Recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly

The European Parliament adopted by 369 votes to 160, with 112 abstentions, a recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Parliament's main recommendations are as follows:

Safeguarding and strengthening multilateralism

Parliament advocated continuing to support effective multilateralism in which laws and norms prevail over conflicts and opposing coercive diplomacy and attempts by any state to undermine or erode the rules-based multilateral order. It expressed its resolve to defend the respect, protection, and implementation of universal human rights, democracy, human dignity, equality, the rule of law, and transparent, credible, and inclusive electoral processes.

Members wish to reaffirm the essential role of multilateral organisations as indispensable frameworks for conflict resolution and global governance, as well as for addressing major global challenges such as climate change, migration management, the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, pandemics, terrorism, and the fight against organised crime and drug trafficking, among others, in close cooperation with like-minded partners of the EU. They reaffirm that a stable, reliable, and equitable multilateral system, as well as multilateral forums such as the United Nations, are essential for guaranteeing peace and security.

The recommendation underlines the importance of a strong commitment from the United States to ensure the financial sustainability of the United Nations system, while fighting against any attempt to weaken multilateral cooperation and ensuring that the budget deficit for 2025 can be filled as quickly as possible to avoid a financial collapse.

The need to promote gender equality, empower women and youth, and actively support the integration of gender equality into all United Nations policies and programmes is also emphasised.

Reform of the United Nations system

Parliament recommends supporting ambitious reforms of the United Nations system and argues that the EU - in a context of disengagement by our traditional allies - should assume greater responsibility to support, finance and strengthen multilateral institutions, including the United Nations.

Members stress that the legitimacy and viability of the international order depend on a comprehensive reform of the United Nations Security Council to make it more effective, inclusive, transparent, democratic and accountable, by establishing conditions aimed at strictly limiting the use of the veto when it blocks essential United Nations action, notably in cases of war crimes and crimes against humanity, with the aim of fully revoking it in the future.

Members also stressed that Russia has lost its moral legitimacy as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, given its flagrant violations of fundamental principles of the UN Charter, including its war of aggression against Ukraine and its use of its veto to block decisions concerning its own illegal actions. Parliament recommends working towards securing a permanent seat for the European Union on the UN Security Council, in addition to the seat already held by France.

Parliament recommends continuing to strengthen cooperation with partners, in particular like-minded countries and those willing to respect the multilateral system, urgently engaging in a structured dialogue, as a Union, with the Global South, as equal partners in global governance, and supporting the responsibility to protect as the basis for collective action to protect populations in grave danger when their governments are unable or unwilling to act.

Peace and security

Parliament recommends reaffirming its strong condemnation of Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine and advocating for a comprehensive ceasefire with robust security guarantees, while ensuring that perpetrators of war crimes are held fully accountable and securing the return of abducted Ukrainian children, imprisoned civilians, and prisoners of war. It also stresses the importance of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the right to self-determination of the Greenlandic people.

Members recommend expressing grave concern over military actions in the Middle East and the destabilising role of Iran and its terrorist proxies, stressing that attacks by the United States and Israel circumvent the rules-based multilateral system, expressing solidarity with the Iranian people, condemning the repression by the Iranian regime, and calling for an independent United Nations fact-finding mission to ensure that serious violations of international law are punished.

With regard to the conflict in Gaza, Parliament recommends: (i) actively working with Member States to achieve a permanent ceasefire that is effectively implemented and respected and the full realisation of the two-state solution; (ii) stressing that a sustainable future for Gaza requires the demilitarisation of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza and that these groups should play no role in the governance and administration of the territory; and (iii) condemning all violations of international humanitarian law, including war crimes.

Members also propose to condemn Israel's unilateral action to expand its presence in the West Bank, the escalation of violence by extremist settlers, the forced displacement of Palestinians, and the Knesset-approved bill expanding the use of the death penalty.

Sustainable development and human rights

Parliament recommends continuing to integrate a rights-based approach into development cooperation, encompassing all human rights, into sustainable development and using the Global Gateway strategy as a sustainable, transparent, democratic, and values-based alternative to competing infrastructure initiatives, particularly those of Russia and China, as a strategic instrument to strengthen the EU's geopolitical presence, visibility, and resilience worldwide. It also advocates continuing to promote women's rights as enshrined in the UN Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, making the fight against disinformation a priority, and strengthening the promotion of freedom of religion, thought, conscience, and belief.