United Nations HQ, New York — September 30, 2025: As the final echoes of applause faded inside the General Assembly Hall, Annalena Baerbock, President of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, rose to deliver closing remarks that drew together a week of impassioned speeches from nearly every corner of the globe.
The theme — “Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights” — carried weight in her words as she reminded delegates that this chamber remains, despite doubts, the “house of diplomacy and dialogue” at a global crossroads.
Peace at the Forefront
Annalena Baerbock noted that 189 member states, including 124 heads of state and government, had spoken during the debate — a turnout she said proved “our United Nations remains critical.” Yet the most urgent threads revolved around war and displacement.
She listed Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and the “many forgotten ones” as conflicts demanding action. The hall fell still when she insisted:
“This organization is only as strong as our collective will to uphold the principles of our Charter and international law. And when we do, progress follows.”
Annalena Baerbock pointed to the High-Level Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine as evidence that diplomacy can still unlock momentum. But she warned:
“The real test now is whether the momentum generated here can be translated into tangible short-term measures in and for Gaza… an immediate ceasefire, a surge in humanitarian aid, and the foundation for the two-state solution.”
Climate: The Century’s Defining Security Threat
The President’s voice sharpened when she turned to climate. With urgency, she described how the Prime Minister of the Bahamas spoke while his nation braced for a cyclone: “It’s happening now,” she said.
Calling the climate crisis “the biggest security threat of this century,” Baerbock emphasized the duality of the moment: devastation if ignored, opportunity if addressed collectively.
She highlighted the $2 trillion invested globally in renewable energy last year, noting, “There’s no way back — no investor wants stranded assets.” Yet she pressed member states to overcome financial bottlenecks:
“The technology is there. The need is there. We now have to match it. Addressing these borderless challenges and financing sustainable development is not charity. It is an investment in our collective future.”
AI, Gender Equality, and Human Rights
Artificial intelligence received unusual attention across the week, with delegates weighing its risks and opportunities. Annalena Baerbock struck a warning note on bias, citing that “99 percent of sexually related deepfakes target women.” AI, she urged, must be “harnessed for all humankind equally, in a controlled manner.”
Her remarks on women’s leadership sparked one of the strongest responses in the chamber. Recalling the Beijing Declaration’s anniversary and the rise of women presidents globally, she declared:
“If women are not free, eventually no one will be free. But the opposite is also true. If women are free, finally everyone will be free.”
She linked gender equality directly to economic resilience, citing estimates that closing the gender gap could add $7 trillion to global GDP.
Reforming the UN at 80
Annalena Baerbock reminded delegates that UN80 was itself a theme of the week — reform and renewal. With references to the Secretary-General’s structural proposals and the Pact for the Future, she called for capitals and parliaments to engage actively in supporting reforms:
“This is not only about trimming budgets. It is about strengthening delivery, about priorities.”
She closed with a reminder of the UN’s enduring purpose, recalling nations freed from colonialism, those rebuilt with UN support, and those seeking mediation or humanitarian relief.
“Better Together”
Baerbock’s final words echoed the blue flag above the chamber:
“Let us be inspired by the legacy of our past and daring for a better future. That is better together, unafraid, unbroken, united.”
As the delegates filed out into the corridors of UN Headquarters, her challenge remained clear: whether the debates of this week can transform into action in capitals worldwide, and whether the UN — now 80 years old — can still rise to meet its founding vision.
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