Written by Nicholas Guider, LU/UN Programs Intern | February 10, 2026 | SHARE
On January 29th, the Lehigh University/ United Nations Partnership traveled to U.N. Headquarters in New York City, along with fifty students, staff, and faculty, to attend a Civil Society Town Hall led by the President of the General Assembly (PGA) in its 80th session, Annalena Baerbock. During this auspicious event, one Lehigh student was invited to directly question the PGA before a room full of more than 500 NGO representatives from around the world, while another took part in the general Q&A session.
The Civil Society Town Hall is an event intended to facilitate candid exchange between members of civil society, providing a platform for inclusive dialogue on the priorities of the eightieth session of the General Assembly. This year's event carries a theme titled Better Together: The Role of Civil Society In Strengthening The United Nations In Fragmented Times. The theme captures the importance of civil society in shaping solutions and bringing innovation to the challenges faced by the UN.
Lehigh student Indira Alvarado ‘26, who was invited to question PGA Baerbock, asked how youth-led organizations can meaningfully participate in the shared decision-making process at the UN, rather than a symbolic inclusion. The PGA’s jestful response of “Annoy them!” met with great approval by the youth attending, as she encouraged young people to be persistent to make their voices heard. Binetou Sylla, a graduate student from Senegal, also participated in the discussion with the PGA. It was her first experience at the UN.
The session began with remarks from the U.N. Under Secretary-General for Global Communications, Melissa Fleming. While emphasizing the importance of youth involvement in global decision-making, Fleming acknowledged Lehigh University, asking, “Did you make it?” in reference to Lehigh’s delayed arrival caused by heavy traffic on I-78. The recognition generated significant excitement among both students and faculty, many of whom were eager to experience the event firsthand. Fleming concluded by introducing the President of the General Assembly.
Baerbock began her remarks to civil society by acknowledging the current geopolitical climate. She hammered on the importance of preserving the rules-based international order as a method of sustaining long-lasting peace. To Baerbock, the multilateral system is central to subduing the realities of a world without an international order. Scornfully alluding to world leaders who seek to change this order, she declared, “You cannot just take a country, neither by invasion, nor by buying it; there's a good reason that every country, no matter how big or small, has a seat and a voice at the international table.”
Baerbock addressed critical U.N. issues, such as the election of the Secretary-General, and the need for institutional reform. She also announced that civil society organizations would be principal in the selection of the next Secretary-General. To Baerbock, this election “is no administrative exercise. It is a choice with profound implications for the U.N., for the wider multilateral system, including each of you, and for the world. It is a choice that will send a powerful message of who we are”. To exclude civil society to the president would be to abandon the core values of the UN Charter. Lehigh’s ECOSOC status will enable faculty, staff, and students to participate in meeting candidates for the future Secretary-General post.
Following her address, Baerbock responded to a range of screen questions that addressed issues of women's rights, African and Caribbean rights, the Security Council, and broad U.N. institutional reforms, among other issues.
The panel opened the floor to field impromptu questions as well, a practice that is unusual for high-level officials. Bill Hunter, the Director of Fellowship Advising and U.N. Programs, later remarked on the rarity of such an act. According to Hunter, the President’s willingness to answer questions without prior preparation demonstrated her competence as a leader and the respect she held for those in attendance at the town hall.
The Q&A session concluded formal engagements with the president; however, many Lehigh students were quick to use this time to engage with NGO leaders and civil society representatives.
Colin Broadbent ‘29, a freshman considering a major in international relations at Lehigh, made use of this opportunity. In a conversation with Dr. Krystal Okeke’Chanchangi, founder of America Kids Multicultural World, an organization that promotes cultural inclusion through fashion, modeling and acting, Colin discussed the shared mission of Lehigh University and AKMW in advancing learning through inclusion.
Bryn Kidd ‘29 took advantage of her chance to meet NGO leaders after the event as well. During her discussions, she met Alimata Coulibaly, the founder of the ALIMAMA Foundation – Children New Rescue Hope, a nonprofit focused on improving the lives of vulnerable children and communities, particularly across developing nations. Bryn shared, “I was surprised by how open people were to networking, even with the important roles they held. It was great to see how willing they were to engage with students like me.”
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