Mr. Chair, [Madam Under Secretary-General], distinguished colleagues,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

Let me begin by expressing our sincere thanks to the Chair and the Bureau members for their leadership and commitment in guiding us through this session.

I also want to congratulate the Secretariat — your steady support has been essential in ensuring that our negotiations ran smoothly, despite a tight timeline.

Our appreciation also goes to the G77 for presenting the zero draft — and especially to our distinguished colleague from Thailand, who guided us with great dedication and skill as facilitator.

C’est grâce à nos efforts collectifs — et à un fort esprit de consensus — qu’aujourd’hui, nous pouvons saluer l’adoption par consensus de deux résolutions. Cela perpétue une fière tradition de 38 années au sein de notre Comité.

Nous saluons les résultats que nous avons obtenus ensemble. Ces résolutions apportent des orientations essentielles au Département de la communication globale, dont le travail est indispensable pour promouvoir une information fiable, factuelle et multilingue. Ce faisant, le Département joue un rôle clé dans la préservation de l’intégrité de l’information et dans la lutte contre la manipulation de l’information et la désinformation, qui compromettent le travail des Nations Unies.

Permettez-moi de souligner brièvement quelques décisions clés que nous avons prises :

• Pour la première fois, ces résolutions font référence au Pacte pour l’avenir — notre boussole commune pour accélérer la mise en œuvre de l’Agenda 2030 et les Objectifs de développement durable;

• Nous avons actualisé la référence au rôle essentiel du Département dans le développement des Principes mondiaux des Nations Unies pour l’intégrité de l’information;

• Nous avons renforcé le langage relatif à l’intelligence artificielle, en soulignant l’urgence de garantir qu’elle soit sûre, sécurisée et digne de confiance;

• Et nous avons réaffirmé notre ferme attachement au multilinguisme — une valeur fondamentale de cette Organisation.

[EN translation: It is thanks to these collective efforts — and a strong spirit of consensus — that today, we are able to welcome the adoption of two resolutions by consensus. This continues a proud, 38-year tradition in our Committee.

We commend what we have achieved together. These resolutions send guidance to the Department of Global Communications — whose work is vital in promoting reliable, factual, and multilingual information. In doing so, the Department helps safeguard information integrity, and fights back against information manipulation and disinformation that undermine the UN’s work.

Let me briefly highlight some of the key decisions we’ve taken:

• For the first time, the resolutions make reference to the Pact for the Future — our shared compass to achieve the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals;

• We have updated the reference to the Department’s pivotal work on the UN Global Principles for Information Integrity;

• We’ve strengthened the language on artificial intelligence — and the urgency of ensuring that it is safe, secure and trustworthy;

• And we’ve reaffirmed our strong support for multilingualism — a core value of this Organization.]

   

Dicho esto, también debemos reflexionar y extraer lecciones de las negociaciones de este año. Quisiera subrayar tres puntos:

En primer lugar, nunca debemos perder de vista la estrecha relación entre la construcción de consensos y la despolitización de nuestro trabajo. Solo si nos centramos en diseñar un mandato sólido y orientado hacia el futuro para el Departamento, podremos cumplir con el propósito de este Comité. Este principio siempre ha guiado nuestra labor.

En segundo lugar, necesitamos una comprensión más amplia de nuestro mandato central y de los procedimientos que nos rigen como Grupo de Trabajo de composición abierta. Alentamos a la Secretaría y a la Mesa a revisar nuestros métodos de trabajo. A medida que la resolución se vuelve más extensa y compleja, corremos el riesgo de diluir su objetivo fundamental. Debemos evitar las redundancias y mantener un mandato claro y centrado. La Unión Europea está dispuesta a participar activamente en esta reflexión.

En tercer lugar, debemos reconocer una deficiencia. El multilingüismo no es solo un valor, es un compromiso. Y, lamentablemente, no se ha reflejado plenamente en nuestros métodos de trabajo. No hubo interpretación en los seis idiomas oficiales durante la sesión informativa informal con la Secretaria General Adjunta. Y hoy adoptamos un texto que no ha sido traducido a todas las lenguas oficiales de las Naciones Unidas. Esto no es aceptable. Instamos a la Secretaría a tomar todas las medidas necesarias para garantizar que esta situación no se repita.

[EN translation: That said, we must also reflect — and draw lessons from this year’s negotiations. I want to underline three points:

First, we must never lose sight of the close link between consensus-building and the non-politicization of our work. Only if we focus on shaping a strong and future-ready mandate for the Department, can we achieve the purpose of this Committee. This principle has always guided our work.

Second, we need a broader understanding of our core mandate — and of the procedures that guide us as an Open-ended Working Group. We encourage the Secretariat and the Bureau to take a fresh look at our working methods. As the resolution becomes longer and more complex, we risk diluting its core purpose. We must avoid redundancy and keep our mandate clear and focused. The EU stands ready to actively engage in this discussion.

Third, we must acknowledge a shortcoming. Multilingualism is not only a value — it is a commitment. And unfortunately, it has not been fully reflected in how we’ve conducted our work. There was no interpretation in the six official languages during the informal briefing with the Under-Secretary-General. And today, we are adopting a text that has not been translated to all UN official languages. This is not acceptable. We urge the Secretariat to take all necessary steps to ensure this does not happen again.]

Mr. Chair, as I close, let me reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the principles and values of the United Nations, and to the work of this Committee. 

As we move forward, we strive to uphold the integrity of the Committee and enhance its ability to address the needs of our time. Let us continue to work together in a spirit of constructive cooperation, consensus and collegiality to ensure that the United Nations remains a beacon of hope in a world that needs it more than ever.

I thank you.