New Delhi: Annalena Baerbock, President of the United Nations General Assembly, on Tuesday, April 28, questioned alternative conflict resolution initiatives such as US President Donald Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace”, warning that attempts to bypass the UN could erode the principle of equal participation among nations. Speaking at a press conference after talks with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, she said: “There is a reason why for international peace and security there is one organisation called United Nations.”
Baerbock took aim at the Board of Peace charter, unveiled by Trump in January as a mechanism for a post ceasefire Gaza, which grants sweeping authority to a US appointed chair and allows countries to secure permanent membership by contributing around USD 1 billion. Critics have described the model as “pay to play” and a potential duplicate of the UN’s existing mandates, with India attending the Board’s launch only as an observer. “Every country, no matter how big or small, how powerful or rich, has a seat at the table,” Baerbock said, arguing that peace cannot be brokered on the basis of financial contribution or power hierarchies.
Her remarks come amid growing global strain over ongoing conflicts, including disruptions to critical maritime routes such as the Strait of Hormuz in the wake of the war involving Iran. Baerbock noted that attacks and blockades on shipping lanes are driving up oil and fertiliser prices, affecting economies far beyond the immediate region. “What happens in one part of the world affects everyone, everywhere,” she said, underscoring the interconnectedness of security and trade.
The waterway has become a flashpoint in the standoff between Iran and the United States: after US and Israeli strikes on Iran, Washington imposed a blockade on Iranian oil exports and Tehran responded by restricting tanker traffic through the Strait, rattling global energy markets. Baerbock warned that the multilateral system is under pressure from rising geopolitical tensions, fragmentation and strains on the UN’s three pillars—peace and security, development, and human rights—and described the UN Charter as “our common life insurance”, urging renewed respect for international law.
On the Iran linked conflict in West Asia, she condemned attacks on UN peacekeepers, citing recent incidents in southern Lebanon in which personnel from several countries were killed or injured. “The secretary general and myself strongly condemn any attacks on UN peacekeepers,” she said, stressing that their protection is a collective responsibility of all member states. Her comments followed a series of strikes on UNIFIL troops in Lebanon, including an ambush earlier in April that killed a French peacekeeper and injured others, as well as separate attacks in March that claimed the lives of Indonesian personnel.
Pressed on criticism that the UN has failed to resolve many conflicts, Baerbock acknowledged its limitations but mounted a robust defence of its role. “No single day would the world be better off without the United Nations,” she said, highlighting the organisation’s work in peacekeeping, humanitarian aid and global health. She pointed to under reported successes such as negotiated border settlements in Central Asia and the support the UN has provided to peace processes in countries like Colombia.
At the same time, she called for reform, noting that more than 40,000 mandates accumulated over decades need to be rationalised. “We call for avoiding duplication … and focusing on the important points in these times,” she said, adding that efforts are underway to streamline UN agencies and cut administrative overheads. She also warned that “those who want to weaken the United Nations should not be allowed to weaponise the reform debate”.
On the long pending reform of the UN Security Council, Baerbock said negotiations remain complex and member driven, with competing proposals, including those backed by India and the African Union, still under discussion. India has long sought permanent membership in an expanded Security Council, but consensus has been stalled by clashing formulas and entrenched interests. On the broader leadership transition, she highlighted the upcoming selection of the next UN secretary general to succeed Antonio Guterres when his term ends in December 2026, describing the process as a “statement of intent” for the organisation’s future. She said it would be difficult to justify again having a post that has never been held by a woman.
During her meeting with Jaishankar, Baerbock said discussions covered the West Asia conflict, maritime security, and disruptions to global trade, as well as governance challenges posed by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. She described India as a key partner in multilateralism, citing its contributions to UN peacekeeping and development cooperation and its role in championing the interests of the Global South.
Baerbock is in India as part of a broader tour of Asia and is scheduled to travel to China next.