On behalf of the EU member states and associated countries
Ahead of the debate on multilateral cooperation today at Security Council, I begin by stating the obvious. The member state currently holding the Presidency of the Security Council, the body responsible for maintaining peace and security, is intensifying attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, including on hospitals and power plants. Russia, in other words, is grossly violating international law and the principles of the UN Charter, including its illegal invasion of Ukraine, and undermining European and global security and stability. We urge Russia to fully respect its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law.
All that said, effective multilateralism is too important to not be defended. Its values and principles are embedded in international law, the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – in other words, in the UN itself as a whole. Effective multilateralism means ensuring that international law and the UN Charter apply to all states in the same way. That might does not make right.
The EU and its Member States are doing their utmost to live up to our commitments: we are financing one quarter of the UN regular budget as well as that of UN agencies. While accounting for only 6% of the world’s population, and only 18% of the world’s GDP, we are the world’s largest provider of official development assistance by far, accounting to 42% of global ODA last year alone. Our initial humanitarian aid for 2024 alone already exceeds 2 billion USD. Our funding to UNRWA accounts for over 40% of the agency’s budget. We are committed to multilateralism not just in words but in action and we call on all member states, including those championing multilateralism so loudly today, to step up their own contributions to the UN’s essential work.
We are also, proudly, among the UN’s closest partners in crisis management and peace operations. The EU works in over 25 crisis contexts, providing mediation and supporting dialogue around the world.
Despite Russia’s grave violations, multilateralism still offers great hope if we defend it. Together with our partners around the world, we will continue to address the many global crises we are facing, from the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine to Gaza and the Middle East, from Sudan to the DRC, from Haiti to Myanmar.
In closing, we pay tribute to the courage and professionalism of UN staff around the world, dedicated to defending the UN Charter and protecting those most in need, sometimes with their own lives.
