June 3, 2025
Former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has been elected President of the 80th United Nations General Assembly, becoming the first woman from Western Europe to hold the post and the fifth woman overall to lead the General Assembly.
At 44 years old, Baerbock—who won a landslide victory with 167 votes out of 187, assumes the UNGA presidency amid a challenging global geopolitical semitic shift for the august multilateral institution as it tries to respond to ongoing conflicts around the world and maintain international order, including the current conflicts and humanitarian crises in Sudan, South Sudan, Ukraine, Gaza, faltering development goals, mounting financial pressures and the upcoming selection of the next Secretary General.
In her acceptance speech, Baerbock said she plans to address these challenges head-on through three priorities agenda: Make the UN more efficient and effective, advance the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals agenda and Make the General Assembly a truly inclusive forum.
Her appointment comes as the regional group that includes Western Europe takes its turn at the helm of the world body.
Upon taking office, she will be the youngest person to lead the UNGA. The last woman to serve in that role was Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces of Ecuador in 2018.
