EU Statement – UN General Assembly: UN Charter Day
Madam President, Excellencies, colleagues,
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*, Albania, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina*, Georgia, and the EFTA country Iceland, member of the European Economic Area, as well as Armenia, Andorra, Monaco and San Marino align themselves with this statement.
Today, we commemorate the signing of the Charter of the United Nations and reaffirm the principles that continue to guide our collective action: sovereign equality, non-aggression, the peaceful settlement of disputes, respect for international law, and the pre-eminence of international cooperation.
The Charter emerged from the devastation of war and from a clear conviction: peace must be built and reinforced by every successive generation, including through the promotion of economic development and the protection of human rights for all.
For the European Union, the Charter is more than a foundational document of the international order. Its principles helped shape our own integration project.
Eighty-one years ago, Europe lay in ruins. The United Nations helped create the conditions in which reconciliation, reconstruction and cooperation could take root. The Charter's principles inspired a new vision for our continent: one in which former adversaries became partners, and where dialogue and cooperation replaced conflict.
Today, the European Union remains firmly committed to the purposes and principles of the Charter and to all three pillars of the United Nations.
We support conflict prevention, mediation, peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts around the world.
We promote sustainable development through our commitment to the 2030 Agenda and through partnerships with countries and communities.
And we stand firmly for the universality, indivisibility and interdependence of all human rights, recognising that peace, development and human rights are mutually reinforcing.
Yet we gather at a time of profound uncertainty.
We are witnessing growing violations of international law and the Charter itself. Armed conflicts are multiplying. Humanitarian needs are increasing just as respect for international humanitarian law is plummeting. The climate crisis is accelerating.
And the United Nations itself faces concerted political and financial pressures at a time when these challenges render it more necessary than ever. Because no country, however powerful, can address today's interconnected challenges alone.
Colleagues,
The United Nations remains the only universal forum where all nations, large and small, come together as equals. It plays an indispensable role in advancing peace and security, supporting sustainable development, protecting human rights, and fostering dialogue and progress through cooperation.
This is why we must continue to defend the Charter and ensure that our Organisation is equipped to deliver.
The European Union supports ongoing efforts to strengthen and reform the United Nations so that it remains effective and fit for purpose.
As we recommit ourselves today, let us remember that our task is not to rewrite the Charter, but to uphold it.
Its principles remain as relevant today as they were in 1945.
By acting together, in accordance with the Charter, we can build a more peaceful, just, humane, and sustainable future for all.
Thank you.
- North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.