Statement
Statement summary
In closing remarks, Annalena Baerbock (Germany), President of the General Assembly, said that if high-level week is any indication, the United Nations is still relevant. “Over the past week we heard from 189 Member States, including 83 Heads of State, 41 Heads of Government and 45 Ministers,” she said. On the issue of peace and security, she said the message was clear: “Member States must do more to stem the tide of war and violence: to protect and feed starving civilians in Gaza, to return to peace to Ukraine, to protect women and girls in Sudan.” The High-Level International Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine demonstrated clearly that what happens in the General Assembly Hall matters.
“The real test now is whether the momentum generated here can be translated into tangible, short-term measures in and for Gaza,” she said: an immediate ceasefire, a surge in humanitarian aid for civilians and the immediate release of the remaining hostages. The realization of the two-State solution is the only way to achieve lasting peace, security and dignity for both Israelis and Palestinians. She said dozens of delegations spoke on the impacts of climate change and the “ticking clock” to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals. “If we work together to tackle climate change, we can capitalize on the benefits all together.”
She said financing is the clear obstacle. Financial reform was mentioned repeatedly throughout the General Debate and discussed in detail during the First Biennial Summit for a Sustainable, Inclusive and Resilient Global Economy. “The commitment made in 2015 — repeated last year in the Pact for the Future — must be met,” she stressed. She commended delegations for engaging in challenging discussions around the High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health, the thirtieth anniversary of the World Programme of Action on Youth and the Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence. “AI is a tool that must be harnessed for all of humankind, equally and in a controlled manner,” she said, emphasizing that 99 per cent of sexually related deep fakes target women and girls.
“If women are not free, eventually no one will be free,” she said. Estimates show that closing the gender gap would add $7 trillion to the global GDP. Yet, few words drew applause as often as the mention of a possible “Madame Secretary-General.” Throughout the week, there were moments of energy — even electricity — when participants expressed the collective will to do better, reach further and “choose the right path at the crossroads”, she said, adding that this is a moment that “we need to grab and run with”. Reform is not only about trimming budgets. It is about strengthening delivery and priorities. She urged delegations to take the discussions this week back to their capitals to implement these processes in a way that improves UN performance.
The United Nations remains “the house of diplomacy and dialogue” in a divided world, General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said as she closed the 80th session’s general debate, urging nations to convert the week’s momentum into concrete action on peace, climate change and institutional reform.
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Read also the UN News story in Kiswahili about the closing of the General Debate.
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Over six days, 189 Member States spoke from the iconic green marbled podium – including 124 heads of states and government, underscoring both the gravity of today’s global challenges and the possibilities of collective action.
“If this high-level week is an indication, this house is fulfilling that purpose – the United Nations is still relevant,” Ms. Baerbock told the Assembly.
“The test is whether we act.”
Peace and conflict
Protracted conflicts dominated the debate – from Gaza to Ukraine to Sudan – prompting repeated calls for urgent steps to protect civilians and stem violence.
Ms. Baerbock stressed the Charter’s centrality to resolving disputes peacefully and warned of the cost when it is ignored.
“When bombs fall on civilians, when famine is used as a weapon, when sovereignty is trampled by force, it is the credibility of this Organization that is at stake,” she said, urging that diplomatic momentum translate into tangible measures for Gaza.
She reiterated the call for “an immediate ceasefire, a surge in humanitarian aid for civilians, [and] the immediate release of the remaining hostages,” as well as renewed push for a two-State solution.
Climate crisis won’t stop
Delegations also sounded alarm on climate change and the ticking deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Dozens of delegations spoke on the impacts of climate change and the ticking clock we face in delivering on the SDGs by 2030,” the Assembly President said. “That clock does not stop while we are here in this room.”
“It’s happening now. The climate crisis won’t stop if you deny it,” she continued, noting one positive sign: “Last year alone investment in renewable energy amounted to $2 trillion.”
Still, she warned, “we are still not as far as we need to be and financing is the clear obstacle.”
Reform and renewal
Institutional reform was also a recurring theme. Ms. Baerbock pointed to the Secretary-General’s proposals as a concrete pathway to strengthen the UN’s ability to deliver.
She said the Secretary-General’s report on implementing new mandates, his revised budget and other reform proposals “offer us a concrete pathway to make this institution better, stronger, more effective, fit for purpose.”
“This is not only about trimming budgets; it is about strengthening delivery. It is about priorities.”
Looking ahead
As she drew to a close, Ms. Baerbock invoked the UN’s founding in the wake of World War Two and its mission “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.”
“Let us be inspired by the legacy of our past ... and daring for a better future that is better together. Unafraid. Unbroken. United.”
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