President of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly Annalena Burbock (left). The President of the UN General Assembly called on states to “stand up for multilateralism” UN
At an informal meeting of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, the President of its 80th session, Annalena Baerbock, gave an emotional speech in which she warned of unprecedented threats to world order. She said 2026 began “with a clear lack of happiness in the world,” from events in Venezuela to tensions in Iran.
Burbock said multilateralism was experiencing a “moment of truth” and the United Nations was under pressure. Still, she stressed, the world needs the UN more than ever to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, protect the rights of girls in Afghanistan and work to end the war against Ukraine.
“The world needs the UN, but the UN also needs the world”
The President of the General Assembly appealed to member states to show leadership and be more active defend the UN Charter. She emphasized that the system does not collapse all at once, but “crumbles in parts,” recalling the unprecedented case in December, when for the first time in 30 years the traditional resolution regarding the allocation of UN emergency humanitarian assistance was removed from the vote.
Burbock called on countries to create a broad interregional coalition in support of international law and the principles of the Charter. She also invited delegates to symbolically confirm their commitment to these principles by signing a commemorative document dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Charter.
Compromise should not turn into concessions
According to Burbock, the desire for consensus is important, but it should not lead to “erosion foundations” of the Organization. If unanimity cannot be achieved, then “a strong majority in the General Assembly is not a failure, but a manifestation of determination.”
UN-80 Initiative
A significant part of the speech was devoted to the reform of the United Nations system within the framework of the UN-80 initiative. Burbock noted that decades of accumulation of mandates and proliferation of structures have led to overload and duplication of functions. She called for “cutting the system carefully, with scissors, not with a chainsaw.”
The President of the General Assembly thanked states for progress in work on reviewing mandates and emphasized the need to eliminate the “heavy burden” of outdated tasks. She also supported the Secretary-General’s efforts for deep institutional transformation.
Burbock pointed to the chronic financial crisis of the UN, emphasizing that no reforms will help if states do not pay their dues on time.
Reform of the Security Council and the election of a new Secretary General
Burbock recalled that the UN Security Council also needs to be updated, since its inability to act undermines trust in the entire system. She said a series of interviews with candidates for the post of Secretary-General would take place in April and called on countries to nominate qualified applicants, with a particular focus on women.
“History will remember which path we chose”
Concluding her speech, Berbock emphasized that the present moment is decisive for the future multilateralism. She called on states to show integrity and courage: “Citizens will not come to save multilateralism—they have entrusted it to you.”
According to her, the choice of the next Secretary General, the scale of reforms and loyalty to the Charter will become the criteria by which the world will evaluate whether the Organization has coped with the challenges of the era.