Annalena Baerbock, President of the 80th session of the General Assembly, on her tenure and the way forward - Press Conference Press Conferences Date: 3 September 2026 Language: English Transcript: https://transcripts.un.org/en/asset/k1v/k1v65a9aje Transcripts available through this tool are created by using automatic speech recognition and are not official records nor official documents of the United Nations. Official records and official documents are available on the Official Document System of the United Nations. --- GA · Spokesperson · L'Anise [0:02]: Hello, good morning everyone. Lovely to see you all here. And as promised, you would see me one more time before the end of the session. I am very pleased to invite our PGA for the 80th session, Her Excellency Anna Lena Bererbach here to speak with you as she brings her session to an end. The President of General Assembly will make a few short remarks and then we will have time for some questions. 00 PM because of the noon press briefing. So we will take questions in groups and get through as many as we can. And when you ask your questions, if you could state your name and your organization, and we will get through as many of your queries as we can in the time that we have. But without further ado, I'd like to turn the floor over to the President of the General Assembly for the 80th session, Annalena Baerbock. GA · PGA · Annalena Baerbock [1:03]: Thank you, Lannys. Good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining for what will be my last briefing as President of the General Assembly of the 80th session. And I would like to start by thanking all of you, the press here in New York, but also the colleagues online from around the world who cover this institution and tonight the shortcomings of the United Nations the triumphs the debates the resolutions and here especially you also the discussions on reform and budgets like today hopefully one big reform step the merger with UN Inter delivering on UNAD and delivering on work stream three On this phase, these can seem like little details, technical things, especially on the reform debates, very bureaucratic, but in their totality, what you are covering here in New York can mean a difference sometimes about life and death every day. It's the difference between a conflict raging on or a peaceful resolution that brings a conflict to an end. between having the UN on the ground delivering humanitarian aid to a world of famine or leaving thousands to starve. What we discuss here and what you cover means the difference between gathering healthcare surveillance data that prevents the outbreak of a pandemic or watching a global health crisis unstretched because we could not agree on a joint resolution. And it lately also means the difference between thousands of mandates being lost in space or taking a political decision in the Security Council of ending a war. And you as journalists bring the work of this organization to the people around the world in different languages and in many forms. And I'm grateful for the coverage you provide. Those of you who have been there when I started the 80th session, many questions also in this room, many back home in my country, whether this House of Diplomacy was still relevant or whether it would be unable to act due to the fragmented times in which we find ourselves globally. And this is exactly why I began my term saying that we are at a crossroads and that we have to take a decision from the beginning on in this AIDS session. Do we allow the lack of consensus, the weight of bureaucracy and the rise of a world in which might makes right to parallel this organization and this AIDS session or Do we redefine our daily work, leave the comfort zone of business as usual due to the headwinds we face, and take a clear decision of facing the headwinds all together, especially seeing the attacks on the charter, but as I said in general, also the attacks on the UN institution itself. And indeed, we have seen that in kind of every negotiation and every decision brought before the Assembly. But we have also taken a proactive decision at the crossroads. We choose to have new forms of leadership. We choose a new commitment to the UN Charter and a willingness to confront long overdue questions of UNAD and UN reform in this ADIS session. And it was precisely in this context that I also choose the theme of Better Together, 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights on all the three principle. For me, this better together compromised a simple conviction. When divisions deepen and our shared challenges become more complex, the value of multilateralism becomes even more important. Because no single day would the world be better off without the United Nations, for no single country. And when we join forces cross-regional, we can indeed be better together every day. And I've seen that all over this A/DS session, sharing the Assembly. Many debates were not covered around the world, but I saw the determination, the diplomacy, the courage and the progress which remains even the headwinds or maybe because of the headwinds. It was true from the beginning on also for peace and security. When the Security Council remained deadlocked, cross-regional alliance started in the General Assembly here in New York in the high-level week just one year ago by adopting, not in consensus, but by more than 140 member states, the New York Declaration, which led to renewed diplomatic efforts to end the war in Gaza and to the adoption of UN Security Council resolution 2803. The Security Council was deadlocked, but