By Javier Surasky
Surrounded
by a “toxic” political climate following her party’s poor showing in the most
recent German elections—where they garnered just over 11% of the vote—and amid
accusations of supporting Israel’s actions in Gaza (a view I personally find
exaggerated), Baerbock is also recognized for her environmental advocacy and
commitment to gender equity. She has now become the fifth woman to serve as
President of the General Assembly (PGA) in the UN’s 80-year history.
This
article, however, is neither about Baerbock herself nor about explaining the
functions of a PGA. What struck me as I watched her election was the
generational contrast between her and her predecessor, Philémon Yang, the
outgoing president of the Assembly’s current session.
What is the
average age of General Assembly presidents? Is Baerbock the youngest person
ever to hold the role? Who was the first PGA born after the founding of the UN?
These
questions led me to delve into a topic I had never paid much attention to
before—and the answers were full of surprises.
To begin,
Baerbock is 45 years old. And the contrast with Yang was no illusion: he took
office at the age of 77, making him the oldest person ever to assume the PGA
position.
As for the youngest presidents, the list includes:
- Abdelaziz Bouteflika (Algeria), who assumed the role in 1974 at age 37—the same age as Salim Ahmed Salim (Tanzania, 1979), Stoyan Ganev (Bulgaria, 1992), and Vuk Jeremić (Serbia, 2012).
- Alex Quaison-Sackey (Ghana, 1964), who was 40.
- Angie Brooks (Liberia, 1969), who at age 41 became the first woman PGA.
- Dante Caputo (Argentina, 1988), who was also 45, the same age as Baerbock.
At the other end of the spectrum, the oldest PGAs were:
- Volkan Bozkır (Turkey, 2020) at age 70.
- Ali Treki (Libya, 2009) at 72.
- Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann (Nicaragua, 2008) at 75, and
- Philémon Yang (Cameroon, 2024) at 77.
Among the
80 presidents of the Assembly’s regular sessions, the average age upon taking
office is around 57 years.
Baerbock is also the first person born in the 1980s to hold the position. In contrast, 11 PGAs were born in the 19th century:
- Herbert Vere Evatt (Australia, 1948) – born in 1881.
- Paul-Henri Spaak (Belgium, 1946) – 1889.
- José Maza Fernández (Chile, 1955) – 1889.
- Wan Waithayakon (Thailand, 1956) – 1891.
- Víctor Andrés Belaúnde (Peru, 1959) – 1893.
- Muhammad Zafarullah Khan (Pakistan, 1962) – 1893.
- Oswaldo Aranha (Brazil, 1947) – 1894.
- Luis Padilla Nervo (Mexico, 1951) – 1894.
- Eelco van Kleffens (Netherlands, 1954) – 1894.
- Lester B. Pearson (Canada, 1952) – 1897.
- Carlos P. Romulo (Philippines, 1949) – 1898.
The first
time the Assembly was presided over by someone born after the UN’s creation was
in 2002, with Jan Kavan (Czech Republic), who was born in 1946. However, it
wasn’t until 2011 that we saw an uninterrupted succession of PGAs born after
the UN’s founding, beginning with Nassir Al-Nasser (Qatar) and continuing
through to Baerbock.
Another
interesting detail: depending on how one interprets it, Baerbock could be
considered the first, second, or even third German to hold the office. The
position was previously held by Peter Florin (East Germany) in 1987—just two
years before the fall of the Berlin Wall—and by Rüdiger von Wechmar (West
Germany) in 1980.
Have any countries had more than one PGA over the UN’s 80-year history? Yes—but very few:
- Ecuador, with Leopoldo Benites in 1973 and María Fernanda Espinosa in 2018.
- Hungary, with Imre Hollai in 1982 and Csaba Kőrösi in 2022.
- Nigeria, with Joseph Nanven Garba in 1989 and Tijjani Muhammad-Bande in 2019.
If we also include special sessions, Argentina and Chile have each had two citizens serve as PGA:
- For Argentina, José Arce presided over the second special session in 1948, and Dante Caputo over the 43rd regular session in 1988.
- For Chile, José Maza Fernández presided over the 10th regular session in 1955, while Rudecindo Ortega chaired the first and second emergency special sessions, both in 1956.
Most PGAs have come from Western Europe, but their one-year terms and the geographic rotation system have ensured a fair degree of regional diversity. The first four PGAs, in fact, came from different regions:
- Paul-Henri Spaak (Belgium, Western Europe) in 1946.
- Oswaldo Aranha (Brazil, Latin America and the Caribbean) in 1947.
- Herbert Vere Evatt (Australia) in 1948.
- Carlos P. Romulo (Philippines, Asia-Pacific) in 1949.
The first
African to hold the post was Mongi Slim (Tunisia) in 1961. Eastern Europe (as
defined by the current regional grouping) had its first PGA only in 1967, with
Corneliu Mănescu of Romania.
Looking
ahead, a member state from the Asia-Pacific Group is next in line to hold the
PGA role during the 81st regular session of the General Assembly, which will
include the selection of the next Secretary-General to succeed António
Guterres—but that will be a subject for future blog entries.