Germany's former foreign minister elected president of UN General Assembly
Former German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock was elected president of the UN General Assembly on Monday, despite opposition from Russia.
Ms Baerbock, 44, won with 167 votes in a secret ballot, with 14 abstentions. Russia had pushed for the secret vote in a last-minute challenge, but her appointment was widely seen as a formality given she was the only candidate.
The Green Party politician, who needed only a simple majority, will assume the one-year post on September 9, before the 80th annual high-level gathering of world leaders at the UN.
Ms Baerbock will be the fifth woman to preside over the UN General Assembly in its nearly 80-year history, and the first European woman to hold the post.
Unlike past presidents, who largely focused on protocol, she vowed to tackle bureaucratic inefficiencies, boost transparency and strengthen the assembly's voice in choosing the next UN secretary general.
"My door will always be open for everyone – better together," Ms Baerbock said after her election, emphasising a commitment to "trust-based dialogue" with all member states.
She also stressed the importance of including input from all regions and groups in the reform process.
'This organisation requires adequate, reliable funding, and at the same time, we need to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire system,' Ms Baerbock said.
The General Assembly presidency is primarily an organisational role, overseeing plenary sessions among the body's 193 member states.
Ms Baerbock has faced criticism for her strong pro- Israel stance during the Gaza conflict, with opponents accusing her of echoing Israeli government rhetoric.
"Of course, self-defence means not only attacking terrorists, but destroying them," she said last year. "When Hamas terrorists hide behind people, behind schools, we do not cower in the face of it. Then civilian places can also lose their protected status because terrorists abuse it. That is what Germany stands for, and for us that means the security of Israel."
Ms Baerbock's term as General Assembly president will test whether she can translate her reformist talk into tangible changes at the UN.
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