Delegation of the European Union to Syria

09/25/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/25/2024 12:09

UNGA: Address by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell at the G20 Ministerial meeting on the 'Call to Action on Global Governance Reform'

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Thank you to Brazil, I commend you, Minister, [for Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Mauro Vieira] and President [of Brazil, Luiz Inácio] Lula [Da Silva] for making the G20 a driver for change and a key forum to address the complex challenges of our time.

The G20 'Call to Action on Global Governance Reform' presented today, translates our commitment to move from words to action. We have a lot of words, maybe not so much action. And [it serves] to increase the effectiveness of the multilateral system, with the United Nations at the core. The European Union fully supports this text.

These reforms should reflect our commitment to the rule of law, to humanitarian principles, and to protect human rights and dignity for all individuals.

But how can we be credible, to reinforce our commitment to the United Nations Charter and international law, when Russia has started and continues a brutal, illegal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine? How can we say that we are committed to the United Nations Charter when, in the Middle East, so many resolutions of the United Nations have been unfulfilled, for many years? How many resolutions of the United Nations and rulings of the International Court of Justice have been completely forgotten and not implemented by Israel? How can we continue saying that we are upholding the United Nations Charter when some relevant actors continue forgetting, and misleading, and not implementing what the United Nations' institutions decide?

We have heard President [of Ukraine, Volodymyr] Zelenskyy here in New York: we support the key objectives and principles of his Ukrainian 'Peace Formula' for a comprehensive, and lasting peace. Only this path will bring a durable solution, which matters beyond Europe as well.

[There are] many other crises. I mentioned only two, but there are Sudan, Haiti - just to name a few, that call for an effective United Nations that can uphold in fact the United Nations Charter and deliver our commitment to peace and security.

In the Middle East in particular, [it] is indispensable to reach a ceasefire to alleviate the catastrophic humanitarian situation and stop the escalation of violence in the region. As my colleague from Australia [Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong] has said, Lebanon cannot become a second Gaza. And Gaza cannot become a second West Bank, and a second West Bank cannot become a third Gaza.

The reforms addressed in the 'Call to Action' are of key importance. I think there are three issues in which we have to focus our attention.

First, representation and accountability. Second, financial vulnerabilities. And third, stop the global economic fragmentation.

We need a comprehensive reform of the [United Nations] Security Council - talking about representation and accountability. A Security Council that strengthens the voice of underrepresented regions,[especially, but] not only [limited to] Africa.

We need a United Nations General Assembly working better and more on the areas of peace and security.

The second in the 'Call to Action' is an effective international financial architecture to address global challenges. Together, [with] the G20, we have identified the potential to unlock about $357 billion in additional lending from the headroom by multilateral development banks. This is remarkable. Just mobilising these resources would be already a great success.

We have to, certainly, finalise the G20 Roadmap for a better, bigger and more effective system of Multilateral Development Banks by October this year. We know what it means: private sector mobilisation, domestic resource mobilisation, [and] increasing concessional finance for low-income and middle-income countries.

The third [in the 'Call to Action'] global debt vulnerabilities. Low-income and middle-income countries cannot continue to pay their debt at the expense of investment in education or health. Our priority is not to create new debt relief instruments, but to scale up the implementation of existing ones.

[Another] dimension: you have to face the risk of geopolitical tensions, by sustaining the multilateral trading system and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules as our best guardrail against global economic fragmentation. We have to restore a well-functioning dispute settlement system [of the World Trade Organisation], accessible to all Members. This is our top priority.

Let me finalise by thanking again President Lula for his leadership in bringing the G20 closer to the United Nations and reminding us that only through an effective, representative rules-based international order, we can aspire to global peace and prosperity.

Your Excellencies, I wish a successful outcome to this meeting.

Thank you.

Link to video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-261100