Remarks by the President of the General Assembly
H.E. Ms. Annalena Baerbock
at the presentation of the Secretary-General report entitled “Shifting Paradigms: United to Deliver”

15 October, 2025

 

[As Delivered]

 

 

Mr. Secretary-General,

Excellencies,

 

Thank you for joining this informal briefing on Workstream 3 of the UN80 Initiative.

 

“Shifting Paradigms: United to Deliver”.

 

The title of the Workstream 3 report of the Mr. Secretary-General reflects the reality that the world has changed – the circumstances have changed – and to deliver, the United Nations must adapt and change alongside it.

 

• Structural reforms.
• Programme realignments.
• Merging entities.
• And streamlining missions.

 

All of these are up for consideration.

 

Mr. Secretary-General, allow me to commend you for getting this process underway.

 

It takes courage and dedication to tell people what they sometimes do not want to hear, to make hard but necessary choices, for the greater good.

 

During High-Level Week, you and I sat here on this podium for hours each day, while leader after leader spoke of the need for reform, for change…for growth.

 

The UN80 initiative is a response to this call for change, for reform, but also for growth, growing together.

 

It is, as we have heard from many, a make-or-break opportunity for this institution. A make or break in a positive sense, because its in our hands to shape the future.

 

But while you have sparked the process, what happens next is entirely open to all of you, to the Membership.

 

Because it does not turn automatically into results. It is up to you, dear excellencies, dear colleagues, to everyone sitting here and joining later in the debate.

 

Allow me to make three brief points before handing over to the Secretary-General.

 

First, this report is just paper if it is not owned by the Member States.

 

It’s going to take all of us, all of you, working together, to set this institution on a path that responds to the needs of this generation, and the generations coming.

 

Every Member State, every mission, every capital, must own this process.

 

Here at the UN, the reform process cannot be siloed from ongoing work. It must be reflected in the work of the Committees itself, in deliberations, in resolutions.

 

You will have my complete support, dear colleagues, in these efforts, but I must reiterate that the ultimate fate of these reforms rests with the Membership of the United Nations.

 

Second, while today’s dialogue focuses on Workstream 3, we must ensure that the three workstreams are interconnected in the decisions we make.

 

Workstreams 1 and 2, on the budget and mandate review, have a direct impact on the structure and systems of this institution.

 

We have to ask ourselves:

 

Will a mandate assign work to an agency that may no longer exist as we know it today?

 

Will proposed changes definitely at the end reduce the budget?

 

Will they empower agencies and the wider system to deliver on existing mandates?

 

These are questions that have to be asked and considered throughout. And we are already on the way.

 

Third, while we cannot ignore the precarious fiscal situation that we are in, we cannot sacrifice the principles of this institution in the name of the ‘bottom line’.

 

Yes, we do have to reduce costs, that is clear and understood.

 

But we first and foremost have a responsibility to the people we serve.

 

This is more than a cost-cutting exercise. It’s about efficiency, agility, and the ability to leverage state-of-the-art technologies.

 

We need to acknowledge, with clear eyes, the realities of what is available to us—without allowing diminished resources to diminish our resolve.

 

Decisions taken in this room and through these dialogues are more than a vote or the flick of a pen; they will echo across the world.

 

If an agency that fought for rights and equality is subsumed into another, will its hard-won gains and priorities be protected and maintained?

 

We have to do both, protect and advance our Charter responsibilities, while allowing the organization to evolve.

 

If the Pact for the Future is the ‘what’, then the UN80 Initiative is the ‘how’.

 

As I said during High-Level Week: this is not an ordinary session.

Ordinary or piecemeal attempts at reform will not suffice.

 

We have to be candid with ourselves, the structures and processes of the United Nations today are showing their age.

 

It is indeed time for change, and workstream 3 is a response to this.

 

The proposals set forth in the Secretary-General’s report are not prescriptive. They are an invitation — to reflect, to question, to innovate, and above all, to engage.

 

Today’s meeting is the beginning of a necessary and inclusive dialogue.

 

As President of the General Assembly, you can count on my full support in this endeavor.

 

I will work with all delegations and with the Secretary-General to facilitate appropriate next steps, including the possibility of informal consultations, thematic dialogues, or other appropriate formats that support inclusive engagement for all.

 

I will also begin hosting ‘Better Together’ dialogues with the Member States, to allow for more candid and open reflection.

 

What matters most is that we approach each of these conversations with pragmatism, unity of purpose, and a shared ambition to build a more coherent and responsive United Nations system that is fit for the 21^st century.

 

It is now the responsibility of each of you, the Member States, to lead this process, to consider these ideas in depth, to come up with other proposals, maybe even cross-regional, in order to shape the way forward based on our collective priorities.

 

Ultimately, it is about advancing our common objective: to make the UN stronger. To show that we are indeed better together.

 

With that, I invite you, dear Secretary-General, to brief us on your report.