Check against delivery

Madame Chair,

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the Member States of the European Union.

The Candidate Countries Türkiye, North Macedonia*, Montenegro*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina* and Georgia, and the EFTA country Iceland, member of the European Economic Area, as well as Armenia, Andorra, Monaco and San Marino align themselves with this statement.

As we open the 80^th session, allow me to begin by warmly congratulating you on your election as Chair of the Fifth Committee. We are confident that your extensive UN experience, calm guidance, and strong leadership will steer our negotiations towards a timely and successful conclusion. We also wish to extend our congratulations to the newly appointed members of the Bureau, who, together with your team, will contribute to this important endeavor.

At the same time, we would like to express our sincere appreciation to your predecessor, Ambassador Egriselda González López, as well as to her Bureau and team, for steering us through a demanding yet successful 79^th session.

Finally, we extend our gratitude to the members of the Fifth Committee Secretariat, and to all officers and staff of the United Nations, for their continued dedication in supporting the Organization’s mandate.

Madame Chair, 

As we open our new session, we would like to make the following overarching comments: 

1. The European Union and its Member States remain staunch supporters of effective multilateralism. 

The United Nations is at a historic moment, marked by the adoption of the Pact for the Future and the launch of the UN80 initiative. These milestones reaffirm that multilateralism — anchored in the UN Charter and international law — remains the only way forward in shaping our collective future. We know that achieving effective multilateralism is demanding: it requires compromise, responsibility, and shared commitment. In this spirit, the European Union stands ready to work with all groups and delegations, collectively and by consensus, in the Fifth Committee. To build a stronger, more efficient, and more results-oriented United Nations. One that truly delivers for its people.

2. There cannot be an effective United Nations without adequate payment and funding of all its mandates.

In this regard, the primary duty of Member States is to meet their financial obligations to the Organization. The European Union and its Member States, which together represent the largest contributor to the UN, fulfil this duty by paying our contributions in full, on time and without conditions. We therefore call on all Member States to do the same, and to meet their responsibilities to the Organization without delay.

As the Fifth Committee, one of our main responsibilities is the adequate financing of all mandated activities. The European Union will consider the 2026 budget in the context of UN80, recognizing that this budget constitutes a key element of the broader initiative, and the implementation of the Pact for the Future. We believe it is essential to match ambition with responsibility, while maintaining a careful balance across the three UN pillars: peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights. These are challenging times for all — including UN staff — and we must seize the opportunity to adapt the United Nations to today’s realities and needs. At the same time, ambition must go hand in hand with efficiency, accountability, and realism. Only then can we ensure that the United Nations delivers effectively for all.

3. We acknowledge that we have not only a heavy agenda ahead but also a challenging one, and we are ready to engage constructively on all agenda items.

This Main Session covers a broad agenda — from oversight to budgetary issues, from the Organization’s structure to workforce matters, and to items with direct implications for peace and security. In this context, building trust is essential. That means honoring our previous agreements and working in a spirit of consensus and good faith to reach new ones. The Fifth Committee cannot become a forum to relitigate agreed mandates.

Madame. Chair, 

We believe it is essential to uphold the key principles that underpin our working methods, serving as guidelines to our proceedings. 

The European Union and its Member States appreciate the new note by the Secretariat on the organization of work of the Fifth Committee and trust that it represents a step forward in upholding our working methods. The Fifth Committee should set the standard for efficiency, responsibility, flexibility, and excellence across the Organization, while also remembering the importance of leading by example. 

We strongly advocate for transparent and inclusive proceedings. We reiterate that multilingualism is a core and fundamental value of this Organization: accordingly, it is imperative that all documents be submitted on time and in all official languages to ensure inclusive and transparent negotiations, which are key to enhancing the quality of our resolutions. 

Lastly, we reaffirm our strong commitment to consensus, a principle long upheld by the European Union and a cornerstone of the Fifth Committee’s working methods. Achieving consensus requires all delegations to seek middle-ground solutions that, while not always reflecting their preferred positions in full, can nonetheless be endorsed and supported by all.

In closing, Madame Chair, the European Union and its Member States are committed to working constructively with you, as well as with every group and delegation. We are confident that, under your leadership, we can conclude our negotiations on time and by consensus, and you can fully count on our support in achieving this goal.

I thank you, Madame Chair.

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