Remarks by the President of the General Assembly
H.E. Ms. Annalena Baerbock
at the second plenary meeting of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (4C)
6 October 2025
[As Delivered]
Your Excellency, Ambassador José Alberto Bríz Gutiérrez, Permanent Representative of Guatemala,
Excellencies,
Colleagues,
Allow me first to congratulate you, Chair, as well as the Bureau Members, on your election to guide the work of the Fourth Committee during the 80th Session of the General Assembly.
From peacekeeping to the effects of atomic radiation, from decolonization to outer space, the work of the Fourth Committee is broad and varied.
This year alone the Committee will consider 16 agenda items and nearly two dozen reports.
It can be said that its agenda mirrors the very evolution of the United Nations itself. As global priorities shift and new challenges emerge, so too has the Committee adapted its focus.
Take for example the focus on outer space; what once may have seemed like science fiction, has now become essential, as thousands of satellites from dozens of countries go into orbit and as new technologies and new technological frontiers emerge and expand.
I had the chance a couple of years ago to be in one of these outer space oversight rooms, and when you see all those different satellites, you wonder that nothing has happened. But as we know, there have been also many topics where one also thought, how should we solve it? How should we work together? And then somehow the big common success, succeeded.
For example, today as you consider the cluster of items concerning decolonization, I encourage you to reflect on how we can continue to build on what is recognized as one of the most important achievements of the United Nations because we have worked, you have worked, together.
While each of the Committee’s workstreams pose unique demands and challenges, I would like to underscore two points to help guide your deliberations.
First, we must prioritize the mandate on UNRWA and its work to support civilians in Gaza.
The devastation unfolding in Gaza is evident to us all, and UNRWA plays a critical role in delivering lifesaving humanitarian assistance and relief to those who need it most.
We had the UNRWA debate here at the High-Level Week, but we see that the challenges and the disaster is still going on. And most of the time it’s being forgotten that UNRWA is way more than the work in Gaza.
Before the war in Gaza UNRWA was operating 183 schools, educating 300,000 children.
In the West Bank, UNRWA provided services to more than 912,000 registered refugees.
In Jordan, UNRWA’s 25 health centers provide 1.6 million consultations annually.
In Lebanon, UNRWA is the sole basic service provider in 12 official refugee camps.
And in Syria, UNRWA continues to operate 104 schools, despite damage to 40% of schools from the conflict.
The Fourth Committee—entrusted with oversight of UNRWA’s mandate—has a direct bearing on whether the UN can continue to uphold the dignity and basic rights of those affected.
Renewal of UNRWA’s mandate, keeping in mind the findings of the Colonna Report and the Strategic Assessment commissioned by the Secretary-General under the UN80 initiative, is therefore not only important, but indispensable for the people relying and depending on UNRWA’s work. But also, for the credibility of this institution.
In addition to UNRWA, the Fourth Committee will also address the Israeli practices and settlement activities affecting the rights of the Palestinian people and other Arabs of the occupied territories.
Building on the endorsement of the New York Declaration by a vast majority of Member States – and the positive developments throughout the High-Level Week – I reiterate that only a two-state solution, based on relevant UN resolutions, can guarantee lasting peace and security for both the people of Israel and Palestine, and indeed for the rest of the region.
My second point reflects the context within which we work.
As I emphasized at the opening of the General Debate: this is not an ordinary year, this is not an ordinary session. It cannot be business as usual.
Throughout High-Level Week, leaders repeatedly called for a United Nations that is more agile, more efficient, and more responsive to the challenges of the 21st century.
The committees must ensure their resolutions and decisions reflect this wider context and contribute to that collective renewal.
Our efforts should always align with the commitments made under the resolution on GA revitalization and our mandate implementation review process, and seek to deliver meaningful efficiencies.
As the General Assembly has requested, this includes reducing the frequency, length and number of resolutions.
And it includes reviewing working methods and submitting concrete proposals to the General Committee on how to make work more efficient and more effective.
Colleagues, let us ask ourselves when drafting resolutions: is every paragraph really necessary? Does it still matter in these times, or is it just copy and paste? Does this require an SG report for which we know funding and capacity may be lacking?
I encourage all delegations and committees to engage proactively in this process, this self-reflection, and in the ongoing UN80 process and related reforms.
Excellencies,
The General Debate offered us the perspectives of world leaders on where this institution must go, and how we must course-correct to once again prove the relevance of this Organisation.
The Committees will be responsible for much of the substantive work to translate that vision into reality.
The Fourth Committee, alongside its counterparts, is the engine room of our General Assembly. No pressure, but this committee is where we turn political will into deliverable results.
You as delegates play a critical role in shaping the future of this Organisation.
In finding consensus, forging agreements, and delivering progress.
I wish you – I wish all of us – success in the coming months and deliberations.
As always, we are better together.
Thank you.