Mr. President, Excellencies, colleagues,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries Türkiye, North Macedonia*, Montenegro*, Serbia*, Albania*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina* and Georgia, as well as Andorra and San Marino align themselves with this statement.

Eighty years ago, from the ashes of global war, the world rose together. We did so fuelled by a vision of hope for all humanity, but also by a hardened conviction: the Charter of the United Nations was born from the determination to replace chaos with cooperation, power with principle and war with peace. It was the world’s attempt to answer one core, existential question: How do we make peace last?

Five years later, that same conviction gave birth to what is today the European Union, after centuries of war, conflict, division and human devastation. We also asked ourselves the same existential question: How do we make peace last? Through reconciliation, the rule of law over the rule of the mighty, solidarity, economic cooperation and human rights. Not through force, but through trust and empathy. Not through domination, but through partnerships. We forged, and are still forging, a common identity, based not on uniformity, but on unity in diversity.

That is why, for the EU, the UN Charter is not just a document, it is a living legal and political compass for global peaceful coexistence. It is a mirror of our principles and values, which we uphold, and our history, which we remember and are committed never to repeat.

And that is why, when we see the Charter and international law being violated on a global scale, from Ukraine to the Middle East, and from Myanmar to Haiti, to give just some examples, we do not stand neutral. We stand firm. Because we know what is at stake. 

For this reason, we also fully support the role of the International Court of Justice as the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, ensuring accountability, upholding international law and reinforcing the rules-based order.

Multilateralism, dear Colleagues, is strength, not weakness. It is the courage to put collective good above short-term personal interests. And, it is the belief that unity in diversity is not just possible, it is powerful. 

It is a choice – and we must continue to choose a rules-based multilateralism with the UN Charter at its core for a better world, as our Leaders will do next week in Seville to bridge the financial gap towards Agenda 2030. Global challenges require global solutions.

We all know the UN is not perfect. No one is. But there is no alternative to the UN. Together, over decades, it has lifted millions from poverty, defended human rights and dignity – especially for the most vulnerable -, empowered women and girls, brought health and education to children and adults in all corners of the world, fostered peace and sustainable development, protected our environment, and promoted the respect for international law in all aspects of our global commons. Step by determined step.

So let us mark this 80th anniversary with resolve. To make the UN more inclusive, more effective and efficient - to deliver better and with more impact for the people it serves, leaving no one behind. To uphold international law and the UN Charter, especially when they are tested.

Colleagues, I pledge to you, with both humility and conviction, that the European Union will be there. We will keep striving to build bridges and trust. And we will never give up on the promise of “We the Peoples.”

Thank you.

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