The UN General Assembly (UNGA) has elected Annalena Baerbock, former Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany, to serve as President of its 80th session – the fifth woman to serve in that post in 80 years. Baerbock obtained a simple majority of 167 votes in a secret-ballot election. Her tenure will be guided by the theme, ‘Better Together.’ Baerbock will succeed Philemon Yang of Cameroon, current UNGA President, assuming the presidency on 9 September 2025.

“I will focus on what we can do together instead of asking what divides us,” Baerbock said in her acceptance speech.

In accordance with the principle of geographical rotation, the president of UNGA 80 was to be elected from the Western European and Other States Group (WEOG). Baerbock was the only official candidate for the presidency, and a 15 May 2025 informal interactive dialogue on her candidature preceded her election on 2 June 2025.

Baerbock served as Germany’s Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2021-2025. In 2018, she was elected Co-Chairperson of Alliance 90/The Greens and was party leader until 2022. She was elected member of the German Parliament in 2013.

In a vision statement for her Presidency, Baerbock notes that on its 80th anniversary, the multilateral system is under political and financial pressure. Emphasizing the need to “join efforts to forge a better future for all,” she pledges to protect the UN’s past achievements, address current issues, and adapt to future challenges, working transparently and inclusively for the benefit of present and future generations.

Baerbock’s Presidency will prioritize:

  • Reform of the UN, in close coordination with the Secretary-General’s UN80 initiative, and transparency in the UN, including the selection process for the new Secretary-General;
  • Delivering on peace, sustainability, and justice, including by facilitating progress in achieving the SDGs at the Second World Summit for Social Development and the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4); and
  • Forging a UN that embraces everyone, with “every country [having] a seat and a voice” and civil society and youth providing inputs to support decision making.

Congratulating Baerbock on her election, UN Secretary-General António Guterres described her vision as “an inspiring rallying cry for today’s world and the global problem-solving system embodied by the United Nations.” 

Also extending his congratulations, UNGA 79 President Yang said “[i]t is fitting that, in this milestone 80th year of the General Assembly, leadership should fall to someone whose career has been defined by an unwavering commitment to multilateralism.”

The UNGA elected Andorra, Argentina, Bangladesh, Cabo Verde, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Kenya, Lebanon, Lesotho, Maldives, Montenegro, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saudi Arabia, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, and Venezuela as Vice-Presidents of its plenary join the five permanent members of the Security Council – China, France, the Russian Federation, the UK, and the US – which serve annually as Assembly Vice-Presidents.

The Assembly also elected the Bureaus of its six Main Committees: Disarmament and International Security; Special Political and Decolonization; Economic and Financial; Social, Humanitarian and Cultural; Administrative and Budgetary; and Legal. [UN Meetings Coverage] [UN News Story] [Election of UNGA 80 President]