New york: The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea to the United Nations, led by Ambassador Anatolio Ndong Mba, participated in the closing of the 80th session and the opening of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. The Equatorial Guinean delegation, including Deputy Permanent Representative Juan Mbomio Ndong Mangue and other diplomatic staff, attended the ceremonies in New York.
According to African Press Organization, the closing ceremony of the 80th session began at 11:00 am, where outgoing President Annalena Baerbock of Germany reflected on a term marked by geopolitical divisions, a need for institutional reforms, and a renewed commitment to international cooperation. Baerbock highlighted that resolutions passed by a majority demonstrated unity among member states despite geopolitical tensions. The 80th session included 18 high-level meetings, 116 formal plenary sessions, and 317 resolutions, tackling themes like AI governance, SDG acceleration, and institutional reform under the UN80 Initiative.
At 3:00 pm, Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh took the oath as President of the 81st session, emphasizing the theme "Restoring trust, managing transformation: a United Nations that delivers for all." Rahman stressed the importance of adapting to the current global landscape and outlined priorities such as peace, security, SDG acceleration, climate resilience, human rights, innovation, and multilateralism.
UN Secretary-General Ant³nio Guterres acknowledged the achievements of the outgoing president and welcomed Khalilur Rahman amid global challenges like nuclear risks, poverty, and climate issues. Guterres underscored the importance of rebuilding trust in the multilateral system and noted the upcoming selection process for the next Secretary-General. With the adoption of the work agenda and formation of the Credentials Committee, the General Assembly commenced its deliberations for the upcoming year.