UNGA President Annalena Baerbock Warns of ‘Existential’ Threats to Multilateral System
- ATN
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 22 hours ago
By ATN News Team
UNHQ, New York: The president of the United Nations General Assembly - UNGA, Annalena Baerbock, warned Wednesday that the multilateral system faces an “existential” moment as she fielded sustained questioning from journalists on the next secretary-general selection, the organization’s deepening financial strain, and Israel’s restrictions on UNRWA operations.
Speaking after delivering her priorities address to UNGA, Baerbock opened the briefing with a sober assessment of the global climate. In what she described as an unusually bleak start to the year, she said recent developments “from Caracas to Tehran” underscored that the international system is not merely under strain but “under heavy attack,” with some member states drifting away from commitments to the U.N. Charter, international law and human rights.
Her central message was that the institution’s survival depends on the political will of its members. “The United Nations is the sum of its 193 member states,” she said, arguing that if powerful countries continue to disregard foundational principles, global stability itself is at risk.
Secretary-general race becomes early test of credibility
Early questioning focused on the upcoming selection of the next U.N. secretary-general, with reporters treating the process as a test of the organization’s transparency rather than a routine procedural matter.
Valeria Robecco of ANSA Newswire asked what would meaningfully differ from the previous selection cycle, noting that reforms such as interactive hearings already exist but have not necessarily altered outcomes. Baerbock replied that the goal is not to redesign the process but to strengthen openness, public scrutiny and engagement with civil society and media, especially at a time when principles once widely shared — including human rights and climate action — have become politically contested.
She confirmed that interactive dialogues with candidates will take place during the week of April 20. Each candidate will be expected to present a vision, answer questions from member states and engage with civil society. Baerbock said the hearings will be livestreamed and open to press attendance.
Associated Press correspondent Edith Lederer pressed for more specifics, asking whether the Security Council would again rely on informal straw polls, whether more candidates were expected to emerge, and whether civil society participation in questioning would expand beyond symbolic inclusion.
Other reporters followed with practical concerns. A Xinhua correspondent questioned why nominations appeared slow two months into the process. Baerbock responded that political calculations among candidates, institutional tensions between the General Assembly and Security Council, and the organization’s liquidity crisis have all affected planning. She acknowledged that even logistical basics — such as securing rooms, interpretation services and staffing — are increasingly complicated when member states fail to pay assessed contributions on time.
The exchange underscored growing skepticism among correspondents over whether the selection will represent real evolution or simply repackage familiar procedures.
Pressing questions on UN’s survival
The tone sharpened when journalists broadened their focus from procedure to the organization’s future.
Pamela Falk of U.S. News & World Report asked directly whether the threats facing the United Nations should be considered existential. Baerbock did not soften her answer. She said that if member states, including permanent members of the Security Council, continue to violate the Charter, “no country on earth can sleep in peace.”
She described the current period as a decisive historical moment for the institution, arguing that the erosion of core norms — sovereignty, territorial integrity and peaceful resolution of disputes — threatens to unravel the foundations of the postwar system.
A follow-up from Dezhi Xu of China Central Television noted that some of the states most accused of violating the Charter are also among the most influential and among those falling behind on financial obligations. The question posed was blunt: how can the U.N. protect itself from being weakened by its own members?
Baerbock acknowledged that there is no mechanism to compel universal compliance. But she argued that adaptation is preferable to paralysis, calling for greater efficiency, modernization and flexibility. She suggested that digitalization, procedural reform and even selective public-private partnerships could help stabilize parts of the system. She also pointed to potential savings through reducing duplication in resolutions and improving administrative practices.
Gaza and UNRWA bring sharpest confrontation
The most politically sensitive exchange came near the end of the briefing.
Ibtisam Azem of Al Araby Al Jadeed asked what the General Assembly should do to ensure that UNRWA’s mandate is respected following Israeli legislation restricting the agency’s operations in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Baerbock said she was “deeply concerned” about the Israeli measures, emphasizing that UNRWA plays a crucial role in delivering education and health services to civilians in Gaza and elsewhere. She argued that letting the agency operate is both a humanitarian need and a legal duty under international law, including agreements that protect U.N. premises from interference.
A follow-up question went further, invoking the precedent of apartheid South Africa and asking whether Israel should face punitive measures such as suspension.
The spokesperson intervened to note time constraints. Baerbock avoided endorsing sanctions but reiterated that the General Assembly has already acted by renewing UNRWA’s mandate through 2029. She stressed that the agency’s work extends beyond Gaza to Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, and said that continued funding and political support from member states are critical to its survival.
A changing dynamic in the briefing room
Beyond the substance, the interaction itself stood out. Questions were sustained, detailed and frequently skeptical. Journalists pressed for specificity, challenged procedural vagueness and tested the credibility of institutional processes.
The exchange reflected a press corps increasingly unwilling to settle for ceremonial answers — and increasingly focused on whether the U.N.’s structures can still function under mounting geopolitical strain.
Baerbock closed by returning to a familiar theme: that the future of the United Nations does not depend on speeches but on whether governments choose to defend the system in practice.
The scrutiny she faced suggested that judgment on that question is no longer confined to diplomatic chambers, but increasingly being rendered in public view.