the General Assembly enabled the decision taking a couple of weeks after. When the need for consensus threatened to undermine a political declaration also in other fields, be it on global health or on humanitarian assistance, And some, yes, indeed feared that we would be blocked for a whole session. Again, member states took a proactive decision that if consensus is not possible, then we have to go for the vote. And we saw after that in all the resolutions we passed that the vote even united the majority of member states more than before because I've shared over many resolutions and many decisions where in the end it was only a handful, sometimes only three, two or even one voting against it. So indeed in this 80th session, besides all the headwinds, besides all the fragmented times out in the world, here inside the building, Member States were more united than divided. And indeed, we even opened a new entirely chapter for the United Nations in the field of AI. Again, a debate which has been there for years, no consensus for years, but in this 80th session, yes, because we took a vote at the end. For the first time ever, an independent international scientific panel on AI was established, composed not only from experts from all around the world, but also for the first time in gender parity. So again, a new chapter for this institution, gender parity is possible in all forms of work. And we also had the global dialogue on AI governance in July in Geneva. So a question with this, I would say the global question at the moment, how to regulate AI, the decisions in the future will be made also with the help of the United Nations. As you know me now over this year, anyway, I'm not a fan of sugar coating and frankly speaking indeed while sharing, I have asked myself many times how many blows can this house of diplomacy endure, especially if the UN, if we are not ready to reform ourselves. Because without question, the UN will not, I would say, survive in this fragmented and in this harsh time. We need less bureaucracy and we need to be way more effective and efficient in a digitalized world. And this is why implementing UNAD reform measures was besides protecting the charter, my second priority of my presidency. And we made progress on several fronts, including the adoption of reduced budget, finally advancing the reforms to change the financial rules that required UN to return funds that were never received in the first place. And again, it has been tried in sessions before, but in this session it was finally possible. We also had the landmark adoption of the resolution on mandate creation to deliver on workstream two, to reduce the mandate, to reduce the resolution and to implement the thousands of mandates already discussed and adopted in the past. And yes, we are still in the midst of reducing way more duplication between committees, between Geneva, between New York, and also between the Security Council and the General Assembly. But we have also seen what reducing of duplication could mean by implementing a speaking time limit. Again, this was a highly controversial topic, especially the automatic microphone cuts off, but in my point of view, it makes debates not only more effective and efficient, but it also delivers on the promise of this House that every Member State does not only have a seat at the table, but also has a voice and can be heard by others. The same counts for the reduction of the high-level meeting during the high-level week. I hope you benefit from that one as well, but again, this is only a starting point. And therefore, today was also a good moment to deliver on workstream three. Some of you might have followed it, the merger with UNITA and UN staff system colleague, because the work and the reform has to obviously also include all the agencies around the world. And for first time, the General Assembly, so member states now took action on merging institutions instead of only setting up new institutions. As I always said during this session, you have to be a structural optimist if you are in diplomacy, otherwise you should choose a different field of work. But this doesn't mean that you are not realistic. And obviously, besides all the successes we could achieve, we have seen more wars and conflicts. We have seen the blockage in the Security Council on on peace and security and despite the reform steps I just described, many, many remain to be done. So the next president of the General Assembly, my successor, and the next Secretary General will inherit the enormous responsibility of leading this organization through profound uncertainty and change also in the 81st session. And the selection of that leader has therefore been the third defining responsibility of my time in office. As you know, we have worked to make this process and the selection process more open, more transparent, more inclusive, strengthening the role of the General Assembly as has been requested by member states in the resolution in the 79th session, but also in many, many years before. We structured the process and gave member states and civil society opportunity to engage directly with the candidates about their vision for the future of the organization and their ability to lead in these turbulent times. In total, we had eight interactive dialogues, all of them for three hours long. Yesterday, at a little farewell, I pulled out my secret list to ask which of the PRs has been there for eight times three hours, in total, 1,440 minutes. I don't ask who of you has covered all these interactive dialogues. But I'm thankful that you