Annalena Baerbock is followed by Bangladesh Foreign Minister

Top position at UN

Baerbock’s successor has been determined

The UN General Assembly has elected Annalena Baerbock’s successor. Khalilur Rahman presents a detailed program. But one question remains unanswered.

The UN General Assembly has chosen Bangladesh’s current foreign minister, Khalilur Rahman, as its next president and thus as the successor to Annalena Baerbock from September. 99 of the 193 member states in the world parliament voted for the 72-year-old experienced diplomat. Baerbock congratulated him on “one of the best jobs in the world.”

The top position in the United Nations’ largest body is primarily of protocol importance, but can also exert limited influence on behind-the-scenes decision-making processes. The political decisions of the General Assembly often have a symbolic value and express a global mood.

Rahman takes office at a time when the United Nations is under pressure to reform amid numerous unresolved armed conflicts around the world and huge financial shortfalls. He succeeds Baerbock, who, according to UN expert Richard Gowan, “was a very solid and hands-on leader” and gave the office significantly more publicity than her predecessors.

“Baerbock is a bigger diplomatic celebrity than most presidents of the General Assembly,” explained Gowan. According to diplomats, the Green Party politician was sometimes frustrated by the limits of her office. “She wishes the General Assembly would be more proactive in addressing the many crises it faces.”

Rahman had previously declared that he wanted to be full-time president. Whether he would resign from his position as foreign minister was still in doubt among diplomats. Rahman has many years of experience at the United Nations and has played a leading role in the situation of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Rahman explained that he wanted to work for the reform of the UN peace missions, the implementation of the sustainability goals and, for example, the promotion of women and girls as well as the interests of the poorest countries in the world.

Baerbock will hold the office until the official handover of office on September 9th – shortly before the general debate at the UN General Assembly with state guests from all over the world. The position is awarded in a regional rotation, in which it was now the turn of the Asia-Pacific group. Rahman prevailed against the Cypriot diplomat Andreas Kakouris. It is extremely rare in the history of the office for two candidates to run for the post.