Remarks by H.E. Annalena Baerbock
President of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
at the Plenary meeting for the election
of the President of the General Assembly for its 81st session
Tuesday, 2 June 2026
General Assembly Hall
Excellencies,
Dear colleagues,
I warmly congratulate H.E. Mr. Khalilur Rahman on his election as President of the General Assembly at its eighty-first session.
And this is one of the fun facts of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ¡ that you are elected three months before you actually take over the job. Since the term is only 12 months, the current PGA is still in the final quarter of the session…
If this were the World Cup, it would be like reaching the 75th minute of the game and already discussing the next match, without knowing how the current one will end.
But, of course, we are not playing sports, and these are certainly not ordinary times. So, I congratulate you, Mr. President-Elect, and wish you the very best. And I promise that we will work until the final minute of our session, of our match, to help set you and your team up for success, all in the spirit of better together.
That spirit remains important because, as we have all experienced during the past three quarters of the 80th session, our Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ, our house, is facing not only headwinds, but immense pressure.
The role of the PGA is no longer simply procedural, because even the procedural rules themselves are being challenged.
The role, therefore, and indeed that of the wider General Assembly, has had to evolve in an era where consensus is no longer a given¡ where defending the Charter has become a daily necessity.
And looking at the world outside, I cannot promise that the eighty-first session will become any easier over the next three months.
The Assembly will need to continue addressing major intergovernmental processes, including implementation of the Pact for the Future, as well as ongoing reform efforts through the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ80 Initiative, which we are currently in the midst of.
You will be pleased to know, Mr. President-Elect, that the Assembly has already taken major steps forward on Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ80, particularly under Workstream 2. Just yesterday, a set of changes was implemented that, while seemingly small, is actually quite significant and will help make mandate implementation and review far more efficient.
There have also been improvements to speaking arrangements for mandated meetings, helping to ensure that every Member State not only has a seat in the Hall, but also the opportunity to be heard.
So, I am looking forward to working with you and your team over the next 90 days on further reform measures, including efforts to make High-Level Week under your presidency not only successful, but also a little more streamlined.
On that note, I am pleased to say that we have also made progress in easing the workload during that week by better distributing High-Level Meetings.
None of this is to suggest that the regular workload of the General Assembly will be any less demanding. All of it will require patience, tenacity, and an unwavering commitment to our multilateral system, qualities for which you are more than prepared.
Your decades of diplomatic and multilateral experience will serve you well during what promises to be a particularly consequential eighty-first session, as you work to build a more effective, responsive, and trusted multilateral system.
In this regard, I commend your vision for the eighty-first session, ¡°Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All¡±, which reflects a deep understanding of the gravity of this moment.
That vision will also serve you well in another major process that will span both the 80th and 81st sessions: the selection of the next Secretary-General.
While we cannot know what these uncertain times will bring, it is entirely possible that we will not know the selected candidate by the time I hand the gavel over to you in September.
In that regard, I have no doubt that your stewardship of the Assembly, and the dedication and commitment you demonstrated during your interactive dialogue, will prove beneficial both to the process and to the wider Assembly, reinforcing the importance of transparency and engagement in this critical undertaking.
Mr. President-Elect,
Dear Excellencies,
I join the General Assembly in expressing confidence in the leadership entrusted to you through this election, and I look forward to working closely with you and your team in preparation for the upcoming High-Level Week.
While we do not know for certain what the coming months will bring, one thing is crystal clear: my team and I will work every day throughout this final quarter of the session, in tandem with you and your team, to ensure a smooth and successful eighty-first session.
And also preparing for your calls, because I did not forget that you mentioned you will call me, even in the middle of the night¡
And I promise you today that even if I can¡¯t pick up, I will always call you back.
I wish you nothing but success.
Thank you.
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