spread these discussions around the world, especially also the town hall we organized. Because the choice UN makes about the 10th Secretary General will send a message about whether this organization truly represents the people it is meant to serve, and as you know, of whom are half women and girls. Who leads this organization matters not only to the people in this building, but to billions of people around the world, and I therefore strongly encourage the continuation of this spirit of openness and scrutiny through the final stages of the selection and appointment process of the next Secretary General. And as my successor, PJ Lukatoff, has done 10 years ago, I will also hand over a letter or report to encourage that it is a joint effort of the General Assembly and the Security Council to find a transparent and inclusive way. As we all know, one year is only a moment and one year in the 81 year history of this institution is only a glimpse. So none of us can complete the work alone. I have continued the work my predecessors have done before. I am in close exchange with my successor in this transition phase, and I've tried my best to leave the United Nations stronger than we found it and to ensure that it remains capable of delivering for the people who we depend upon it and to protect the charter in every second. As I leave office, I would like to thank also in this press conference the Secretary General Antonio Guterres and his whole team, especially on UNAD. I think we have spent almost night and day together to deliver to make this institution stronger and by that protect it. I would also like to thank the 21 General Assembly Vice Presidents, the 53 co-facilitators who in the spirit of Better Together supported in total 26 processes and colleagues across the UN Secretariat who supported over 100 meetings in this 80th session, the consideration of over 300 resolutions, I'm not so sure if we should be proud of that or not because we want to reduce resolution and as I said eight interactive dialogues and the smooth functioning of the UN process and the ADIS session in total for me this has been really teamwork in the spirit of better together in a time where multilateralism faces pushbacks member states came together to defend the charter and the United Nations every single day and I'm very thankful that I had the honor of sharing this for one year thank you. GA · Spokesperson · L'Anise [16:04]: Thank you. PGA Barbach. Yes, questions. Okay. Namo, we have -- I'm sorry. Namo, hold on just a second. Valeria, I saw your hand up. Then Namo, and then you, sir. ANSA · Journalist · Valeria Robeco [16:13]: Thank you. Thank you so much, L'Anise. And thank you, Madam President. And thank you so much for having been so open and accessible to us journalists throughout your presidency. It's Valeria Robeco from ANSA News Wire. And thank you on behalf of the UN Correspondent Association. My question is, if you could leave one piece of unfinished business to your successor desk, you just told that you have many, of course, after only one year, but one reform you started and you care much about it, but you couldn't complete, what would it be? GA · Spokesperson · L'Anise [16:45]: Okay, we'll take two more. Number yes. Rudaw · Journalist · Namo Abdullah [16:51]: Thank you very much, Madam President. This is Namo Abdullah with Rudaw Media Network. Madam President, you took office, as you noted, promising better together. Since then, the world has seen more wars, not fewer; strikes on sovereign capitals; a new war in the Gulf that reignited yesterday; a European war entering its fifth year; and U.N. agencies remain underfunded. Leaving today is the honest verdict: that the world chose alone instead of better together? And what did the General Assembly do under you that a paralyzed Security Council could not? Thank you. GA · Spokesperson · L'Anise [17:29]: Okay, we'll take one more for this. Canada Free Press · Journalist · Joseph Klein [17:30]: Yeah, Joseph Klein, Canada Free Press. You talked about the transparency of the selection process of the Secretary General, but you were critical of the Security Council for sort of jumping ahead in taking a straw poll on at least one of the candidates before the General Assembly had a chance to go through the process you described, the interactive sessions. Can you elaborate on that and do you have any recommendations for further enhancements of transparency in the process? Thank you. GA · Spokesperson · L'Anise [18:09]: Okay, we will take those, that group of three questions. GA · PGA · Annalena Baerbock [18:12]: Thank you, maybe I'll start with the last. Other steps I took, I did not take out of the blue by myself, but they were all based on longstanding calls by member states over years, especially over the last 10 years since we had the last big selection of Antonio Guterres. So there are proposals which did not make it in the resolution, for example, many member states called that the Security Council should appoint two, and then the General Assembly would really have a choice of different candidates. There has been also the call in the past that there's a straw poll within the General Assembly before it goes to straw polls in the Security Council. Obviously, there was no consensus in the last session on that one. So this is why I took the steps I could take with regard to more transparency, especially ensuring that everybody is participating in the interactive dialogues. because this is a place where Member States can ask a question. And as you asked also for recommendation, I think one of these