Analena Baerbock, President of the UN General Assembly, speaks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. President of the UN General Assembly in Davos: most countries of the world remain committed to multilateralism UN
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock called on representatives of states, businesses and international institutions to create an interregional alliance in defense of a rules-based international order. According to her, trust in the world is impossible without adherence to common principles and respect for truth.
She recalled that in normal times, the “mediator” that helped countries trust each other was multilateral institutions, primarily the UN. However, the diplomat continued, today the world is no longer living in “ordinary times.”
The world is at a turning point
Burbock noted that already at the opening of the 80th session of the General Assembly last September, there was a sense that the world was “at a crossroads,” facing a record number of conflicts, including “almost four years of aggression by a permanent member of the Security Council against its neighbor—a gross violation of the UN Charter.”
“The UN is not just under pressure, it is under direct attack,” she said.
Truth and rules as the basis of trust
Speaking about the need to combat disinformation, she quoted Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa: “Without facts there is no truth. Without truth there is no trust.” According to Burbock, disinformation is now being used as a weapon, and artificial intelligence is increasingly blurring the line between truth and lies. She also recalled that 96 percent of all deepfakes are pornographic and directed against women.
She also advocated for a rules-based world. In this context, she mentioned the situation around Greenland, control over which is demanded by the United States. Bärbock emphasized that no geopolitical interests override the sovereign rights of its residents as citizens of Denmark, the EU and NATO.
“You can’t win a gold medal if you don’t play by the rules. You will be disqualified. And not a single investor will invest money where the rules are unpredictable,” she said, recalling that a world without rules has already led to disaster.
Supporting multilateralism
Defending a rules-based international order is not naivety, but “reasonable self-interest” emphasized the Chairman of the General Assembly.
Burbock noted that trust is achieved by those who defend principles even when it is difficult, who act despite the high cost, and who speak the truth when it would be easier to remain silent.
In conclusion, she called for the creation of an interregional alliance of states, businesses and economic leaders in defense of the international order. The President of the General Assembly emphasized that the vast majority of countries in the world remain committed to multilateralism: “193 states – minus a few – this is still a huge majority.”