The UN on Monday elected Germany’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Annalena Baerbock, as president of the 80th Session of the General Assembly from 2025 to 2026.

Ms Baerbock, 44, who ran unopposed, will be the fifth woman to lead the UN’s main policy-making organ, which turns 80 this year.

She served as Germany’s foreign affairs minister from 2021 to March 2025, when Germany nominated her as the candidate for the Presidency of the UN General Assembly.

Ms Baerbock will be inaugurated on September 9, shortly before the UN General Assembly holds its high-level general meeting, and will have the post for one year.

UN secretary-general António Guterres, in his congratulatory remarks on Baerbock’s election, alerted her to the challenges facing the global multilateral organisation.

“President-elect Baerbock, as you prepare to lead the 80th General Assembly, you do so at a difficult and uncertain moment for the multilateral system,” Mr Guterres said.

“Conflicts, climate catastrophe, poverty and inequality continue to challenge the human family. Mistrust and divisions are rife. The Sustainable Development Goals are alarmingly off-track. Aid and development funding are drying up.

“And our institutions and structures still reflect the world of yesterday, not a vision of tomorrow,” added the UN chief.

The UN chief explained that this was a moment for the world to unite, to forge common solutions and to take action to confront these challenges. Mr Guterres noted that Baerbock’s vision, ‘Better Together’, was an inspiring rallying cry for today’s world and the global problem-solving system embodied by the United Nations to address these challenges.

He said the president-elect’s priority issues ranged from peace and development to reform and transparency in the UN.

“She brings a wealth of government and diplomatic experience to this task – including serving as her country’s foreign minister. And let us not forget the historic significance of her being only the fifth woman to be elected President of the General Assembly,” Mr Guterres stressed.

The secretary-general also commended the current president of the 79th session, Philemon Yang of Cameroon, for his leadership.

“From day one, you have presided over the General Assembly with wisdom, vision and skill. You hit the ground running with the Summit of the Future.

“And, since then, you have carried that work forward, taking on critical global issues, preparing for numerous milestone events in this 80th anniversary year,” he stated.

Mr Guterres also praised Yang for working to strengthen the UN as a global multilateral institution and serving as a powerful voice and advocate for Africa and its enormous potential.

Nigeria’s former permanent representative to the UN, Tijjani Muhammadu-Bande, was elected president of the UN General Assembly from 2019 to 2020, the second Nigerian to hold the post after the late Joseph Garba, who served in the position from 1989 to 1990.

(NAN)