Germany plans to nominate outgoing Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock for a prominent role at the United Nations.
On Monday, the German Foreign Office informed Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s office and other ministries about its intention to propose Baerbock for the position of President of the UN General Assembly, according to reports from Spiegel and dpa.
Baerbock is set to leave her post as Foreign Minister in the coming weeks, following her Green Party’s departure from the coalition government in Berlin, where Friedrich Merz of the CDU is expected to assume office as Chancellor in a coalition with the Social Democrats.
She could take up the role of UNGA president in early June for a one-year term, ensuring no overlap with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, as internal UN agreements allocate this position to the Western European and Others Group, which includes Germany, during the next General Assembly session.
The position carries less external influence compared to other high-ranking UN roles, as the primary responsibility of the president is to represent the member states as a whole and deliver one of the first speeches at the annual meeting of heads of state and government.
Baerbock, a prominent figure in the German Green Party, was the party’s chancellor candidate in 2021 before assuming the leadership role in Germany’s foreign diplomacy under Scholz.
