The need for collective action, the importance of reforms in the functioning of the UN, the need to protect civilians in Gaza, and the commitment to the peaceful settlement of conflicts, with the Palestinian issue at the forefront, were underlined by the President of the 80th UN General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock.
Speaking at a press conference in New York ahead of High-Level Week, with the participation of 50 heads of state and government, Baerbock stressed that “the UN is the biggest team in the world” and called on every leader to ask themselves, “what has my country contributed to the global team.”
She pointed out that without the UN many countries “would not exist in their current form,” since decolonization, pandemic management or German reunification would not have been possible without international cooperation. “No country, however powerful, can face challenges such as COVID-19 alone,” she said.
She called on the leaders who will speak at High-Level Week “to show through actions that we all win if we work together.” She added that states must not be limited to “fine speeches,” but also commit at a practical level, “when they vote in their budgets for the financing of the UN and its humanitarian missions.”
Digital adaptation
She further referred to the need to advance the “UN80 reform” process promoted by Secretary-General António Guterres for the modernization of the General Assembly. She recalled that the informal Working Group on “mandate review” has just begun, which will examine ways of operating more efficiently. “We must adapt our procedures to a world of artificial intelligence, using data instead of tons of paper,” she noted.
As she has a limited term of office, “365 days,” she said, she will focus on realistic goals and “steps that can really bring results.”
Central issue: Gaza
A central point of the press conference was a question about her earlier statements regarding political infrastructure in Gaza used by Hamas, which some had interpreted as giving a “green light to Israel” for bombings. Ms. Baerbock clarified that “it is absolutely clear that international humanitarian law always calls for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure. Civilians must not become targets, period,” she said.
She stated that social media presented a fragmentary account of her remarks and reiterated that the misuse of civilian infrastructure for military purposes is prohibited under international law. Referring to the “New York Declaration” on the Palestinian issue, she stressed that it calls for “an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, the ending of the war by Israel and the disarmament of Hamas.”
“Peace can only exist if it is peace for everyone,” she said, adding that “no attack on civilians or infrastructure is justified, whatever the wartime circumstances.”
Security Council reform
Asked about the deadlock surrounding reform of the Security Council, Ms. Baerbock replied: “I am not a fan of big promises when you know you cannot fulfill them.”
She acknowledged that the issue has been discussed for decades without result, mainly because of disagreements among the permanent members, but stressed that “we should not underestimate the importance of small steps.”
She recalled that the General Assembly has already adopted the procedure of “explanation of vote” for vetoes exercised in the Security Council, allowing for greater transparency. “We may not yet have the major reform, but these steps show that the General Assembly can take initiatives where the Council remains blocked,” she said, citing as an example recent decisions on Gaza.
Minority rights
Asked to comment on the issue of minorities not directly represented at the UN, such as the Kurds, Ms. Baerbock reiterated that “the protection of minorities is a central task of the UN.” She cited the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and international treaties. “This is the forum where every voice can be heard,” she said.
On the question of which leaders will ultimately participate in the General Assembly, she said that the decisions belong to the countries themselves and that the General Assembly is the only competent body regarding the status of participation.
Asked whether recognition of the Palestinian state is compatible with the Oslo Accords, Ms. Baerbock replied that her role is not to give lessons in international law — there are competent bodies for that purpose — but to represent the 193 member states and their decisions. “The General Assembly has spoken clearly: the conflict cannot be ended by war, occupation or terrorism, but only through negotiation of peace. The Palestinians have a right to their state,” she said.
Concluding, she assured that the General Assembly will remain a place for dialogue and collective action. “Every human life has the same value, wherever it is born,” she stressed, adding that her mission is to give all members “the opportunity to be heard and to cooperate.”
