GG News Bureau
United Nations, Geneva 12th february : In a powerful address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on February 10, 2026, UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock issued a clarion call for Europe to “stand up” for the United Nations. Highlighting a world besieged by crises—ranging from recent tensions in Venezuela and Greenland to ongoing devastation in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan—Baerbock warned that the international rules-based order is currently under direct attack.
A Call to Defend the Truth Baerbock emphasized that the primary duty of the European Union is to defend the truth. In an era dominated by “fake news” and state-sponsored disinformation, she insisted that facts cannot be negotiated for the sake of political or economic convenience. She praised the EU’s historic unity during the 2022 invasion of Ukraine as a blueprint for how collective action can safeguard international law.
Urgent UN Reforms The President did not shy away from the UN’s internal struggles. She called for urgent structural and financial reforms, describing current financial regulations—where unspent money is returned even if dues were never paid—as “Kafkaesque.” She urged EU member states to lead by example by paying their assessments on time and in full to resolve the UN’s existential liquidity crisis.
Breaking the Glass Ceiling In a notable push for gender equality, Baerbock challenged the EU to support the selection of a woman for the next Secretary-General. She pointed out the historical anomaly that in 80 years, the UN has never had a female leader, despite billions of qualified candidates.
Concluding her speech, Baerbock reminded lawmakers that “imperfection is an opportunity to strengthen, not to demolish.” She appealed to Europe to form a cross-regional alliance to ensure that power-based politics do not replace the shared principles of the UN Charter
