He noted that just 40 days into 2026, the world has already seen crises in Venezuela, Iran and Greenland, in addition to continued devastation in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan and elsewhere.
The international order “under attack”
“The international order is not only under pressure, it is under attack“he told lawmakers.
“And we face a new and more worrying type of crisis: conflicts fought not even under the pretext of self-defense or respect for international law, but often carried out in open defiance of it.”
He warned that precisely at the time when the world most needs cooperation and the UN, “powers – even those that have a special responsibility to protect peace and security – are moving away from it or even openly attacking it.”
Protect the UN Charter
Ms. Baerbock recalled that four years ago, when she was Germany’s Foreign Minister, she addressed the General Assembly and called on the United Nations to defend the peace of Europe as Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“Today I come to Europe as President of the General Assembly and I ask that Europe defend the United Nations because The world needs the UN. But right now, the United Nations and its principles enshrined in the Charter also need the world.”he said, referring to all continents.
“It needs you to form a transregional alliance protect, defend and defend the Charter and the rules-based international system that benefits us all individually and collectively.”
defend the truth
Firstly, the EU must defend the truth in a world where “Fake news, falsehoods, misinformation and disinformation” are everywhere.
“Defending the truth means we can’t negotiate the facts; we can’t ‘get along’ in the hopes of avoiding a tariff,” he said.
Baerbock acknowledged that standing up for the truth “is easier said than done, especially when one is faced with blackmail or coercion, or threats and intimidation.”
European unity on Ukraine
He stressed, however, that “no one can do it alone”, highlighting the collective action of the European Union (EU) in this regard.
“Four years ago, Europe saw 100,000 troops amassing on Ukraine’s borders, paralyzed. No one could have imagined that the EU, which has been described as ‘too slow and too bureaucratic, too divided’, would come together in a weekend,” he said.
The invasion began on a Thursday and that Monday morning “the EU collectively approved 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 alone, as the nightly calls and pleas made to other countries around the world indicated.
“Today, dear colleagues, the world calls us. It’s not just about Greenland, it’s also about Latin America, Africa. Once again, it is about the international peace order, once again it is about the UN Charter,” he said.
“The UN needs Europe and I count on its response to be clear and resounding: yes, we will be there for our peace, for the international peace order, for the United Nations.”
Support UN reform
The president of the Assembly said The UN also needs Europe to “reform it, improve it, make it more effective and efficient.” While the Organization, founded 80 years ago, is not perfect, it insisted that the world would not be better off without it.
“Imperfection is an opportunity to strengthen and refine, not to reduce and demolish,” Ms. Baerbock said.
“We cannot allow those who would weaponize failures or setbacks to use existing inefficiencies or duplication as justification for undoing everything we have built, nor allow exclusive clubs to take responsibility for world peace.”
Lead by example
The UN is also “dealing with an existential liquidity crisis.” and some Member States do not pay their contributions, either late or not at all, for years.
He noted that UN financial rules further require that any “unspent” budgeted money be returned to member states, even if it was never received in the first place.
“If the EU wants to preserve and strengthen the UN, then it must lead by example,” he said. This includes paying dues on time and in full and proposing ways “to review this Kafkaesque financial rule of reimbursing funds never received”.
Similarly, the EU should take a step forward when it comes to selecting the next Secretary-General “as one might wonder how in 80 years the UN has never selected a woman for its highest office, despite there being four billion potential candidates on Earth.”