UN General Assembly president‑elect Annalena Baerbock pledges unity, SDG focus and stronger GA role on peace

Annalena Baerbock, president‑elect of the United Nations General Assembly for its upcoming 80th session, said she will prioritize defending multilateralism, strengthening peace and security and accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals while serving as “an honest broker and as a unifier.”

Baerbock made the remarks after being introduced to assembled journalists and then answered questions about the General Assembly’s role in the selection of a new secretary‑general and how the Assembly can act when the Security Council is deadlocked. “The General Assembly is a place that gives an equal voice and vote to each member state, large and small,” she said. “I commit to all 193 member states to serve as an honest broker and as a unifier.”

Why it matters: the president of the General Assembly sets the session’s informal priorities and agenda and can shape how member states approach contested issues in the Assembly’s…