193 countries will meet in the United Nations General Assembly in New York. In future, the world parliament will be led by a German who has already made history as a diplomat.
Top German diplomat Helga Schmid is set to become President of the UN General Assembly in New York next year. The German government nominated the 63-year-old for the high office at the United Nations headquarters on Wednesday, the Foreign Office told the German Press Agency. Since – as is usual for the post – no opposing candidates are expected, Schmid’s appointment for one year from the beginning of September 2025 is considered certain.
The current Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is “one of the most experienced German top diplomats, well connected and highly respected internationally,” it continued. She has steered the OSCE through the difficult past years. Schmid was previously Secretary General of the European External Action Service in Brussels.
Milestone nuclear deal
Schmid made a name for herself with a historic deal: she played a leading role in the negotiations on the nuclear agreement with Iran, which was concluded in 2015 – and whose future has been extremely uncertain since the US withdrew.
With Schmid, a diplomatic heavyweight would take on the role of chairperson in the 80th session of the world parliament – but compared to the office of the UN Secretary General, this is often perceived as being largely ceremonial. Schmid’s task would be to represent the UN member states as a whole.
She would give one of the first speeches at the annual meeting of heads of state and government at the UN General Debate. In view of the serious wars in recent years, the UN General Assembly has gained importance as a global barometer of sentiment. However, the 15-member UN Security Council, with its ability to pass legally binding resolutions, is considered to be significantly more powerful.
Only four women as President of the General Assembly
In 2015, Schmid was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit, First Class. One of her sponsors, former Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, valued the diplomatic skills and perseverance of the woman, who was born in Dachau, Bavaria. In her early years, Schmid worked in the German embassy in Washington and as an advisor to Fischer’s predecessor Klaus Kinkel (FDP).
According to the Foreign Office, Schmid would be only the fifth woman in the more than 75-year history of the United Nations to chair the UN General Assembly. The actual election will not take place until June 2025 in the largest UN body itself. Since the groups of states that are eligible for the office in the corresponding years will consult among themselves before the nomination, Schmid should be guaranteed the job.
This is the first time that reunified Germany has applied for the post. Previously, Rudiger von Wechmar served as President of the UN General Assembly for the Federal Republic in 1981 and Peter Florin for the GDR in 1987.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
