The UN Secretary-General’s Remarks on the Election of the President of the 80th Session of the General Assembly 

Excellencies,

Let me begin by congratulating Her Excellency, Annalena Baerbock of Germany on her election as the President of the 80th Session of the General Assembly. 

And to our current President of this 79th session — His Excellency Philemon Yang of Cameroon — thank you for your 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, working to strengthen our institution, and serving as a powerful voice and advocate for Africa and its enormous potential. 

President Yang, thank you for your advice, guidance and deep commitment to the United Nations and multilateral solutions. 

Excellencies, 

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. 

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. 

This is a moment for us to unite, to forge common solutions, and to take action to confront these challenges.

President-elect Baerbock’s vision — “Better Together” — is an inspiring rallying cry for today’s world and the global problem-solving system embodied by the United Nations to address these challenges. 

Her priority issues range from peace and development to reform and transparency in the United Nations. 

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. 

President-elect Baerbock, you can count on my full support as you take on this important responsibility. 

Excellencies,

For 80 years, the United Nations General Assembly has played an indispensable role in forging consensus, finding solutions and taking action to build a better, more peaceful and equal world. 

As we look ahead to the end of the 79th session, and prepare for the start of the 80th, let us strive to live up to the values of solidarity and collaboration that have defined this organization from the very start. 

Thank you.