Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has been elected Chairperson of the United Nations General Assembly.

According to UN News, she secured victory with 167 votes at the plenary session. Her official assumption of the role will take place in September of this year.

The 44-year-old Baerbock thanked the representatives of member states for their trust and emphasized her readiness to serve as an “honest broker,” representing the interests of all countries on equal footing and remaining open to dialogue: “My door will always be open to everyone,” she declared in her first speech after the election.

Annalena Baerbock is the first woman from the Western European and Other States group to head the General Assembly, as well as the fifth woman in history to hold this position. Moreover, she is among the youngest presidents in the Assembly’s history.

The role of Chairperson of the UN General Assembly is primarily representative and coordinative. The chairperson presides over meetings, ensures compliance with rules of procedure, organizes the body’s work, and represents the General Assembly internationally, without making political decisions.

Baerbock served as Germany’s Foreign Minister from 2021 to 2025. Prior to that, from 2018 to 2022, she was co-chair of the Alliance 90/The Greens party and ran in the 2021 federal chancellor elections. In November 2022, she made an official visit to Uzbekistan as part of her Central Asia tour.