Around 100 people came to the Old Town Hall, including students from the UNESCO project schools, the Europe-active schools and students from Bonn University. Representatives of Bonn's UN organizations also accepted the invitation.

Mayor Dörner was pleased that the Foreign Minister had taken the time "to discuss global challenges and Germany's role in the world with us". The current challenging times - Russia's war in Ukraine, the massively deteriorating climate crisis and its consequences, hunger and poverty, migration, rapidly rising energy and commodity prices, and much more - called for decisive action by the community of nations, she pointed out. "Citizens' expectations placed on the German government are high. However, many of the challenges mentioned can only be solved together with other states. This is where the United Nations plays an important role," said Bonn's Mayor.

At the beginning of the discussion, Federal Foreign Minister Baerbock gave a short keynote speech, underlining the central role of the United Nations in tackling the major challenges that the global community is faced with. “The fact that a German city, Bonn, is the headquarters of many UN organizations shows the importance we attach to the United Nations in German foreign policy,“ she continued.

Patrick van Weerelt (UNSSC, Knowledge Centre for Sustainable Development of the United Nations System Staff College), current Chair of the Heads of Agencies of UN Bonn, referred to Bonn's favorite son Ludwig van Beethoven, drawing an analogy between the first notes of Beethoven's fifth symphony ("Fate knocks at the door") and the challenges facing the world today. He explained that UN Bonn plays an important role in addressing some of these challenges as it focuses collectively on shaping a sustainable future, and pointed out that, through its various organizations, the United Nations in Bonn supports Member States, civil society and other key stakeholders in achieving a sustainable future for people and planet. Van Weerelt also expressed the gratitude the United Nations in Germany to the German Government at the national, regional and local levels for its continuous, consistent and generous support of the Organization's work.