EU Statement – UN Security Council Arria-formula meeting: Bridging the Implementation Gap
President,
I have the honour of delivering this statement on behalf of the EU and its Member States.
The Candidate Countries Montenegro, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, and Bosnia and Herzegovina*, as well as San Marino align themselves with this statement.
I thank China and Pakistan for convening this meeting.
Today's world is increasingly shaped by growing geopolitical tensions. We are witnessing grave violations of international law, including the unjustified use of force against sovereign states, breaches of international humanitarian law and human rights law and others. In these uncertain times, the Charter of the United Nations remains an indispensable guide for our actions. Upholding the purposes and principles of the Charter, including sovereignty and territorial integrity, political independence, and the right to self-determination, is a commitment that must be reconfirmed every day. These principles are non-negotiable and cannot be compromised.
In this context, the UN Security Council is at the heart of the peace and security architecture and its resolutions constitute legally binding obligations under article 55 of the UN Charter. When they are ignored, selectively applied or left unimplemented, the authority of the Council is undermined, conflict resolution is impeded, and the multilateral system loses credibility.
Security Council resolutions provide frameworks for peace, but frameworks only have meaning if they are implemented. Let me be concrete, by naming a couple of examples.
The EU reiterates its call for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2803, which provides a framework for ending the conflict in Gaza and addressing the humanitarian crisis. The EU contributes to the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict through our civilian crisis management missions, our leading support for the Palestinian Authority, including its ongoing reform and its return to Gaza, and through the Palestine Donor Group.
The EU demands the full implementation of UNSCR 1701 calling for the respect of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity by Israel and the disarmament of non-state armed groups, including Hezbollah. A continued UN presence in Lebanon in the post-UNIFIL context remains essential to ensure the implementation of UNSCR 1701. In this context, we look forward to constructive discussions on the options presented to the UN Security Council by the UN Secretary General.
Resolution 2774 on “Path to Peace” stands as a stark example of a resolution adopted by this Council yet rendered hollow by the very escalation it was meant to halt. The EU is appalled by Russia's continued non-implementation of that resolution. Russia's failure to comply means a direct disregarding of the authority of the Security Council and to the foundations of the UN Charter-based international order. We reiterate our call on Russia to abide by the Council's decision and to fulfil its obligations in full. The permanent members of this Council bear a special responsibility for upholding its authority, not undermining it.
Let me also mention the critical importance to ensure, in accordance with resolution 2231, the implementation of all six previously lifted resolutions pursuant to Iran’s nuclear programme. The situation is clear: Iran has persistently failed to fulfil its safeguards obligations and fully cooperate with the IAEA, which is unable to confirm that Iran’s nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful. As a result, the vote of the Security Council last September was unambiguous on the re-instatement of UN sanctions. This has been confirmed on numerous occasions by the UN Secretariat. It is the duty of this Council and all its members to ensure that these resolutions must now be fully implemented by all Member States.
President,
Security Council resolutions authorizing peacekeeping missions represent some of the Council's most consequential operational decisions. Yet we cannot demand implementation without providing the necessary resources, proper planning, command and control capabilities. Nor can we demand implementation without accountability. In that regard, the EU warmly welcomes the resolution on accountability for attacks against peacekeepers, co-penned by Denmark and Pakistan.
The EU support to the central role of the UNSC in peace and security is consequent and multifaceted. We remain staunch political supporter of the UNSC, including of its role in peacekeeping and prevention. We underpin our commitment financially, by remaining collectively the largest and most reliable political and financial contributor of the UN. And we give our support through our Common Security and Defence Policy.
Operation Althea in Bosnia-Herzegovina has been deployed since 2004 under a Security Council resolution and continues to play a key role in supporting the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina in maintaining a safe and secure environment for all its citizens. Other EU operations have acted in support of Security Council resolutions, such as Operation ASPIDES in the Red Sea to protect merchant vessels; Operation IRINI to monitor the respect of the arms embargo in Libya or Operation ATALANTA to counter piracy in the Horn of Africa and the Western Indian Ocean.
President,
Non-implementation cannot become the norm. Jean-Paul Sartre once wrote that "every word has repercussions, and so does every silence." Yet unimplemented Security Council resolutions seem to defy this sentence. Let us ensure that every resolution of the Security Council carries repercussions.
I thank you.
- Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.