NEW YORK, – The United Nations General Assembly opened its 80th session on Tuesday evening at the UN headquarters in New York, with ambassadors and representatives of all 193 member states in attendance.
In her opening address, Annalena Baerbock, President of the 80th session of the General Assembly, acknowledged the grim realities facing millions across the globe – from children starving in Gaza and girls barred from school to the 808 million people still trapped in extreme poverty.
“Our world is in pain, indeed,” she told delegates in the General Assembly. “But imagine how much more pain there would be without the United Nations,” she added.
This will be “no ordinary session,” she pledged, with the multilateral system beset by overlapping crises and heightened disunity.
Baerbock underscored the UN’s vital role in humanitarian assistance, citing the millions who rely on agencies such as the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
She urged Member States to make the UN “fit for the 21st century” by advancing reforms, implementing the Pact for the Future adopted last year, and focusing on substance over procedure.
“The General Assembly must focus on its mandates and deliver on its commitments,” she said, promising to serve all 193 members equally, to be “a bridge builder,” and to ensure every voice is heard.
Among the priorities she set for the year ahead are implementing the UN80 reform agenda, guiding the process of selecting the next Secretary-General, and advancing peace, sustainable development, and human rights.
Earlier in the day, outgoing Assembly President Philémon Yang closed the 79th session, highlighting initiatives on humanitarian law, small arms control, sustainable development, and child labour – as well as dialogues on multilingualism and the role of women in mediation.
Baerbock becomes only the fifth woman in history to preside over the General Assembly.
