June 2, 2025
Secretary-General Guterres, President Yang, Distinguished delegates, and esteemed colleagues.
On behalf of the United States, as host country of the United Nations, we look forward to a mutually respectful and constructive working relationship with Ms. Annalena Baerbock as President of the General Assembly for its eightieth session.
We would also like to take the opportunity to thank Mr. Philemon Yang for his dedicated service as President of the General Assembly over the last year. Mr. President, you have modeled the circumspection and restraint needed to guide this body through challenging debates. We thank you.
Madam President-elect, you assume this role at a critical juncture. The eightieth anniversary of the United Nations provides an opportunity to reflect on its role and contributions with respect to international peace and security. It also presents an opening to make the UN more efficient in using its resources and making it more effective at achieving its goals.
Colleagues, in the President-elect’s campaign vision statement, she reaffirmed that the Charter remains the bedrock of this organization and she called for greater focus on reform.
In that effort, the President-elect has a partner in the United States. We have a chance to make the UN more fit for purpose—to prioritize its core mission of international peace and security. We hope the President-elect will follow through on the promise to refocus the UN toward that end.
The General Assembly needs to be more effective and, as many in this great hall have said, abandon time-consuming, fruitless pursuits that waste resources and do little to address global challenges. It must re-focus on urgent issues demanding UN attention including ending armed conflict, advancing peace, combatting antisemitism, and reforming this organization so it might fully live up to its founding purposes.
We call on the President-elect to lead UN Member States in setting aside politics and personal biases and cooperating to advance common goals as outlined in the Charter. It is essential that she works constructively with all world leaders and Member States to bring peace and security to the world.
We look forward to working with UN Member States and the President-elect to return the UN to its purposes and principles under the UN Charter. I thank you.