EU Statement – UN General Assembly 3rd Committee: Interactive Dialogue on the Report of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Check against delivery
Chair,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.
The Candidate Countries North Macedonia, Montenegro*, Albania*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina* and Georgia, as well as Andorra and San Marino align themselves with this statement.
1. High Commissioner, thank you for your remarks and for the presentation of your report. We recognise your leadership as you guide UNHCR through a period of significant change.
2. We meet against the backdrop of persistently high levels of forced displacement and statelessness worldwide. This is deeply alarming. Whether fleeing armed conflict or persecution, including for their political opinions, those forced to leave their homes must receive protection. We reaffirm our commitment to protecting persons in need of international protection, in accordance with our obligations under international law. Respect for international humanitarian law, protection of humanitarian space, accountability for violations, humanitarian access, and the safety of humanitarian and medical personnel must remain at the heart of our collective action.
3. We also share your concerns about the growing challenges faced by refugees, IDPs, returnees, asylum seekers, stateless persons and host communities. A strong collective effort is required to support and ensure the safety and dignity of forcibly displaced persons around the world. We reaffirm our strong support for UNHCR’s core protection mandate and the centrality of protection. Dedicated protection expertise and capacity must be preserved through the current restructuring, including on sexual and gender-based violence, child protection and disability inclusion. Seventy-five years on, the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol remain the cornerstone of international refugee protection. The EU and its Member States reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the Convention and to UNHCR as its guardian.
4. The EU and its Member States remain stable, reliable and strategic partners to UNHCR. We continue to support responses to forced displacement across regions, including in Sudan, Gaza, Syria, Lebanon and Myanmar, while hosting millions of refugees and other persons in need of international protection, including those fleeing Russia’s illegal, unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine.
5. We are deeply concerned by UNHCR’s severe funding constraints. In this regard, we support efforts to clarify priorities, reduce duplication, and strengthen efficiency and sustainability, including through alignment with the UN80 process and the Humanitarian Reset.
6. We welcome the 50 by 35 vision of the High Commissioner, and support efforts to advance self-reliance and inclusion in national systems, in close cooperation with host governments, humanitarian and development partners, but also through enhanced synergies with other UN agencies. We also value UNHCR’s route-based approach in addressing increasingly complex mixed movements and in helping identify vulnerabilities and risks early to ensure timely protection responses.
7. Q: High Commissioner, in light of growing needs and shrinking resources, what do you see as the most important immediate priorities to preserve protection delivery, while building a more sustainable UNHCR for the future under your “50by35” vision?
8. Let me conclude by reaffirming our deep appreciation for the dedication of UNHCR staff and partners on the ground, including local actors. You can count on our continued political and financial support.
Thank you.
- North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.