interactive dialogue we organized 48 hours. So even if not everybody is following the timetable we agreed last October on, there cannot be any bypassing of the General Assembly and their interactive dialogues. I believe it matters so much because, as we all discussed many times, this House is not in good shape and we see the attacks of those who do not believe in multilateralism anyway. But I have also seen, and this is also already part of the answer from the second question, I have seen every day in this House a vast majority because 140 or 160 is not the minority, it's the majority who are standing up to defend this United Nations. And I've even seen more young people, I've seen indigenous people, I've seen survivors of genocides, I've seen elder people and children engaging for the UN, sometimes not even knowing what the emblem is on making this world a better place. And those are the strongest defender of this institution. And if we allow a process again where behind closed doors somebody will be chosen who is not defending all the three principles of this organization, the biggest danger is that the strongest supporters, the people around the world for this institution, would also question the credibility of this house and therefore I also always repeated not what I said myself but what member states called for that after 80 years you have to consider if this organization is living up to their own principles if again a woman would be not selected so it is the core about the credibility of this house whether it practices what it preaches and therefore the transparency in my point of view and also the spirit of SG for the whole membership is so important and that comes to the second question the Very important points you raised, more wars in the world, the blockage of the Security Council. It would be amazing if there could be a single person in the world solving the blockage of five members, but as we know, the answer to that would be a Security Council reform, and to that, the permanent five have to agree, and these times not really realistic. So therefore, I defined my role, as I said, redefining leadership is not to give up because you cannot achieve the best solution, but to work on the steps you can go. And therefore, with regard to the reform of the Security Council, for example, we did not only continue the process, but for the first time, different options for the reform were put on the table. The strong fall for the representation of African states as also permanent members in the Security Council, we took a step forward. And on peace and security, I called for two veto initiatives, veto debates because of the veto in the Security Council on the Middle East, the Strait of Hormuz and the situation in Gaza. We had the veto debates and as you could hear in the veto debates, not everybody in the Security Council was happy about it, but if we are here to defend the charter, the GA has a critical role in also defending peace and security, and therefore this has been also part of my priorities. similar to the emergency session we had again on the situation in Ukraine and the strong call again, not by all member states in consensus, but the majority of member states to come to a lasting peace based on the charter, meaning the sovereignty of Ukraine, like the sovereignty of any other country around the world. What I would leave on the table, I mean, there's always the most tricky question if you can only mention one thing, First of all, we have a book, a coffee table book. We didn't bring it here, but I will leave a coffee table book for all of you about Better Together in Fragmented Time, where I draw many lessons because I think there are many things where we can learn from this session and improve in the next session. But in this book, I also describe a bit more in detail, again, a very technical thing where many of you would say, well, this is not really high politics, but I think it's essential for this reform. The engagement of member states on highest level PRs or even governments on a future organigram. This sounds really small now, but this institution and this is what frankly speaking also really surprised would be the diplomatic description, if not to say shocked me this year, that this house does not even have an organigram where you can see which USG is connected to which committee, where you can see the overlap, for example, between mandate of the Security Council and the General Assembly on fighting terrorism. Yeah, so we have three different bodies on that one. This is not efficient. And this is obviously really taking away the work. We should focus on other things. So the call on fit for purpose, I 100% agree. But if we want to deliver on that call by not destroying this place, because fit for purpose means fit on all pillars, peace and security, sustainable development and human rights. Member states really have to come together maybe at this high level week heads of states minister to discuss What do we still need do we still need more than 200? USGS and ASGS high rankings positions all around the world I would bet nobody in this room and for sure nobody out there could name all of them Do we need the structures behind it some of them built in the 70s when I was looking at some of these structures? I was wondering why is the member state in this group of least developed countries if they are also in the process of joining the European Union. So obviously there were not the strategic debates what was right in the past if it still fits for the future but this can only be done with a strong engagement by