Germany backs FM Baerbock for prestigious UN General Assembly position

Germany is set to nominate outgoing Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock for the position of President of the United Nations General Assembly.

The German Foreign Office informed Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s office and other ministries on March 17 of its intention to put forward Baerbock for the UN role, which runs for one year starting in September, Caliber.Az reports citing German sources.

Baerbock, 44, has served as Germany’s top diplomat since 2021 but will soon leave office as her Greens party exits the government. Following February's elections, the centre-right CDU, led by Friedrich Merz, is set to take power, forming a coalition government with the Social Democrats (SPD).

If confirmed, Baerbock will be responsible for procedural duties such as directing plenary sessions. While the presidency of the UN General Assembly is largely ceremonial compared to the UN Secretary-General's role, it remains a prestigious diplomatic post.

Baerbock, who was raised on a farm near Hanover, became politically engaged at an early age, attending anti-nuclear protests with her parents in the 1980s. As a teenager, she competed in trampoline championships, winning three bronze medals in Germany, a sport she credits with teaching her bravery.

She studied political science and public law in Hanover before earning a master's degree in public international law from the London School of Economics. Baerbock became Germany's first female foreign minister in 2021 when the Greens joined a coalition government with the SPD and the liberal FDP.

The current UN General Assembly president is Cameroon's former Prime Minister, Philemon Yang.

By Tamilla Hasanova