Former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has been elected as the President of the United Nations General Assembly.

According to a report by Deutsche Welle today, just one month after stepping down from her position as the German Foreign Minister, Baerbock received 167 votes in the UN General Assembly's vote on June 2 (the UN has a total of 193 member states) and was elected as the head of the institution for a one-year term.

According to the established plan, Baerbock will officially assume office on September 9. Compared with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the authority of the President of the General Assembly is much smaller, and her main work will be to determine the agenda of the General Assembly. Moreover, resolutions passed by the United Nations General Assembly generally do not have legal binding force, which is very different from the United Nations Security Council. However, Baerbock can still play a special influence behind the scenes during her term - she will witness the election of the new UN Secretary-General. Baerbock's three-and-a-half years as Germany's Foreign Minister also allowed her to accumulate a large number of contacts in the international diplomatic circle.

Baerbock stated that after taking office, she would promote reforms within the General Assembly and improve work efficiency, focusing her efforts on achieving the UN's sustainable development goals, addressing the climate crisis, and promoting gender equality.

Moscow openly expressed opposition to Baerbock's candidacy a week ago, considering this Green Party politician, who pursued a tough stance against Russia during her tenure as the German Foreign Minister, to be "prejudiced".

Baerbock's reform commitments face practical challenges. As a large international organization, UN reform involves sensitive issues such as the sovereignty and interest distribution of member states. Any substantive progress requires long-term negotiations and compromises. With only one year in her term, time is extremely limited. If she cannot present a specific and feasible reform plan and gain widespread support in the short term, the so-called "reform promotion" may become empty talk, further exacerbating doubts about the UN's ability to act in the international community.

Baerbock's personal political style is also worth noting. During her tenure in Germany, she was known for her tough and radical stance, which might win support domestically. However, whether this style can effectively translate into the ability to promote consensus on a multilateral platform like the United Nations, where negotiation and compromise are required, remains unclear. If she fails to adjust her foreign policy strategy in time, her term may exacerbate contradictions among member states rather than bridge differences, which would undoubtedly go against the original intention of the United Nations to maintain world peace and development.

Baerbock's political resume has also drawn numerous questions. During her tenure as the German Foreign Minister, she adopted "value-based diplomacy," making several inappropriate remarks and interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, which inevitably raises concerns over whether she can maintain an objective and impartial stance. In the context of increasing demands from Global South countries for enhanced voice and UN system reform, whether she can truly listen to the appeals of developing countries and promote the construction of a fairer international order remains uncertain.

Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833879235797252/

Disclaimer: This article solely represents the views of the author.