UN's Baerbock on Selecting New Secretary-General, Funding

Summary

UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock discusses the ongoing selection process for the next Secretary-General, emphasizing the historic opportunity for a female candidate and the push for transparency. She highlights the balance of power between the Security Council and the General Assembly, and warns of a looming UN liquidity crisis that is driving urgent financial reforms.

• Six candidates (four women, two men) are in the race for UN Secretary-General, with straw polls starting this week.
• Baerbock stresses the possibility of the first female Secretary-General in the UN's 80-year history and the credibility implications for the organization.
• The selection process has become more transparent under Baerbock's presidency, including live-streamed town hall meetings.
• Power dynamics between the P5 Security Council members and the 193-member General Assembly are central to the final decision.
• The UN is facing a liquidity crisis, with the US and China in arrears, and has already been forced to cut its budget.
• Financial rule changes are being implemented, and Baerbock suggests non-paying member states could lose their voting rights.
• Reform efforts aim to modernize UN operations without undermining its three foundational pillars: peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights.