At the opening of the United Nations General Assembly’s 80th session, President Annalena Baerbock called the gathering a “make-or-break moment” amid global challenges that demand urgent cooperation. She urged all 193 member states to move beyond rhetoric and take action, emphasizing the need to transform promises into meaningful outcomes.
Baerbock underscored that the world is facing overlapping crises—from climate change and humanitarian disasters to economic inequality and threats to human rights. She challenged nations to uphold shared values, noting that this session is an opportunity to reaffirm faith in multilateralism and the UN Charter. She pledged to act as an impartial bridge-builder and stressed that her guiding principle would be the foundational texts and values of the United Nations.
Key issues she called attention to include delivering relief to those suffering in conflict zones, ensuring rights for marginalized groups, protecting vulnerable countries from climate hazards, and escaping cycles of poverty. In her address, she said that member states must be ready to show they deserve the trust of the world’s eight billion people.
Secretary-General António Guterres also addressed the assembly, reminding delegates that agreements only matter when followed by concrete action. He reiterated that the 80th anniversary is more than a milestone—it’s a test of whether the UN can rise to the urgency of today’s problems and deliver results.
