Madame Chair,

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the Member States of the European Union.

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

Allow me to begin with our appreciation to you, the members of the Bureau, all the facilitators, as well as the Secretariat, for guiding us through this session and providing us with important information to address the many items in the agenda. We appreciate the presence and support of the 5C Secretariat .

The First Resumed Session of the Fifth Committee reaffirms its role not only in addressing budgetary matters but also as a key platform for Member States to deliberate on substantive administrative issues that are essential to the efficient and effective functioning of the United Nations. However, we must acknowledge that we have not been successful in providing the needed guidance, which should make us think about how we – as a Committee – can become more efficient and effective. 

Indeed, our first resumed session concludes today with the adoption of only a few resolutions. Notwithstanding, the EU and its Member States recognize the efforts made by all delegations to reach consensus and firmly believe that this is the only way forward: to sit down together in a constructive spirit, negotiate, and find ways to better serve this Organization. We believe that it is exactly this ability to reach consensus, even in difficult situations, that  is our most valuable asset as a Committee.

The majority of agenda items brought before us this session have once again, and regrettably, resulted in either no action or deferral. It is particularly disappointing that none of the resolutions under the agenda item on the review of the Organization’s efficiency—specifically Accountability and Supply Chain Management—were adopted. Furthermore, efforts to achieve significant savings without compromising mandates, by aligning air travel standards for UN staff with today’s financial realities and Member State policies, were unsuccessful. We are firmly committed to continuing our engagement on all human resources management issues, including internships, and we hope that the decisions made this year will guide us in the right direction. 

Supporting the work of the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) through a substantive, consensual resolution should be a top priority for this Committee. While we are encouraged by the negotiated outcome on the 5-year review of the OIOS mandate, we reiterate our disappointment that the yearly review of OIOS resulted in no action.

We regret that despite all our efforts to seek a consensual outcome, only a Chair’s text was possible on the revised estimates resulting from resolutions and decisions adopted by the Human Rights Council. We reiterate that it is a paramount responsibility of our Committee to ensure that mandates approved by are given adequate resources to allow their successful implementation.

Madame Chair,

The stark outcome of our session raises serious questions about the organization of our work. Clearly, extending this session from 4 to 5 weeks, at considerable cost for the Organization and for ourselves, was wasteful. No less than 7 days and 3 half-day slots, almost 2 full weeks, of our program of work, went by completely empty, while most agenda items only made significant progress towards the very last days – if not hours – of our session. Tellingly, the HRM rev1 was introduced only halfway the fourth week of our session. Our Committee does not need more time, but rather earlier, more active, and constructive engagement. Rather than more hours we need more meaningful, efficient, and effective in the use of the time that we are allocated. In this sense we should hold ourselves to the same, if not higher standards we ask of the Organization and its staff.

Reflecting on this, we  emphasize that enhancing our working methods should remain a continuous goal and an ongoing commitment. We must raise the standard for efficiency, responsibility, flexibility, and excellence within our Organization, always mindful of the importance of leading by example. 

To conclude, Madame Chair, 

In just a few weeks, we will resume our session with a demanding programme of work, addressing, among other issues, the financing and policy guidance for peacekeeping operations, as well as the Organization’s pressing liquidity challenges.

In a world facing unprecedented uncertainty, let the missed opportunity of this session serve as a wake-up call—compelling us to rise to the challenge and ensure that our Committee fulfills its mandate effectively. Our objective remains clear: to guarantee the proper delivery of UN mandates and to achieve this through consensus.

Once more, you can count on the full support and commitment of the European Union and its Member States in this collective endeavour.

I thank you, Madame Chair.

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