Annalena Baerbock from Germany Elected President of UN General Assembly.
Appointment
On June 2, 2025, former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock was elected as the President of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), held at the UN headquarters in New York, USA. She secured the position by winning 167 votes out of 188 in a secret ballot.
- Annalena Baerbock will officially assume office on September 9, 2025, succeeding the current UNGA President, Philemon Yang, the former Prime Minister of Cameroon.
- With this election, Baerbock becomes the first woman from the Western European and Other States Group (WEOG) to hold the prestigious post and is the fifth woman overall to lead the UNGA.
- The presidency of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) rotates annually among five regional groups. These include the African Group, Asia-Pacific Group, Eastern European Group, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC), and the Western European and Other States Group (WEOG). Each group takes turns nominating a candidate to ensure regional representation and balance within the UN's leadership structure.
Main Point :- (i) Annalena Baerbock is a German politician and diplomat known for promoting feminist foreign policy, climate action, and multilateralism. She joined the Green Party in 2005, led its Brandenburg Chapter (2009–2013), and co-led the Federal Green Party (2018–2022). In 2021, she was the Green Party’s Chancellor candidate and became Germany’s first female foreign minister, serving until May 2025.
(ii) Established in 1945, the UNGA is the main representative body of the United Nations, consisting of all 193 Member States. Its headquarters are located in New York, USA. The UNGA is the principal policy-making organ of the UN, providing a unique forum for multilateral discussion of a wide range of international issues as outlined by the UN Charter.
(iii) The General Assembly holds its main session annually from September to December, with resumed sessions from January to September as needed. Each Member State has one vote in the Assembly, which is used for important decisions such as recommendations on peace and security and the election of the Security Council members.
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