capitals by member states especially I would say in this moment when we are also selecting an SG opening a next chapter of this house with a new setup of leadership so what is especially the setup here in the headquarters in New York to truly deliver on the reform. And the simple thing would be one word answer and all the gunny gram, which is really covering all post and including all mandates. GA · Spokesperson · L'Anise [26:20]: So we'll take another round of questions and that may take us to the end of the Hamid. I saw your hand up. Are there Evelyn you had a question anyone else? Okay. Oh, sorry. Yes. And from Ukraine info. Al Arabi · Journalist · Abdul Hamid Sam [26:34]: Go ahead thank you Madam President really we're going to miss you and I want to thank also your spokeswoman she was great and very cooperative my name is Abdul Hamid Sam from the Arabic daily Al Arabi Madame berbook you also have witnessed attacks on the UN and UN organization you almost the dismantling of UNRWA is going on. The ICC had been attacked. Human rights architecture also had been attacked. The special representative on children in armed conflict also was attacked. The special advisor on sexual violence in armed conflict also had been attacked. So So the UN is also, is not immune from criticism, from attacks. Some of them, most of them are not fair also. And even some delegates who cannot come to this country because the host country denied them, including the Palestinian delegation last year and most likely this year too. So if you want to give advice to your government, to Germany, how are we going to improve the immunity of the U.N., how are we going to make the U.N. not only transparent and serve the humankind, but also to be shielded from these kind of unfair attacks? Thank you very much. GA · PGA · Annalena Baerbock [28:05]: Maybe we take the single one. I think it's easier. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, the questions are a bit more complex, otherwise I will forget them. Thank you very much. And this is really something which, I mean, we discussed it also in the interview we had together, was really touching me in a way to say how many blows can this house endure? But as you mentioned examples, smaller parts of the UN and especially the ICC, which are not in the spotlight every day. And I believe the UN, that also international law, justice, can only be as strong as their strongest defenders. So it's not about those who are attacking it, this has been there always for eight decades, but it's a question of those who believe in multilateralism, who should know that international law is their life insurance, are ready to stand up and speak up. And as I said, for the UN, I think we are not in the best shape, but there are always member states standing up. For the ICC, it's different. And then I'm not so keen on recommendation because I see also some German media here and I know already the headlines that would follow she's recommending too. So I can only describe how I try to fulfill not only my job, but the moment when I swore the oath on the charter of the UN, to protect this house, to protect the charter, to stand up in this moment knowing that you will be the next person being attacked. And I felt these headwinds all over the year. So when we celebrated, for example, the 80th anniversary of the ICJ, the International Court of Justice in The Hague, I went before to the ICC to underline that this is also part of the UN family, that it plays a critical role. Unfortunately, not many people me of being there. But in these times, it's sometimes, I think, also the simple and the small things showing we have your back. And this holds especially true for the ICC, those member states who built the ICC. And again, I think we have a danger of rewriting history, kind of preparing for fake news. We all know the ICC was never building consensus until today. couple of the P5 have not even been part of it. I had discussion, because you mentioned my country, as Germany's foreign ministers, also with some dear European friends when we had the discussions about how can we strengthen the accountability of the war of aggression. So there were also others not happy. So the ICC has always been an institution built by a majority of member states believing that without justice there will be never lasting peace. And those member states have to stand up now to protect it because I mean what is going on especially with the prosecutors but also the president and I can tell from own experience if you sometimes do not have the coverage also of media reportage about it this is really going to the DNA or as you said of this house of diplomacy because if we cannot protect our own people then we cannot protect the house and this holds true for many other things UNRWA, you know, I had always a very clear stance on the support of UNRWA. We had many resolutions and many decisions also here. I called on member states not only to underline that UN premises have a special protection, as the SG did as well, but also call on member states to fund UNRWA because otherwise, not only with the situation in Gaza, but also with neighboring countries, be it Jordan, be it Syria, be it Lebanon, we are not delivering on what we are promising here. So my strong call on anybody who knows that international law is their life insurance is to stand up, especially in this moment, facing headwinds. And the good thing about courage is courage is infectious. So if one stands up, others will join. And as I said, I saw this many time in this house. And therefore, in the