President of the 80th session of the General Assembly Hybrid press Conference.
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Hybrid press Conference by Annalena Baerbock, President of the 80th session of the General Assembly, on issues including the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons and International Day of the Elimination of Violence Against Women. ----- The President of the General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, announced the launch of the formal selection and appointment process for the next Secretary-General, and said “the world is looking to the next SG to provide strong, dedicated and effective leadership in delivering on the three pillars of the United Nations; peace and security, human rights and development, and in making the United Nations fit for the future.” Baerbock told journalists in New York that the President of the Security Council, Ambassador Michael Imran Kanu, and she, as president of the General Assembly, had signed the joint letter which formally initiates the process and said, “the selection of the next Secretary-General comes at a pivotal moment for our United Nations.” She said, “our choice will send a powerful message about who we are as United Nations, and whether we truly serve all the people of the world, of which everywhere in the world half are women and girls.” The GA President noted that the joint letter “reflects improvements to the process and the latest resolution on revitalisation of the work of the General Assembly, including a call to member states to strongly consider nominating women as candidates for the position of Secretary-General, the importance of regional diversity, transparent campaign disclosures and provisions on the withdrawal of candidates.” She said, “I am convinced that the decision about the future leadership of this organisation is also about credibility.” Baerbock said, “as President of the General Assembly, I will therefore ensure that the process reflects the principles of the United Nations Charter and the very best of our shared commitment and values.” On 5 September 2025 the General Assembly adopted resolution 79/327 on the Revitalisation of the work of the General Assembly, which sets out the process for the selection and appointment in line with Article 97 of the Charter of the United Nations. The resolution builds on previous related resolutions, which introduced significant improvements to the selection and appointment process of the Secretary-General. According to the resolution, candidates are nominated by a Member State or groups of Member States and must provide a vision statement, curriculum vitae and campaign financing disclosures. The President of the General Assembly then convenes webcast interactive dialogues with all candidates and engages closely, in a transparent and inclusive manner, with Member States.
We already live in a world where at least one in three women experience physical or sexual violence. Enter a host of extremely powerful AI tools, trained on existing gender biases, now enabling tha t violence to spread further, faster, and in more complex ways. It’s a perfect storm. While technology-facilitated violence against women and girls has been intensifying – with studies showing 16 to 58 per cent of women worldwide impacted – artificial intelligence is creating new forms of abuse and amplifying existing ones at alarming rates. The numbers are stark: one global survey found that 38 percent of women have personal experiences of online violence , and 85 percent of women online have witnessed digital violence against others. This isn't just about what happens on screens. What happens online spills into real life easily and escalates. AI tools target women, enabling access, blackmail, stalking, threats and harassment with significant real-wo...
AI-facilitated violence against women refers to acts of digital abuse generated and spread by AI technology , resulting in physical, sexual, psychological, social, political, or economic harm, or other infringements of women’s rights and freedoms. The scale, speed, anonymity and ease of communication in digital spaces create an enabling context for this violence. Perpetrators feel that they can get away with it, and victims often do not know if and how they can get help, and legal systems are playing catch up with the rapid changes in technology. According to feminist activist and author Laura Bates, the best way to address the risk of digital and AI-powered abuse is “ to recognise that the online-offline divide is an illusion .”
Africa's digital transformation is accelerating at an extraordinary pace. Internet access has grown at more than double the global rate and a new generation is connecting to opportunities their parents could never have imagined. But there is a dark side spreading just as fast as the connectivity itself – one that threatens to lock women and girls out of the very revolution they should be leading. This rising digital violence is more than a gendered threat; it is a challenge to sustainable development itself. When women and girls cannot participate safely online, Africa’s digital transformation cannot deliver the inclusive growth, innovation, and social progress needed to achieve the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals. Africa stands at an inflection point. With 70 per cent of sub-Saharan Africans under 30, this is the world's youngest continent as we experience the fastest technological transformation in history. Internet access in Africa has grown at 16.7 per c...
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