Excellencies,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries North Macedonia^*, Montenegro^*, Serbia ^*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina^*, and Georgia, as well as Andorra and San Marino align themselves with this statement.

I would like to start by congratulating her Excellency Ambassador Mathu Joyini and his Excellency Ambassador Cornel Feruță for their election and re-election respectively. You can count on the full support of the European Union in your endeavours to achieve concrete results.

Excellencies, distinguished colleagues,

The recent adoption of the Pact for the Future presents a significant opportunity to reinvigorate multilateralism and restore trust in the UN. Our joint commitment in the Pact to increase our efforts to revitalise the work of the General Assembly plays a crucial role in this regard.

We must seize this momentum and strive for the full implementation of resolution 77/335, to more effectively prioritise the GA’s work around the principles of the Charter. The three interwoven UN pillars - peace and security, sustainable development and human rights - remain the foundation of our work and are equally important. We must seek a more effective, transparent, accountable and networked General Assembly. I would like to convey three messages.

First, we must rationalise our agendas to produce more tangible outcomes. We should consider clustering, elimination, or bi- and triennalisation of items on the agendas of the GA and its six committees.

The Conference Room Paper shared earlier this year is a useful first tool. We now need to have a more transversal and strategic discussion.

While doing this we must be consistent and cohesive across all Committees. We share the concerns expressed by many about the work overload of all Committees. We think this Working Group is the best-suited forum to address this issue. In that regard, I would like to reiterate our concern about ongoing discussions in the Third Committee on its working methods. This discussion may have far-reaching repercussions on the work of the General Assembly and must take place while fully respecting the mandates of the General Assembly and other UN bodies. Decisions should also be taken by consensus and in an inclusive manner, to ensure homogenous application by all UN Member States.

Second, as we face an increased number of ever-more complex crises, we need to strengthen the GA’s role in peace and security. Improved coordination between the General Assembly and other principal bodies, particularly the Security Council and the Peace-building Commission, would lead to greater synergies. Further, the adoption of the veto initiative is a significant step forward. It enhances the Assembly's role when the Security Council faces deadlock, ensuring that member states have a platform to address critical issues and uphold accountability. We acknowledge the vital role of the digital handbook “Assembly for Peace” produced by the United Nations University Centre for Policy Research (UNU-CPR). It is a valuable resource to further reflect on the collaboration between the General Assembly and the Security Council, allowing us an opportunity to strengthen our collective efforts toward international peace and security.

Third, we want to reiterate our call for greater transparency and gender equality in the selection processes of executive heads, and appointment of the next Secretary General. The Pact for the Future is explicit in this regard; it is regrettable that there has never been a woman Secretary-General. Also us, Member States, must be more proactive in nominating women as candidates. The same should also apply for the position of the President of the General Assembly, where only four women held this position in 79 years. Further, we note that Resolution 77/335 also calls upon the President of the General Assembly to ensure gender balance when appointing Co-Chairs, Co-Facilitators, high-level speakers and panellists. In the 21^st century, it is high time we implement this ambition into practice.

The EU remains a constant supporter of the revitalisation process and is committed to working closely with all Member States in this regard.

I thank you.

* North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.