UN Closes High-Level Week with Calls for Peace, Climate Action

Annalena Baerbock, President of the General Assembly, closes the general debate of the Assembly’s 80th session.

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 turn the week’s momentum into concrete action on peace, climate change, and institutional reform.

Over six days, 189 Member States addressed the Assembly from the iconic green-marbled podium – including 124 heads of state 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 delegates. “The test is whether we act.”

Protracted conflicts dominated the debate – from Gaza to Ukraine to Sudan – with repeated calls for urgent measures to protect civilians and curb violence.

Ms. Baerbock stressed the Charter’s central role in resolving disputes peacefully and warned of the cost when it is disregarded.

“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 action 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 efforts for a two-State solution.

Delegations also raised alarms about climate change and the looming 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,” Ms. Baerbock 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 warned, while noting one positive sign: “Last year alone, investment in renewable energy amounted to $2 trillion.”

Still, she cautioned, “we are not yet where we need to be, and financing is the clear obstacle.”

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 pathway to make this institution better, stronger, more effective, and fit for purpose.”

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

As she concluded, Ms. Baerbock recalled the UN’s founding in the aftermath 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 future that is better together. Unafraid. Unbroken. United.”