General Assembly President Baerbock: UN 'cannot give up'

At the opening of the 80th UN General Assembly, President Annalena Baerbock has highlighted the UN's crucial role in addressing global challenges, from German reunification to pandemic response. In an exclusive DW interview, she said: "Even for the biggest countries, the strongest countries in the world, this United Nations is a life insurance."

Baerbock called for unity on Palestinian statehood, noting that 142 countries support a peace process, but stressed that a two-state solution requires action from all sides. She criticized the US for denying visas to the Palestinian delegation, calling it a breach of the host country agreement, and emphasized the need for a ceasefire in Gaza. "We need a situation where we come out of this endless conflict which cannot be ended by war, neither by terror nor by occupation, but only by a pathway towards a two-state solution."

Acknowledging calls for UN reform, Baerbock urged member states to persist in collective action saying: "Not giving up, this is really the DNA of the United Nations, to work together also in the darkest hour."