?Remarks by H.E. Annalena Baerbock
President of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
at an informal meeting of the General Assembly to hear a briefing on the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ 80 Initiative
Monday, 6 April 2026?
ECOSOC Chamber
(As Delivered)
Under-Secretary-General,
Excellencies,
Colleagues,
Thank you for joining our regular briefing on the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ80 Initiative.
One year since the Secretary-General launched the process, we can already see how far this reform has advanced.
With the adoption, last week of the landmark resolution on Mandate Creation, Implementation and Review for an Efficient and Effective United Nations, we are moving from diagnosis to delivery¡ towards a more effective and efficient Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ.
Over eight decades, the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ has accumulated over 40,000 mandates. While many remain essential, some are now inactive, outdated, or duplicative.
Addressing this is not simply an administrative exercise, it is about ensuring that our resources are aligned with today¡¯s priorities, and today¡¯s needs.
I therefore commend the Membership once again for their proactive and principled engagement in this area.
As stated on Tuesday, my immediate priority is to appoint the two Co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Mandate Implementation Review, which is mandated to resume its work by 1 May 2026.
I am committed to identifying strong, credible leadership, and I look forward to receiving an initial progress update before the close of this 80th session.
The success, dear excellencies, we have achieved in reviewing our mandates directly empowers the work we are discussing today under Workstream 3.
By actively identifying where mandates overlap and where our efforts have become fragmented, we now have the necessary evidence and data to tackle structural and programme realignments across the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ system.
I thus look forward to today¡¯s briefing, which will address the potential merger of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Women and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵFPA, as well as developments on technology and data.
Before handing it over to our briefers, I would like to thank the Under-Secretary-General and his team, again, for the timely preparation of documentation for this meeting.
This includes the forthcoming comprehensive report on the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ80 Initiative.
With this report in hand, it is likely we can expect an acceleration in both the pace and substance of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ80 Initiative.
I therefore encourage all Member States to remain actively and constructively engaged in the period ahead.
While some further decisions may ¨C or I would say should ¨C be taken during this session, implementation will extend well beyond it. This will require sustained commitment, shared ownership, and consistent follow-through.
Ultimately, our credibility and that of the entire Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ80 reform exercise will be measured by the decisions taken here, so let us continue to push forward accordingly, jointly, and with an aspiration of making this Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ fit for purpose, serving the people we should serve on the ground.
I thank you.
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