Baerbock says UN reform overdue but world body remains indispensable

UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock called for bold reforms of the United Nations, saying the world body remains indispensable despite mounting criticism and growing geopolitical tensions.

"Reform is long overdue. But not a single day in this world would be better without the United Nations," Baerbock, Germany's former foreign minister, told dpa in New York.

The UN, despite its shortcomings, remained the only global forum where all 193 member states had an equal voice, she said. "There is no alternative to the United Nations."

Baerbock said efforts to reform the organization often became entangled in political power struggles among member states, many of which were not democracies and lacked a tradition of compromise. "The days when we could solve everything here by consensus and friendly diplomacy are over," she said.

She also urged member states to defend the UN Charter and international law.

"With every day that member states lack the courage to defend international law, a small strand of these strong United Nations erodes," she said.

Her comments came ahead of a vote in the General Assembly on Wednesday on Germany's bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

"Entering the Security Council at this stage is not an easy task," Baerbock said, describing the body as the UN's central forum for maintaining international peace and security and pointing to global vulnerabilities such as the Strait of Hormuz, which remains blocked by Iran and critical to the global energy supply.

She said Security Council members should work to ensure all countries comply with international law, including the Council's permanent members, which hold veto powers. The five permanent members are the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom and France.

Under President Donald Trump, the US has withdrawn from a number of UN bodies and international agreements. Washington's delays in paying UN contributions have also deepened the organization's financial difficulties, while the US administration has argued that pressure is needed to advance reforms.

Critics have accused Trump of violating international law through US-Israeli strikes on Iran and have also portrayed his push to establish a Board of Peace for the Gaza conflict as an attempt to challenge the United Nations' role as the primary international body for conflict resolution.