Good morning, Mr. President of the General Assembly, dear Philemon Yang,

Excellencies,

Distinguished members of civil society,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Existential – This is the word I have heard most the last weeks when listening and discussing with so many of you.
And yes, counting 120 armed conflicts raging worldwide – from Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, to Eastern Congo and Northern Myanmar.

With the achievement of the SDGs in peril.

With the UN itself under heavy pressure financially and politically.

It is fair to say: in its 80th year the UN is going through a time of existential challenges.

However, I am convinced that this is not a moment for despair. These crises and challenges weigh heavy upon us as the international community. But they also show: The United Nations, our United Nations, is needed more than ever before.

This is the task of our time.

To preserve what the UN has achieved since 1945.

To renew, to refocus OUR United Nations.

To make us, the UN, fit for the future, fit for purpose:

Better together.

The General Assembly will play a crucial role in this endeavor as the most representative body and the beating heart of multilateralism.

I am humbled and deeply grateful to the Group of Western European and Other States for endorsing Germany’s candidacy for President of the General Assembly for the next session.

And I am grateful to you, Excellencies, for the candid conversations with all of you over the past weeks and the support so many have offered.

As President, if elected, I will serve all 193 Member States – large and small. As an honest broker. As a unifier. With an open ear. And an open door.

We all come from different regions, from different backgrounds. But there is something that unites us when we come together at the United Nations: We all strive for peace, for a prosperous future, for a life free from oppression.

The bedrock on which our work is founded is the UN Charter, the cornerstone of international order.

As President of the General Assembly, I will be committed to defending our Charter, and the principles that are enshrined in it.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen.

Today, I am honored to discuss the priorities of my candidacy, as laid out and distributed in my vision statement BETTER TOGETHER.

First, to contribute to a United Nations that is fit for purpose.

With the Pact for the Future, Member States laid the groundwork to revitalize multilateralism, to turbocharge the SDGs and to adapt the UN system to the 21st century´s challenges.

To maximize the Pact’s impact, we must closely link its implementation with the Secretary General’s UN80 Initiative.

Reducing duplications and increasing efficiency and transparency demand hard work. But it is work we must do.An example from the Secretary-General’s presentation on Monday: There are over 3,600 unique mandates for the UN Secretariat alone.

If we want these mandates to be manageable for the UN System and Member States, especially smaller ones, we must review, focus and use our resources efficiently – including in the General Assembly.

As President of the General Assembly, I will place a strong emphasis on ensuring that the perspectives of all regions and groups are heard. Member States are at the heart of this reform process. And I heard many of you underline that it should be not a mere cost-cutting exercise. The goal is a strong, nimble organization, fit for purpose.

Better together.

A strong United Nations in challenging times requires dedicated leadership. Therefore, it is important to select the next Secretary-General during the 80th session in a transparent and inclusive manner. I will organize the process in line with General Assembly resolutions and build on the best practices of my predecessors.

Yet structures and processes do not suffice.

We need a United Nations that delivers results. People must feel that our work makes a real difference in their daily lives.

This brings me to my second priority.

The UN Charter and its three pillars – peace and security, development, and human rights – are deeply interconnected.

The UN Charter gives the General Assembly a central role to build and sustain lasting peace. It is crucial to further strengthen this role in close cooperation with the Security Council and the Peacebuilding Commission.

Because you cannot sustain lasting peace without ensuring that there is no shortage of food, that people have jobs, that children go to school, that women are safe. Which, by the way, is something that unites all 193 Member States: in every country of the world every 2nd person is a woman.

This is a question of peace and a question of justice.

Better together.

That is why a key focus of the 80th session will be to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Ten years ago, we committed to building a more just and sustainable world. Yet today, progress has fallen short. We pledged to end extreme poverty by 2030 – and still nearly 700 million people live on less than 1.25 Dollar per day.

I will support the General Assembly in accelerating the achievement of the SDGs, working closely with the Economic and Social Council and other key partners.

The World Summit for Social Development and the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development will be crucial cornerstones this year.

I will engage in a dialogue with Member States on how the UN can contribute to the reform of the international financial architecture, as we collectively committed to in the Pact for the Future.

I will also place special emphasis on of the greatest threats of our time: the climate crisis.

No country –– not even the strongest - can escape its devastating effects. It is in our shared interest to act – at the next COP in Belém and here in New York.

My third priority is a United Nations that is truly inclusive, that embraces everyone – that, in the words of the Charter, reaffirms “the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small.”

As President of the General Assembly, I aim to ensure that all voices are being heard and all perspectives are fully represented.
I know many of you have ideas for making our debates more effective and lively. These proposals are exactly what we need.

Because the General Assembly will only be as strong as the commitment of its Member States.

Better together.

This includes the engagement with civil society and especially with young people. The United Nations is there to serve its people. And building a better future is only possible by engaging with the generations to come. Our work does not end in New York, Geneva, Nairobi or Bonn. But we need to bring our discussions and outreach closer to the people.

This is why I would like to take up the call from those who ask to communicate more actively.

Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I know we will not renew the UN in a single year – especially in these complex times. I see the upcoming presidency as part of a broader process – one that began before my tenure and will continue after with my successors. Better together is a team sport.

I would be honored to serve the General Assembly as a team leader - in this phase of renewal.

To build a United Nations that is more effective.

That delivers tangible results.

And that includes everyone.

I thank you. And I look forward to engaging in this dialogue with you.