News - USA, New York, Permanent Representation of the Republic of Bulgaria to the UN

Ambassador Gergana Karadjova Chaired the meeting of the Group of Friends of Children and the SDGs. The event was opened by Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF, and the President of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, delivered guest remarks.

Ambassador Gergana Karadjova met with Izumi Nakamitsu, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, to discuss key priorities on the global disarmament and nonproliferation agenda. Bulgaria reaffirmed its strong commitment to the UN80 initiative and to enhancing the efficiency of the work of the UN First Committee. Drawing on the experience of its 80th session — during which streamlined procedures proved effective despite financial constraints — Bulgaria supports the exploration of additional practical measures, as well as possible improvements in the work of other bodies within the disarmament architecture, such as the United Nations Disarmament Commission.

Ambassador Gergana Karadjova met with Elizabeth Spehar, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding. Assistant Secretary-General Spehar highly appreciated Bulgaria’s contribution as a member of the Peacebuilding Commission during the period 2022–2023. Bulgaria has put forward its candidacy for the next term on the Peacebuilding Commission for the period 2028–2029.

During the First Regular Session, Ambassador Karadjova reaffirmed Bulgaria’s strong commitment to UNICEF and its key role in supporting children worldwide. She highlighted the growing challenge resulting from the decline in traditional humanitarian and development funding and underscored the need for flexible and predictable financing to enable UNICEF to respond effectively to children’s needs, particularly in emergency situations. Ambassador Karadjova also noted the important role of National Committees, diversified partnerships, and the continued contributions of states.

Ambassador Gergana Karadjova met with Li Junhua, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. Ambassador Karadjova reaffirmed Bulgaria’s strong commitment to the 2030 Agenda, while noting that the world is falling behind on the achievement of many of the Sustainable Development Goals due to intersecting climate, geopolitical, economic and demographic challenges. The Permanent Representative underlined that the main challenge today is not a lack of commitments, but a lack of implementation capacity, coherence and adequate financing.

Ambassador Gergana Karadjova met with Elinor Hammarskjöld, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel. During the discussion, Bulgaria’s strong support for the mandate of the Office of Legal Affairs was reaffirmed, including its role in providing legal advice to the Secretary-General, protecting UN personnel, and contributing to key initiatives such as UN80. Bulgaria emphasized the urgent need for legal solutions, supported by political will, to address global crises. Ambassador Karadjova reaffirmed the central role of the General Assembly as a unique platform for dialogue and collective action on legal issues. The meeting also highlighted Bulgaria’s unwavering commitment to international law, the UN Charter, and the rule of law. Ambassador Karadjova noted Bulgaria’s continued support for the International Court of Justice and the work of the International Law Commission.

Ambassador Karadjova reaffirmed Bulgaria’s strong support for the Committee’s impartial, neutral and independent mandate to protect the life and dignity of victims of armed conflict and to promote universal humanitarian principles.

During the First Regular Session of the United Nations Development Programme / United Nations Population Fund /United Nations Office for Project Services Executive Board, Ambassador Gergana Karadjova, Permanent Representative of Bulgaria to the UN, reaffirmed Bulgaria’s strong support for United Nations Population Fund’s work amid global challenges.

Bulgaria took an active part in the 64th session of the United Nations Commission for Social Development (CSocD64), held in New York. Bulgaria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Gergana Karadzhova, together with the Youth Delegates Viktor Tsvetanov and Vyara Trifonova, delivered a national statement on behalf of Bulgarian youth.

Ambassador Gergana Karadjova participated in the discussion on Mandate Creation, Implementation, and Review for an Effective United Nations, highlighting the importance of effective, accountable, and regularly reviewed UN mandates. Bulgaria fully supports the mandate review process, the proposed timeline, and the overall approach. We appreciate the zero draft resolution as a solid foundation for constructive dialogue and mutual understanding, and we believe the level of ambition should remain high. Transparent, system-wide mandate reviews—based on performance, conducted on a regular cycle, and linked to budgetary reassessment—are essential to ensure that UN mandates remain relevant, effective, and fit for purpose, while allowing resources to be reallocated where they are most needed.