EU Statement – UN General Assembly: Interactive Dialogues with candidates for the position of President of the 81st Session of the General Assembly (PGA81)

Madam President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States, as active promoters of the central role of the General Assembly and as committed political, financial, and operational backers of the implementation of GA mandates under all three UN pillars. In every instance, we are focused on building the necessary trust, cross-regional alliances, and compromises to ensure the broadest possible consensus in all GA processes and mandates.

We will support all efforts of the next PGA to ensure that the Assembly remains a credible platform for dialogue, collective action, and cooperation over division. In our view, the next PGA must represent the full membership, ensure advancing the work of the General Assembly across all three pillars, safeguard the GA’s normative authority, ensure the effective implementation of its decisions and support the continued progress in the UN80 reform agenda.

Against this backdrop, we would like to ask the following questions:

• What concrete initiatives will you propose to build further trust, cooperation, and dialogue among the UN membership and what distinct experience from your personal background will you be bringing to the role to reduce polarization during your tenure?
• How would you concretely help promote the effective implementation of GA resolutions, as also mandated by the recent resolution on UN80 mandate reform? How, in your view, could the PGA himself or herself and GA Committees become more engaged and effective in the implementation of GA mandates, including those created by the Pact of the Future?
• How would you envision the authority of the General Assembly on matters of peace and security -- in cases where the UNSC fails to act, and more broadly – if elected, how would you exercise such authority?