or wind. Obviously, for many remote places, this is the only way to get electricity, because you won't build a big fossil power plant somewhere in a remote area where you don't even have an electric grid. Rebecca, your question from the impact collision again, very important question, I guess a question which is very, very tricky because we know since the international order is under pressure, human rights, international law, international humanitarian law, especially under pressure also institutions like the icc, which again an important body for international law, a milestone also again for fighting war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Yet also five years ago, not all the countries around the world have signed it, and especially also with P5 countries. So I think this is especially a topic where we have to be realistic in a sense that it's different than, for example, with the charter. And I come back to Article 109, but where everybody has signed it and for the ICC it's different. However, it is part of the UN family. It is an important part for justice in this house. So in this International Law Week, all the legal experts from all around the world, I think you participated as well, had exactly this discussion, how to strengthen it. There are also proposals, for example with regard to Kampala, how to even broaden it with the war of aggression. So in times where they are backlashed, it doesn't mean we have to stop the other steps forward. So continuation on strengthening international law is crucial. Having said that unilateral coercive measures on judges or on institutions, this is illegal by law, you don't have to join a court. This is a free and independent decision of countries. But having coercive measures of on judges who are working on behalf of the United nations is something different. And for this again it needs other member states to speak up to protect the integrity of the court, be it the icc, be it the icj, for the work they are doing for all of us. And thanks again for the engagement. Also in that topic, for the question from the gentleman from Jut, the engagement with local communities, I think a part of the answer already before this, especially in my point of view, the engagement in the different thematic works, participation in high level meetings which are on youth participation, for example, on civil society participation is very, very important for us who work in the institution. So for me it's very, very fruitful. But for the work for the people on the ground, the engagement in climate topics, the engagement in women rights topics, the engagement on health care topics on the round, this is really where the expertise of grassroots communities and experts like you is heavily needed. So this is why in the reform process it is so important that we, we use it as a chance where for the agencies and the actors on the ground it is easier to engage to participate. And as I mentioned before, UNV is in my point of view really good examples how you can do it on a very good level. And other institutional agencies said already this is something we would like to learn from. And also in the past there has been this enlargement of working way more with local staff and locally recruited people. And this is also one of the proposals in the UNAD reform for Article 109. I would say it always depends. If we're having debates in a theoretical academic sphere, then one could write a wonderful thesis about why we would need to review the Charter, how we could overcome the blockage of the Security Council, which is obviously hindering especially the UN to deliver on peace and security. But then if you double check it with the reality and what it would mean in the end, in a time where there have been also proposals of another Charter around there you always have to question yourself what it would mean to open Pandora's box. And in a time where I at least gave an introduction here, that it's time to stand up to defend the Charter and where we're speaking about that we have to again fight the battles women have fought 30 years ago on women peace and security and where we have to discuss again that human rights is a third pillar of the UN and without it the UN cannot stand. I don't know if it's strategically the best situation to use Article 109 and to say, okay, now we question all of it. If we can close this charter in a better way again. So I propose as a President of the General assembly that in this 80th session, similar as we did in the 75th session, to resign first of all, the charter again on SATA Signature day. So this will start in the upcoming months, hopefully in the 75th session. Every member state did that again. Yet we are in a big reform process. So this is not saying that we should not look what we have to reform. And especially with regard to the Security Council, the IGN process, as many of you know as well, this has been a constant review process of the work of the Security Council. Once that also we have had that already for more than 15 years. Obviously we didn't move forward. I would say in these kind of situation, maybe there is a bigger chance to bring the different proposals at the table. So it can be also, especially in these times, that part of reviewing, we don't know if we are reforming, but reviewing things might be workable. So the co chairs I've appointed from Kuwait and from the lender, the Lens, they are doing now an intensive outreach also to the P5. We have also heard P5 speaking in the general assembly saying we with regard to the veto initiative, for example, set up by Lichtenstein and others, or we haven't used the veto ourselves for many, many years. So I think there is some movement. So it's not concretely with regard to Review and Article 109, if member states would like to do it, it needs a 2/3 majority to start the process. And nine members of the UN Security Council at the moment, they are not there yet. But it doesn't mean that we are not working on the other reform aspects in the meantime. DGC · Deputy Director · Robert Skinner [1:30:35]: Unfortunately, we've come to the end of our time for Q and A. I know there are lots of hands still up, but the schedules are tight for everyone and we have to close. But pj, thank you so much for those honest, transparent, you know, thorough answers that you provided and just for being willing to take the questions from the floor unscripted. I think we would all love everyone to do that all the time, but it doesn't always happen. And that was made the exchange particularly special, I think. So I wanted to give you a round of applause for doing that. And now, I mean you've answered all those questions so thoroughly and completely. I don't know if you want any Friday, any closing remarks, general remarks to the group before we close. No, the Q and A is finished. I'm sorry, we're at time. I'm sorry we have to close it, otherwise we'll have to open it to everybody else. I apologize and given the time and for me it was very important to hear many, many questions and give answers. I'm also not giving a big summary because the exchange is the important point. GA · PGA · Annalena Baerbock [1:31:48]: And also coming to your point, the SG selection process it's just starting right now. So I had a call also for member states for appointments applications. You heard that we will have the hearing starting on April 20th and within this process we will discuss way further and also with civil society organizations for the further steps engagement. You're invited to participate. I would like to thank you for today but even more for the works in the last weeks and months and for many for the last years. You're the United nations and I'm very positive that you will stand up and show up whenever the UN needs you. Thank you. Thank you so much. DGC · Deputy Director · Robert Skinner [1:32:35]: Thank you so much and thanks to everyone for the engaging and thoughtful discussion today. Your questions, insights and experience are a reminder of the essential role that you all play play in shaping a more effective, accountable and people centered United nations and truly better together was completely reflected.