moments where the majority stood up, forming cross-regional alliances to protect the charter and the institution, things are moving forward. And also the bullies in the world are very, very lonely. GA · Spokesperson · L'Anise [32:33]: All right, Evelyn, you had a question, and then we'll take also one from Ukraine inform. Me, yes, please, sorry. Journalist · Evelyn [32:44]: Okay. GA · Spokesperson · L'Anise [32:44]: Go ahead. Journalist · Evelyn [32:45]: Glad to see you again. Thank you for the briefing. You're going to be teaching at Columbia, I believe. Are you going to be actively involved in the United Nations at the same time? For example, is Germany going to get an elected seat on the Security Council that you perhaps could take? I'm just curious. I'm guessing things that may or may not happen. Best of luck to you. Thank you. GA · Spokesperson · L'Anise [33:18]: We're already -- already happened for that. So, yes, go ahead. Ukrinform · Journalist · Volodymyr Yurchenko [33:21]: Thank you very much, Madam President. As you mentioned, Ukraine -- Please tell us -- you can tell her your name. My name is Volodymyr Yurchenko, National Intelligence Agency of Ukraine, Ukrinform. As you mentioned, Ukraine, I've got a short and rather specific question in that regard. In your view, what position should the next U.N. Secretary-General take on Russia's war against Ukraine? Thank you. GA · PGA · Annalena Baerbock [33:49]: Do we take other questions afterwards? GA · Spokesperson · L'Anise [33:51]: Last call for questions because we only have a few minutes left. Going once, going twice, gone. All right, our last two. GA · PGA · Annalena Baerbock [33:58]: Good, so I have five minutes left talking about speaking times and practice what you preach. So Maybe on that question. I mean, this has been also a key question in the interactive dialogues and this is why these interactive dialogues are so important because different member states ask the candidates whether they feel more obliged to deliver on the resolutions passed in the General Assembly or on the resolutions, but on peace and security lately there hasn't been any because of the vetoes on the wish of the Security Council. So coming to your question for the Secretary General, the person elect, she or he, will do the same as I did, swear the oath on the charter of the United Nations. So I expect that anybody who will swear the oath on the charter of the United Nations will also live up to this oath every day. And the charter is very clear that it's a breach of international law and the breach of the charter if you invade another country. The charter is also very clear that in these kind of situations, the international community has a responsibility, especially the Security Council, because they have the veto to protect peace around the world. And there's also very clear the charter therefore that in cases where the Security Council cannot deliver that the General Assembly has a complementary role to protect peace and security and again it's always worth looking these times looking back in history the resolution for peace this has been there in the past so that the General Assembly gets engaged in situation to ensure peace and security this is nothing you this has always been there in the DNA of of the General Assembly and of the United Nations. And therefore, I expect also that the emergency sessions are continuing with regard to Ukraine as long as people cannot live in peace again. We have a strong call not only for lasting peace, the withdrawal of the Russian troops from Ukraine, but we have also very strong call with regard of the children which has been deported from Ukraine. So every person be it the PGA, or the Secretary General, if you are delivering on the oath, are following, I would say, these resolutions and the Charter of the United Nations. And as I said also in this debate myself, This is not only about Ukraine to uphold the charter. This is also about Gaza. This is also about Sudan. This is also about Rohingya in Myanmar. Because if we allow the charter to be applied in the light of geography or political power, then no country in the world can sleep in silence in the future. And as the last question, not only for today, but as President of the General Assembly, together with you, again, thank you very much for the great engagement. Some of you I saw every day at the press briefings I give and many, many other occasions. I would really like to thank you again and answering your Yes, it has been also reported in media. For me, not only the chapter of the president of the General Assembly closes after year, also chapter personally of being in politics for almost 20 year closes. And in German, you would say I'm a person of ganz oder gar nicht, meaning kind of full engaging or like moving on. And now I'm moving on. I am not only leaving as I did last year German politics, but I'm leaving also internet. international politics was my new job. Obviously, I'm still in the city, but I'm very, very sure that my successor will continue the work I did here. But for me, now a new chapter of life will start, and I really enjoyed working together and especially being here at the UN, I would say the greatest place on earth you can be if you believe in multilateralism. Thank you very much. GA · Spokesperson · L'Anise [38:22]: Exactly at 12. Just a reminder that the PGA at 10:45 tomorrow morning will also be outside of GA Hall to unveil the UN 80 charter that was signed by all 193 member states affirming their recommitment to the charter. Thank you all for a wonderful year. Thank you.