Statement of the President of the United Nations General Assembly, Ms. Annalena Baerbock, on the selection and appointment process for the next Secretary-General
Today, on 25 November 2025, the President of the Security Council, H.E. Mr. Michael Imran Kanu, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Sierra Leone to the United Nations, and I as President of the General Assembly, signed the Joint Letter of the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council which formally initiates the selection and appointment process for the next Secretary-General.
The selection of the next Secretary-General comes at a pivotal moment for the United Nations. We are confronted with escalating conflicts, a rapidly advancing climate crisis, expanding humanitarian needs, enduring obstacles to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals, and an increasing pushback against human rights. The multilateral system¡ªwith the United Nations at its center¡ªis under mounting financial and political pressure. At the same time, the world needs the United Nations more than ever. Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ remains the only organization capable of bringing together every country in the world. The only one capable of acting on a truly global scale. The only one with worldwide political legitimacy and moral authority.
That is why this selection process carries such extraordinary significance. The world is looking to the next Secretary-General to provide strong, dedicated and effective leadership in delivering on the three pillars of the United Nations, peace and security, human rights and development, and in making the United Nations fit for the future. Our choice will send a powerful message about who we are, and whether we truly serve all the peoples of the world, of which, everywhere in the world, half are women and girls.
With the issuance of the Joint Letter, the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council invite Member States to nominate candidates for the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations.
The timely issuance of the Joint Letter in accordance with General Assembly resolution 79/327 allows for an early start to the selection and appointment process and therefore more time for deliberations in the General Assembly and in the Security Council.
This year¡¯s Joint Letter reflects improvements to the selection and appointment process in the latest resolution on the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly, including a call to Member States to strongly consider nominating women as candidates for the position of Secretary-General, the importance of regional diversity, transparent campaign disclosures, and provisions on the withdrawal of candidates.
As President of the General Assembly, I attach utmost importance that the selection and appointment process is guided by relevant General Assembly resolutions as well as by the principles of transparency and inclusivity. This is why I submitted a zero draft of the Joint Letter to the President of the Security Council on 3 October 2025. This zero draft reflected all the principles and elements of the selection and appointment process, which were unanimously agreed by all Member States in General Assembly resolution 79/327 in September 2025. The finalized Joint Letter reflects the views of both respective bodies.
In this regard, I would like to thank H.E. Mr. Michael Imran Kanu, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Sierra Leone?in his capacity as President of the Security Council for the month of November for the constructive collaboration in issuing today¡¯s Joint Letter. I would also like to thank H.E. Mr. Vasily Nebenzya, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation in his capacity as President of the Security Council for the month of October.
In the discussions on the draft Joint Letter with the Presidency of the Security Council and in light of different views in the Security Council, I reiterated that I am bound by and will conduct the process to select and appoint the next Secretary-General in accordance with General Assembly resolution 79/327 and engage closely, in a transparent and inclusive manner, with Member States on and throughout the process.
I am convinced that the decision about the future leadership of this Organization is also about credibility, to practice what we preach on transparency and inclusivity. As the decision does not only concern a few, but all of us in and outside the United Nations.
As President of the General Assembly, I will therefore ensure that the process reflects the principles of the United Nations Charter and the very best of our shared commitments and values.
Because we are indeed better together.
New York, 25 November 2025