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UN Assembly President: Africa is shaping the future of multilateralism
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Elections & Politics

UN Assembly President: Africa is shaping the future of multilateralism

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock stated that Africa is crucial in shaping the future of multilateralism and requires greater participation within the UN.
  • Baerbock highlighted Africa's significant role in advancing key global agreements and expressed support for granting Africa a permanent seat on the UN Security Council to address historical underrepresentation.
  • She also emphasized Nairobi's growing importance as a UN hub, particularly for its proximity to communities and its work on climate and development challenges, following a significant investment to expand its headquarters.

Africa is forging the future of multilateralism and needs a stronger voice within the United Nations, according to UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock. Speaking at a press conference in Nairobi, Baerbock asserted that the "African spirit" is essential for the UN's future, noting the continent's current contributions to shaping global cooperation.

We need this African spirit in the United Nations for the future. Africa is already currently contributing to forging the future of multilateralism.

— Annalena BaerbockDuring a press conference in Nairobi, UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock highlighted Africa's role in shaping multilateralism.

Baerbock, formerly Germany's foreign minister, pointed to the pivotal role African nations played in advancing significant agreements like the 2024 Pact for the Future, the 2025 Seville Commitment, and the 2025 Doha Political Declaration. She also voiced support for Africa's bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, calling its current lack of representation "an injustice of the past."

African countries played a fundamental role in promoting important agreements.

— Annalena BaerbockBaerbock noted the continent's influence on key global accords.

During her visit to Kenya's capital, Baerbock underscored Nairobi's increasing significance within the UN system. She noted that the city is where the organization works most closely with communities on climate realities and development challenges. This statement follows the UN's May announcement of over $340 million to expand its Nairobi headquarters, set to become the third-largest UN global center after New York and Geneva.

Africa's lack of representation... constitutes an injustice of the past.

— Annalena BaerbockThe UN General Assembly President expressed support for granting Africa a permanent seat on the Security Council.

According to Baerbock, the work conducted in Nairobi and the wider region serves as a benchmark for the internal reform initiated by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. This reform aims to align resources with actual needs and improve program execution and humanitarian aid delivery. Nairobi hosts the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN-Habitat headquarters, the only two global agency headquarters in the Global South. The UN complex in Gigiri houses thousands of employees supporting operations in over 160 countries.

The importance of Nairobi within the UN system will continue to grow.

— Annalena BaerbockBaerbock commented on Nairobi's role as a UN hub during her visit to the Kenyan capital.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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