The President of the United Nations General Assembly appealed on Tuesday for Europe to protect the international rules-based system, defend the truth in the face of fake news and other falsehoods, and support UN reform.
From Davos, the President of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday warned that the world has entered a makeorbreak moment for multilateralism, saying the rulesbased order can survive only if states speak the truth and act when its hard. She called for a crossregional alliance to push back against growing lawlessness, disinformation, and powerbased politics.
In akeyaddresstothe European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, Annalena Baerbock repeatedhercall toupholdmultilateralism amid trying timesglobally.
She noted that just 40 days into2026, the world has already seen crises around Venezuela,Iranand Greenland,on top ofcontinuingdevastationin Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan and elsewhere.
International order under attack
The international order is not only under pressure,it isunder attack, shetold lawmakers.
And we face a new and more troubling kind of crisis: conflicts waged not even under thepretenceofself-defenceor respect for international law but often carried out in open defiance of it.
She warned that atprecisely the moment the world most needs cooperation and theUN,powers even those who have a special responsibility to protect peace and security are pulling away from it or even outright attacking it.
Protect the UN Charter
Ms. Baerbock recalled that four years ago, when she was Germanys Foreign Minister, sheaddressedthe General Assembly and called for the UN to stand up for Europes peace as Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Today,Imcoming asPresident of the General Assemblyto Europe, calling for Europe to stand up for the United Nations becausethe world needs the UN. But right now, the UN and its principles as enshrined in the Charter, needs the world too, she said, referring to all continents.
It needs you to form across-regional allianceto protect, defend and champion the Charter and the international rules-based system that benefits us all individually and collectively.
Defend the truth
First and foremost, the EU must defend the truth in a world wherefake news, falsities, mis- and disinformation are everywhere.
Defending the truth means we cannot negotiate the facts; we cannot go along to get along in the hope that it will avoid a tariff, she said.
Ms. Baerbockacknowledged thatdefending the truth is easier said than done,especially when youre faced with blackmail or coercion, or threats and intimidation.
European unity overUkraine
She stressed, however, that no one can do it alone,highlightingEuropean Union (EU)collectiveactionin this regard.
Four years ago, Europe watched as 100,000 troops amassed on Ukraines borders, shocked into paralysis. Nobody could have imagined the EU, which has been described astoo slow and too bureaucratic, too dividedwould unite over a weekend, she said.
The invasion began on a Thursday and bythatMonday morning the EU collectively passed one of the largest sanctions packages ever recorded because it responded as one, with conviction and purpose.
The world is calling
But Europe did not act aloneas shepointedto late-night calls and pleas made to other countries around the world.
Today dear colleagues, the world is calling.Itsnot only about Greenland,itsalso about Latin America, about Africa. Once again,itsabout the international peace order, once againitsabout theUN Charter, she said.
The UN needs Europe and I count on your answer to be a clear and resounding: yes, we will be there for our peace, for the international peace order, for the United Nations.
Support UN reform
The Assembly President saidtheUN also needs Europe to reform it, to make it better, to make it more effective and efficient.While the 80-year-old Organization is not perfect, she insisted that the world would not be better off without it.
Imperfection is an opportunity to strengthen and refine, not to cut down and demolish, saidMs. Baerbock.
We cannot allow those who wouldweaponizefailings or setbacks to use existing inefficiencies or duplications as justification to unravel all that we have built, nor allow exclusive clubs to hold responsibilities for world peace.
Lead by example
The UN is also dealing with an existential liquidity crisis,with some Member States not paying their assessed contributionswhether late,or not at all, for years.
She noted thatUN financial rules further require anyunspent budgeted money tobe returned toMember States, even ifit wasnever received in the first place.
Ifthe EU wants to preserve and strengthen the UN, then the EU should lead by example, she said.This includespaying dues on time and infull andproposing ways tooverhaul this Kafkaesque financial rule of reimbursing funds never received.
Similarly, the EU should step up when it comes to theselectionof the next Secretary-General as one might wonder how in 80 years the UN has never selected a woman to serve its highest office, despite there beingfourbillion potential candidates on Earth.
