New York, NY — On 9 September 2025, Annalena Baerbock, the former German Foreign Minister, officially began her tenure as President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
The International Association of Democratic Lawyers, Progressive International, and CODEPINK will hold a press conference and rally outside the German Consulate in New York City on 11 September at 12:00—aimed at exposing ongoing imperialist attempts to weaken international bodies, spotlighting Baerbock’s misconduct, and calling for her resignation from the position.
Baerbock’s history of endorsing militarization, obstructing ceasefire initiatives, and undermining diplomatic and judicial efforts starkly conflicts with the UN’s core mission. This explains the intensifying campaign opposing her leadership.
Baerbock championed the remilitarization of Germany and advocated for Europe’s engagement in foreign military interventions.
She defended civilian attacks under the pretext of “self-defense.”
Baerbock impeded ceasefire attempts during Israel’s devastating actions in Gaza and blocked peaceful resolutions to the conflict in Ukraine.
She persistently attempted to derail dialogue with other nations, labeling their leaders as “dictators.”
Baerbock declined to enforce arrest warrants for Israeli officials accused of crimes against humanity.
She dismissed South Africa’s ICJ case versus Israel as “baseless” despite judicial findings supporting it.
We have compiled the enclosed briefing to detail her consistent support for war, militarism, and opposition to environmental progress.
“By putting her forward above all other potential candidates, the West clearly aimed at undermining international law and international institutions. A warmonger and genocide enabler presiding over the UN General Assembly — an affront to humanity and the Rule of Law. Shame on them!” — Micòl Savia, General Secretary of the IADL
“In 1952, UN Secretary-General Trygve Lie was forced to resign over his blatant pro-Western bias and support for the brutal war against the people of Korea, which saw US forces carpet bomb the country until their pilots “ran out of targets.” In Annalena Baerbock, we find a clear successor. Her record as Germany’s Foreign Minister — one of warmongering and divisiveness — disqualifies her from leading the UN General Assembly.” — Paweł Wargan, Political Coordinator, Progressive International
About the Organizers
The International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL), established in 1946, is an NGO with consultative status at the UN, committed to defending democratic rights and promoting international law.
Progressive International connects progressive movements worldwide to advocate for justice, peace, and solidarity against growing authoritarianism and conflict.
CODEPINK is a grassroots, women-led organization dedicated to ending US wars and militarism, supporting peace and human rights.
Endorsers Include: Asociación Americana de Juristas (AAJ), Black Alliance for Peace, CUNY4Palestine, Democratic Socialists of America, Harlem/Palestine for Peace and Liberation, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network, National Lawyers Guild International, PAL-Awda New York – New Jersey, The Peoples Forum, Palestinian Youth Movement.
Attachment: Briefing on Annalena Baerbock’s Record
Background
On 9 September 2025, Annalena Baerbock, formerly Germany’s Foreign Minister, took office as President of the UN General Assembly. Her appointment mocks the principles of the United Nations and the integrity of the global order.
Throughout her term as Foreign Minister, Baerbock obstructed ceasefire negotiations in Gaza, supported large arms shipments to Israel, and pushed Europe closer to conflict — all while weakening Germany’s fragile environmental policies.
This briefing reviews Baerbock’s history, contextualizes the evolution of the German Green Party, and illustrates why she is inappropriate to represent the world’s nations at the UN.
A Note on the German Greens
The German Green Party has transformed significantly since its inception, rooted in the 1960s student protests, 1970s environmental activism, and the early 1980s peace movement.
By the late 1990s, however, the party shifted sharply. After joining the federal government in 1998, the Greens abandoned pacifist promises by supporting NATO expansion and Germany’s first foreign military action since WWII — the bombing of Yugoslavia, a country once ravaged by Hitler’s forces six decades earlier. This change marked a pivotal and perilous turn in Germany’s foreign policy. Many party members resigned in opposition, ultimately turning the Greens into one of Europe’s most militaristic parties.
Initially pacifist, the Greens soon backed US-led operations in Afghanistan and NATO’s Libya intervention. Today, they prominently advocate for Germany’s remilitarization, prioritizing this over clear environmental and climate commitments.
The decision to resume brown coal mining in Germany exemplifies this shift in policy, directly related to foreign affairs. As protests against this grew, German authorities responded with harsh repression, including violent police crackdowns on peaceful demonstrators.
Annalena Baerbock’s Record of Militarism
While serving as Germany’s Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock consistently supported warfare, militaristic policies, and took actions detrimental to environmental efforts.
- At the January 24, 2023 Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, Baerbock stirred controversy by stating: “We are fighting a war against Russia and not against each other… We can fight this war only together.” This marked the first time a serving European Foreign Minister publicly declared that Europe was at war with Russia.
- In a speech at The New School in New York, Baerbock outlined her vision for a more militarized Europe aligned with the US: “Our aim is to further strengthen the European pillar of NATO, because we want to have a leadership in European and US partnership.” She called for the EU to become a stronger security actor, with integrated defense industries and military missions capable of stabilizing neighboring regions.
- Baerbock defended Israel’s strikes on civilian targets, asserting in the Bundestag in 2024 that: “[S]elf-defence means, of course, not only attacking terrorists, but also destroying them.” She emphasized that civilian sites could lose protection if terrorists used them as shields and affirmed Germany’s stance supporting Israel’s security.
- Between 7 October 2023 and 13 May 2025, Germany approved a record €485.1 million ($554.3 million) in arms exports to Israel. Baerbock supported this by echoing Israeli claims of Hamas employing human shields, condemning their tactics of hiding weapons in civilian locations. She stated, “Israel’s security is part of Germany’s raison d’état” during a Bundestag speech.
- Although Germany sought closer ties with China, a key trading partner, Baerbock undermined relations by criticizing Chinese leadership. In a 2023 interview, she said, “If Putin were to win this war, what sign would that be for other dictators in the world, like Xi, like the Chinese president? Therefore, Ukraine has to win this war.” Her remarks contributed to strained diplomatic relations amid economic pressures on German industry.
These actions reveal Baerbock’s strong alignment with Western military and economic interests, often against the Global South’s wellbeing. Consequently, her presidency of the UN General Assembly is inappropriate and disqualifying.
Original article: iadllaw.org
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