Thank you, Minister. I speak on behalf of the EU and its Member States. The Candidate Countries Türkiye*, Montenegro*, Albania^* and the Republic of Moldova, the potential candidate country Bosnia and Herzegovina^*, align themselves with this statement.

We would like to thank India for convening this important meeting and for giving us the opportunity to speak.

This debate is extremely timely amidst the multiple conflicts and accumulation of challenges we face across the globe, from Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, to the situation in the Sahel and Haiti, the climate emergency and the growing debt crisis and widening inequalities, to name just a few. None of them can be addressed by one country alone. Those crises can only be addressed and resolved collectively.

We also need to be aware that if we don’t take the collective responsibility to address the vulnerabilities and inequalities that have been exacerbated since the COVID pandemic, this will inevitably fuel new crises. Hence the need to build a fairer, more inclusive and sustainable world. A world where the interests of all nations and people are adequately represented. This is our perception of multilateralism and why we remain heavily invested, politically and financially, in the UN system. It is also why the EU supports an African seat at the G20, as an example of a global system which is fair, effective and legitimate.

First of all, we need to go back to the basics, which is a well-functioning, rules-based international order, with an effective United Nations at the core. The UN Secretary-General laid bare the shortcomings of the current system in ‘Our Common Agenda Report’ 15 months ago, providing a sober but to the point analysis of what is holding us back from delivering on our agreed priorities, first and foremost the SDGs, which remain our roadmap. Failing on their implementation means failing our people. As he said this morning, ”our toolbox needs upgrading”. 

At the core of a renewed multilateralism remain the basic principles set out in the UN Charter: a commitment to maintaining international peace and security, upholding international law, promoting sustainable development, defending and promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, and respect obligations arising from mutually agreed commitments and treaties. The defence of the Charter is therefore the sine qua non.

The notion of preventing conflict is at the very core of the Charter and it needs to be brought back as a priority.

Unfortunately, we are currently witnessing what happens when some decide to pick and choose among those principles and norms, and to abuse their powers and the UN system as a whole. So we have now to face up to our responsibilities, to make the Security Council reflect contemporary realities and be more effective. The EU backs the comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council, to make it more effective, transparent, democratic, representative and accountable.

This should start with all Security Council members fulfilling the highest standards of conduct, by upholding international law, including international humanitarian law. For permanent members, this means refraining from using the veto when there is a risk of mass atrocity crimes, and not abusing veto power when they are party to a conflict.

The adoption last April of a “standing mandate” for a General Assembly debate when a veto is cast in the Security Council has contributed to the efforts aimed at revitalising and empowering the General Assembly, ensuring that the UN is not voiceless when the Council – as primary organ charged with the maintenance of international peace and security - is deadlocked.

But this is not enough: we have a responsibility to improve the functioning of this Council. The EU fully supports the French/Mexican initiative on veto restraint in cases of mass atrocities, as well as a the "Code of Conduct regarding Security Council action against genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes", calling upon all members of the UNSC – elected and permanent – not to vote against any credible draft resolution intended to prevent or halt mass atrocities.

On the ground, challenges to peace and security have also evolved. We live in an increasingly violent environment, where traditional threats and risks coexist with new types of threats like climate change, cyberattacks, information manipulation, new types of weapons, and new or newly emboldened actors such as terrorist groups or mercenaries, to name a few. In such context, the UN’s tools aimed at responding to crises, including Peacekeeping operations, are under severe strain. We therefore  need to rethink the future of UN operations – in line with the Security Council resolutions establishing them – so that they are fit for the 21^st Century. In this regard, we support the UN Secretary General’s call for a New Agenda for Peace and we recall that regional organizations can also play a key role in preventing and addressing crises.  The European Union is committed to continue its support to African-led Peace Support Operations and to the on-going discussions to use UN assessed contributions for operations authorized by the UN Security Council. The European Union is also funding the AU compliance and accountability framework to this end.

Beyond peace and security, the key element for a reformed and reinvigorated multilateralism is to change the way we work. Global issues are today so complex that they require to put all stakeholders around the table and also think out of the box, in order to be able to identify innovative solutions. The COVID-19 pandemic for instance, has shown us that no efficient response would have been possible without a dialogue involving non-traditional actors such as manufacturers, scientists and philanthropists as the ACT accelerator did. No crisis in the world can seriously be addressed today without the immense contribution of civil society organisations. Involving women and youth in looking for solutions to address today’s crises and challenges will also help identifying adequate solutions and ensuring that we are shaping responses that really address the core problems. We recall that women play substantial roles in building peace, as illustrated in many contexts, including in Liberia.

Youth represent an extraordinary potential. We need to ensure that they are involved and put at the centre of the policies we are shaping. As major donors, we – the EU and its Member States – know that we also need to do better to ensure the complementarity of our initiatives.

The EU Global Gateway initiative is being rolled out as we speak. It offers strategic autonomy to partners for investments in infrastructure, health, education, digital and energy transitions – thus accelerating the implementation of the SDGs and bridging funding gaps. It is a sustainable offer - for the environment, for financing, and with regard to debt.

We are also strong promoters of multilateral initiatives including to enhance and improve debt treatment and transparency, reallocation of IMF Special Drawing Rights and implementation of minimum tax standards.

Chair, to conclude, let me assure you that the EU is fully committed to contribute to a renewed and reinvigorated multilateralism and to get there by working closely with the Council members and the wider UN membership, but also with civil society, academia, and other interested stakeholders to address the pressing challenges of the present and the future.

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