Annalena Baerbock, president of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), has reaffirmed the international body's commitment to the one-China principle established by UNGA Resolution 2758.
The resolution, adopted by an overwhelming majority at the UNGA's 26th session on Oct 25, 1971, affirms that there is only one China in the world and that one China is none other than the People's Republic of China (PRC), that Taiwan is part of China and not a sovereign state and therefore has no sovereign right to send representatives to the UN, and that the PRC represents the whole of China.
In an interview during her visit to China from April 29 to 30, Baerbock said as UNGA president, she has always ensured that UN member states uphold the one-China principle as a basic norm governing international relations.
"We have a clear resolution for back in time as the role of the President of the General Assembly to protect the decisions by the United Nations also in regard with the People's Republic of China being the only legitimate representative in the United Nations. So, and this counts for all the resolutions being passed in the General Assembly that I have to ensure that these resolutions are being followed," Baerbock said.
UNGA president reaffirms one-China principle
The President of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Annalena Baerbock, has warned that the United States' withdrawal from multiple UN agencies weakens international organizations and harms people around the world.
In an exclusive interview with China Media Group during her recent visit to Beijing, Baerbock addressed the implications of the U.S. withdrawal from more than 60 international organizations and mechanisms by January this year, roughly half of which are UN-related.
"In an interconnected world, what happened in one part of the world affects the rest of the world, and even the biggest superpowers, they cannot protect themselves against the global crises, as climate change, as a pandemic, as we saw in COVID, but also now with relation to the war between the U.S. and Iran in the Middle East. The effects of being felt everywhere and the U.S. is calling for support, so this underlines again that even the strongest superpowers need the United Nations, need a clear set of common," said the UNGA president.
"If they leave part of the United (Nations) organizations, this weakens the organizations, which harms people all around the world. We saw it with a lack of support now for the World Food Program. But it's also not in the interest of the bigger powers themselves, so it's in the self-interest of every member state, especially the strong ones, to strengthen the multilateral system and the UN agencies. And also, on a legal issue, because I'm a lawyer, I'm a strong defender of international law without any double standard, some of the organizations, you cannot just leave anyway. So even if you announce it, you are being bound by the common rules within our United Nations," she said.
Baerbock paid a visit to China from April 29 to 30, at the invitation of Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi.
U.S. withdrawals weaken global institutions, harm people worldwide: UNGA president
