EU Statement UN General Assembly: Briefing by the Secretary-General on his priorities for 2026

EU Statement -- UN General Assembly: Briefing by the Secretary-General on his priorities for 2026

15 January 2026, New York -- Statement on behalf of the European Union and its Member States delivered by H.E. Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis, Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations, at the Briefing by the Secretary-General on his priorities for 2026.

As delivered

Mr Secretary-General,
Madam President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States, the candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Andorra, Monaco and San Marino align themselves with this statement.

Mr Secretary-General, thank you for your briefing and for your steadfast leadership. As you enter the final year of your mandate, we wish to underscore your commitment to this Organization and to the values on which it was founded. Values that today are under severe strain.

At the outset, allow me to pay tribute to the women and men of the United Nations. They deserve our utmost respect and protection. Violence against them must stop.

You have reminded us of a hard truth: we live in a world marked by deep fractures, multiplying crises, and growing mistrust. Yet multilateralism remains indispensable.

The UN Charter and international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, remain our shared foundation. When international law is upheld, lives and dignity are protected, and peace can endure. When it is violated with impunity, suffering spreads - from Ukraine to Gaza and Iran, from Sudan to Afghanistan, from Haiti to Myanmar and beyond. Disinformation and polarization further erode trust and our capacity to act together.

Mr Secretary-General, the European Union remains a powerful and principled partner of the United Nations. Most recently, we used our convening power and diplomatic engagement to ensure the consensual adoption of the UN's 2026 budget, safeguarding the Organization's ability to deliver. The adoption of the Revised Estimates reflects broad support for the UN80 reform agenda. We must maintain momentum. A United Nations that is effective, accountable, and transparent, and fit for purpose is a necessity.

Dear colleagues,

Restoring trust, strengthening partnerships, and delivering results for people, especially those furthest behind, must be our collective priority.

On peace and security, we support a renewed commitment to the UN Charter and decisive investment in prevention, mediation, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding. Prevention saves lives and resources and offers hope before violence takes hold. We support your good offices, the implementation of the peacebuilding architecture review, and the adaptation of peace operations to today's realities. We must also protect and strengthen the global disarmament and non-proliferation architecture. The UN remains indispensable to prevent and end wars and to build peace.

On sustainable development, we must move from ambition to delivery. With only four years left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, progress remains far too slow. This is a call to act differently and together. The Pact for the Future must accelerate implementation of the 2030 Agenda. In line with the Sevilla Commitment, the EU will continue to invest in sustainable and inclusive development, including through Global Gateway, and to support efforts to improve the international financial architecture.

On human rights, in 2026, we continue to stand firm. Human rights are not optional, nor selective. They are central to human dignity, peace, and sustainable development. The UN's human rights pillar must be protected and empowered. Gender equality is essential across all our work.

Respect for international humanitarian law and principled humanitarian action is being tested as never before. Despite all challenges, the EU and its Member States remain the world's leading humanitarian donor, having mobilized USD 8.5 billion in 2025 alone. We will continue to uphold the humanitarian imperative to save lives and to ensure that gender equality and climate considerations remain integral.

Mr Secretary-General,

For all this to succeed, we need a financially stable United Nations. The EU and its Member States, are the biggest collective contributors, consistently paying on time, in full, and without conditions. Others must do the same.

As we enter a turbulent 2026, one message stands out: trust is our most precious currency. Trust in our institutions, in the rule of law, and in one another: most importantly in one another.

The European Union and its Member States will work with all partners, across regions and with civil society, to strengthen this Organization and ensure it remains a source of hope, protection, and solutions for generations to come.

And we will stand by you, Mr Secretary-General, during this all-important, final year of yours in office.

Thank you.