‘Hot debates about hot topics’, a strength not a weakness, says UNGA80 President

By R Anil Kumar

• More than 12,000 participants attended the UN General Assembly’s high-level week.

• Over six days, 189 Member States spoke from the iconic green marbled podium – including 124 heads of states and government, underscoring both the gravity of today’s global challenges and the possibilities of collective action.

New York,1 October 2025

Over 190 world leaders spoke from the General Assembly podium during high-level week – underscoring the UN’s enduring relevance as a form of “life insurance” for many of the world’s developing countries, said President Annalena Baerbock on Wednesday, 1 October.

Speaking at a press conference marking the close of the annual general debate, she stressed that the high attendance – 189 countries, including 124 heads of state – showed the world still looks to the UN as a unique forum for the world.

“If anybody had a doubt, if this Organization still matters or still is relevant, you could see it, how crowded the room was,” she said.

Focus on peace and security

The many conflicts raging dominated proceedings inside the General Assembly Hall, with leaders referencing the intractable wars in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and beyond.

Ms. Baerbock noted that peace and security were consistently linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), underscoring that “without delivering on the 2030 Agenda, sustainable peace won’t be reached.”

She said the discussions also highlighted the climate crisis as the defining threat of the century and one that will require all nations to work collectively to manage it. Many leaders made clear that failure to act should not be blamed on the UN itself but on Member States’ collective will, she added.

The Assembly President described the UN as a place of “hot debates about the hot topics,” but said those exchanges are a sign of the organization’s vitality, not weakness.

Calls for reform

UN reform – particularly of the global financial system and the Security Council – was another clarion call made in speeches and bilateral meetings.

Ms. Baerbock urged leaders to carry those discussions back home: “It’s one thing to give a speech at the United Nations. But then when you’re faced again with debates in your national parliament, it might sound a bit different.”

By the numbers

The 80th General Assembly session opened under the theme Better Together: 80 Years and More for Peace, Development and Human Rights.

194 speakers addressed the hall: 189 of the 193 UN Member States, three observers (Palestine, the Holy See and the EU), and Secretary-General António Guterres and Ms. Baerbock.

Only 24 women leaders took the podium – though that marked a modest increase from 2024.

The UN Secretary-General held 148 bilateral meetings and delivered 20 speeches, while more than 3,300 journalists were in New York to cover UNGA80.

Shaping the future together

In addition to formal speeches, conferences and side events explored pressing issues ranging from regulating artificial intelligence, to tackling non-communicable diseases.

Civil society experts, ministers and youth leaders took part in frank debate, which Ms. Baerbock said showed the UN’s essential role in shaping the future.

She described moments of solidarity, such as the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration on women’s rights, when “one female leader spoke after the other.”

“This week really mattered,” Ms. Baerbock said. “So, we keep up working unafraid and unbroken and in the spirit of our year-long campaign – Better Together.”

‘House of diplomacy and dialogue’: UN wraps up high-level week with calls for peace, climate action and reform

The United Nations remains “the house of diplomacy and dialogue” in a divided world, General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said as she closed the 80th session’s general debate, urging nations to convert the week’s momentum into concrete action on peace, climate change and institutional reform.

Over six days, 189 Member States spoke from the iconic green marbled podium – including 124 heads of states and government, underscoring both the gravity of today’s global challenges and the possibilities of collective action.

“If this high-level week is an indication, this house is fulfilling that purpose – the United Nations is still relevant,” Ms. Baerbock told the Assembly.

“The test is whether we act.”

Peace and conflict

Protracted conflicts dominated the debate – from Gaza to Ukraine to Sudan – prompting repeated calls for urgent steps to protect civilians and stem violence.

Ms. Baerbock stressed the Charter’s centrality to resolving disputes peacefully and warned of the cost when it is ignored.

“When bombs fall on civilians, when famine is used as a weapon, when sovereignty is trampled by force, it is the credibility of this Organization that is at stake,” she said, urging that diplomatic momentum translate into tangible measures for Gaza.

She reiterated the call for “an immediate ceasefire, a surge in humanitarian aid for civilians, and the immediate release of the remaining hostages,” as well as renewed push for a two-State solution.

Climate crisis won’t stop

Delegations also sounded alarm on climate change and the ticking deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Dozens of delegations spoke on the impacts of climate change and the ticking clock we face in delivering on the SDGs by 2030,” the Assembly President said. “That clock does not stop while we are here in this room.”

“It’s happening now. The climate crisis won’t stop if you deny it,” she continued, noting one positive sign: “Last year alone investment in renewable energy amounted to $2 trillion.”

Still, she warned, “we are still not as far as we need to be and financing is the clear obstacle.”

Reform and renewal

Institutional reform was also a recurring theme. Ms. Baerbock pointed to the Secretary-General’s proposals as a concrete pathway to strengthen the UN’s ability to deliver.

She said the Secretary-General’s report on implementing new mandates, his revised budget and other reform proposals “offer us a concrete pathway to make this institution better, stronger, more effective, fit for purpose.”

“This is not only about trimming budgets; it is about strengthening delivery. It is about priorities.”

Looking ahead

As she drew to a close, Ms. Baerbock invoked the UN’s founding in the wake of World War Two and its mission “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.”

“Let us be inspired by the legacy of our past … and daring for a better future that is better together. Unafraid. Unbroken. United.”

Thank you for joining us

Throughout the high-level week, UN News explored how the debates reflected the “five critical choices” outlined by Secretary-General António Guterres at the opening of the general debate.

The call to choose peace rooted in international law echoed in stories covering the crises in Gaza and Ukraine, where urgent appeals for ceasefires, protection of civilians and respect for the UN Charter.

The choice to uphold human rights and put technology at the service of humanity came through in stories on youth.

Leaders highlighted young people as both the most affected by barriers to education, healthcare and political voice, and the most capable of using innovation and technology to drive inclusive, rights-based solutions.

The need to choose climate justice was underscored by leaders from vulnerable island and forest nations, who warned that climate action is a matter of survival, not choice.

Finally, the appeal to strengthen the United Nations for the 21st century resonated in debates on Security Council reform and development financing, where many called for institutions that deliver for all.

Together, these stories show how the UN remains a vital forum for confronting global challenges – and how the choices made here will shape the world’s collective future.