- As delivered -

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries North Macedonia^*, Montenegro^*, Serbia^*, Albania^*, the Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina^*, and the potential candidate country Georgia align themselves with this statement.

Madam/Mr. Chair,

Let me begin by recognizing the crucial role that the UN peacekeeping missions play in fostering stability and protecting civilians in some of the most complex and dangerous situations across the world. The incredible bravery and sacrifices of UN peacekeepers allows peacekeeping operations to continue to operate in increasingly difficult operational and political contexts.

The EU is committed to engaging actively and constructively in the negotiation of the 2023 C34 report to reach consensus around a comprehensive report, which will be crucial for supporting the adaptation of UN peacekeeping to evolving challenges while improving its effectiveness and flexibility. The EU priorities for C34 have been consolidated in comprehensive language proposals. The recommendations put forward by the EU MS aim to tangibly contribute to the overall improvement of peacekeeping operations in full coordination with the pillars of the Action for Peacekeeping Agenda and its implementation plan A4P+.

The UN-EU strategic partnership on peace operations and crisis management reaffirms the absolute commitment to international order and to the longstanding UN-EU cooperation on peacekeeping and civilian, police and military crisis management. Building on previous UN-EU action plans, the UN-EU shared priorities for 2022-2024 endorse crucial matters of common interest.

The Secretary-General’s initiative towards a “New Agenda for Peace” is timely and promotes a comprehensive and integrated approach to peace and security. The EU has delivered initial, substantive inputs to the process and we look forward to engaging on cross-cutting issues such as revitalizing political processes, effective security partnerships, human rights, the fundamental principles of international law, conflict prevention, digitalization, women and gender equality, mediation and peacebuilding, while maintaining momentum on peacekeeping reform.

Madam/Mr. Chair,

The EU currently conducts 11 civilian and 7 military missions and operations. 13 of them are deployed in parallel with UN missions in Africa, in the Middle East and in the Balkans and noticeably 3 EU executive missions operate in accordance with resolutions of the UN Security Council.

This year we acknowledge the 75^th Anniversary of Peacekeeping. Since 1948, the EU Member States have continuously contributed to UN peacekeeping operations, with more than 5000 EU personnel currently deployed. Additionally, EU Member States are the largest contributor in terms of voluntary donations to the departments of peace operations and operational assistance and the second largest in terms of financial contributions to the budget for peacekeeping.

In this regard, we encourage all Member States to ensure the funding of core tasks in headquarters through assessed contributions and draw all the lessons from the cross-cutting resolution on peacekeeping adopted last June by the General Assembly.

Indeed, this dedication to peace and security has significant expenses that go beyond money. In peacekeeping missions, the EU Member States have lost hundreds of personnel, and the Irish peacekeeper who was slain in a vicious attack in Lebanon last December is just one of the latest tragic addition to the bleak record. I wish to pay tribute to this young soldier, as well as to all the peacekeepers coming from every corner of the world who have sacrificed their lives for world peace, most recently from Bangladesh (in the CAR) and South Africa (in the RDC), and sadly, this morning, from Senegal in Mali.

We value the trilateral partnership between the EU, AU, and UN. The EU recognizes that African countries contribute to peacekeeping in a variety of ways and that collaboration between the UN and the AU is particularly significant. The EU also emphasizes the requirement for stable and long-term funding of African peace operations. 

Through the European Peace Facility, the EU contributes to the funding of capacity-building initiatives as well as peace support activities run by the AU and sub-regional African organizations. I would like to emphasize that despite confronting new security risks and challenges at the doorstep of EU Member States, our commitment to assisting our African partners remains unchanged.

Madam/Mr Chair,

We are concerned by the growing challenges that the Peacekeepers are facing in the field, which constitutes a constant threat to their security and to their ability to deliver on mandates. In particular, we reprove the recurring episodes of restrictions to the freedom of movement and the increasing presence of mercenaries in the same areas as peacekeepers.

The Security Council has provided a road map for how the UN may manage mission transitions ethically and sustainably. UNSC Resolution 2594 (2021) clearly states the need for early, comprehensive preparation that involves both host state authorities and civil society and for improved coordination between the police, justice, and corrections activities of the United Nations. It also acknowledges the importance of building the capacity of the host State’s security sector, as well as representative and accountable rule of law institutions, giving top priority to the Protection of Civilians. In this regard, the EU would like to emphasize the importance of adequate and predictable financing for peacebuilding and for supporting activities to peacekeeping operations during mission transitions and drawdowns.

Madam/Mr Chair,

The key to effective peacekeeping operations remains enhanced performance. The EU emphasizes the value of pre-deployment and in-mission training as well as the need for greater synergy of efforts among the many UN agencies. In this regard, we underscore the significance of objective performance assessment, which supports training and capacity-building and contributes to T/PCC’s responsibilities for the pre-deployment training and troop mind-set. Additionally, the EU Member States continue to place a strong emphasis on the efficient establishment of clarity on command and control of military enabling assets, including the prioritization and tasking of aviation assets, particularly during emergency situations.

We also want to emphasize how crucial it is for all deployed personnel to be ready to uphold the strictest codes of behaviour and discipline, and that all claims of sexual abuse and exploitation allegedly committed by peacekeepers must be vigorously followed up by the Secretariat and the Troop/Police contributing countries.

Conflicts continue to be fuelled by violations and abuses of human rights, which disproportionately affect the most vulnerable. The EU underlines that a key responsibility of peacekeeping operations is to safeguard civilians while also keeping an eye out for abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law. The UN must ensure that the peacekeeping staff is properly recruited and trained, which calls for the development of relevant language proficiency and socio-cultural awareness.

The EU continues to be steadfast in its dedication to the security and safety of peacekeepers and strongly condemns all attacks on peacekeeping missions, some of which can be considered war crimes under international law. In light of this, we must emphasize the importance of a more effective and sustainable logistical support in the field able to provide protection of installations, equipment and living conditions in accordance with UN standards. Improving existing effective emergency response methods, proper health and mental health care services, and effective countermeasures against the threat of improvised explosive devices must all receive special attention. The growing threat of disinformation also calls for action and the EU Member States support DPO’s response through voluntary contributions. These actions could definitely increase the safety of the peacekeepers and help them to better achieve the tasks of “protection through presence” and “protection through projection”.

Madam/Mr Chair,

The EU emphasizes the importance of keeping the Women, Peace and Security agenda at the forefront of our efforts, and we commend the Secretariat's ongoing efforts in this regard. The WPS agenda is a cross-cutting issue. Encouraging and securing women's participation in peace operations is not only the right thing to do but also the smart thing to do.

A lasting peace can only be achieved via the full, equal, and meaningful involvement of women in all facets of peacebuilding and peacekeeping, including by forming strategic partnerships with advocates for women's rights and civil society organizations.

The EU underlines the significance of taking climate change and security into account in all aspects of our peacekeeping activities. The EU also actively promotes collaboration with regional organizations and interactions with local populations offering best practices to host States on greening the security sector.

Madam/Mr Chair,

I take this occasion to thank the Bureau and the facilitators for their commendable job and I conclude with reaffirming that the EU remains engaged with the UN in all aspects of peace and security. The EU confirms to all the partners its commitment to accomplishing a proficient and effectual C34 process.

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