Gracias ministro, thank you Minister,

It is clear that it seems that there is a strong agreement about the need to adapt our institutions to the world the way it is today, not the 1945 world. 

We need a United Nations fit for the future, and we agree on the diagnosis, it is going to be more difficult to agree on the therapy. But at least, we agreed that the United Nations Security Council needs to reflect today’s realities and represent all regions of the world.

Yesterday, I said that one out of four people will be living in Africa – in 25 years from now. So, to have a strong voice from Africa is essential if we want to discuss global challenges. 

It is clear, it is not an opinion, it is just statistics, that too often the UN Security Council is blocked – there are more and more vetoes, and less and less agreements. And this is becoming increasingly problematic. 

To increase the number of members of the Security Council would be a good thing, representing better the world the way it is. 

We have to consider that we have more poles in the world. The world is becoming more and more multipolar and less and less multilateral. And this is strange, because when we have more players in the game you need better rules - if you want the game to work. Otherwise, the system becomes more entropic, more disordered. But what we see is just the contrary. We see more and more players, and less and less rules.

I think the answer cannot be to rush into new institutions. We have to improve the institutions we already have. But what we need the most is a different mindset.

Allow me to say that in the European Union, we have developed this kind of mindset because we have been practicing multilateralism every day for more than half a century now. And we are well trained on the difficult task of getting agreements among many. 

So, how can we revitalise multilateralism in an increasingly multipolar world? This is indeed the big question that we have in front of us. And here will not be a solution to the global challenges if we do not succeed on this reform. Because we will not have leverage on the dynamics of these global challenges. The Summit of the Future will be an opportunity for that. But let's start working from now. 

In particular, on adjusting our Multilateral Development Banks to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. By making WTO (World Trade Organization) work. We have to recognise that it does not work.

The reform of the WTO to achieve a fully and well-functioning dispute settlement system by the end of 2024 is the EU’s top priority. let’s start by taking some steps in that direction.

Keeping in mind that no institution will work if the members of this institution do not practice the principles on which these institutions were built upon.