Check Against Delivery
Remarks by the President of the General Assembly?
H.E. Ms. Annalena Baerbock
at the Press Briefing
at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵHQS, NewYork
14 January 2025
[As Prepared for Delivery]
Good afternoon. As I said in the GA Hall during my plenary speech this morning, if we were living in normal times, I would wish you a happy New Year.
But around the world we are seeing the results of what happens when the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Charter is not upheld and human rights are not protected.
Therefore, I also did not give an ordinary priorities speech, but I underlined that we have come to an even more decisive crossroads than at the beginning of the session.
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The multilateral system is not only under pressure, it is under attack.
It is increasingly evident that not all of us are singing from the same songbook anymore; not all are as invested in the Charter and international law.
Big systems do not collapse in one big bang; they crumble piece by piece.
Therefore, my main priority for my next 237 days as President is to defend this institution, its Charter, and the principles enshrined in it.
And I called this morning on Member States to step up and stand up, to come together to build a cross-regional alliance to protect and promote the principles of the Charter.
I invited States to symbolically recommit to our shared principles and values by signing the 80th anniversary Charter poster ahead of Charter Day ¨C as was done in the 75th session.
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As outlined this morning, another key priority will be the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ80 reform initiative.
The political and diplomatic ecosystem has undergone drastic changes, and we can¡¯t expect the old ways of working to suffice.
The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ80 Initiative, while not coming at the most desirable time or in the best of conditions, is overdue.
I commend the co-chairs of reform Workstream 2 on mandate review for their leadership making our work more efficient and fit to address the challenges we face.
The selection of the next Secretary-General will be the other main priority this year.
The process to select the next Secretary-General is well underway and I announced this morning that interactive dialogues with the SG candidates have been scheduled for the week of April 20th.
During the interactive dialogues each candidate will have the opportunity to present their vision statement, answer Member State questions, and engage with civil society organizations.
Our choice of who will lead this organization is a chance to send a clear message about who we are and what we stand for.
The next Secretary-General will not only be the face and voice of this institution, our choice will also demonstrate whether this organization truly serves all of humanity, half of whom are women and girls.
It is a choice that will determine how we address pressing global challenges, from conflicts and climate change to inequality.
?None of this is easy¡but the work of this organization has never been about easy victories, but about achieving lasting change and the resolve not to give up
Thank you, and I¡¯m happy to take your questions.