07/22/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/22/2025 16:00
22 July 2025, New York - Statement on behalf of the European Union and its Member States by H.E. Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis, Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations, at the UN Security Council High Level Open Debate on Promoting International Peace and Security Through Multilateralism and the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes
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President,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and EU Member States.
The Candidate Countries Türkiye, North Macedonia*, Montenegro*, Serbia*, Albania*, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina* and Georgia,
as well as Armenia and San Marino align themselves with this statement.
As the world is facing an increasing number of armed conflicts, I reiterate the European Union's firm belief that the rules-based international order with the UN at its core remains the highest single prerequisite for sustaining peace.
The UN Security Council is at the centre of the promotion of the peaceful settlement of disputes. Efficient action in all stages of the conflict cycle, particularly through preventive diplomacy, mediation and dialogue, remains essential.
We need a UN that is coherent, resilient, and prepared, and where all relevant actors of the UN system, from the country-level on up, work together. In addition to the UNSC, this includes the Secretariat; specialised UN agencies, funds and programmes; Special Political Missions and Peace Operations; the Secretary-General's good offices; Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council; together with the UN Country Teams under the UN Resident Coordinators' lead. The importance of such a system-wide approach, in line with the SG's UN80 reform initiative, is an element that we emphasize in the ongoing reviews of the Peacebuilding Architecture and of the Future of Peace Operations.
The EU currently provides peace mediation and dialogue support in over 25 conflicts across the world. The UN is our most important partner - we support and collaborate with its Mediation Standby team since 2009 and also support many UN mediation efforts on the ground.
Together with the UN and regional organisations, we want to advance inclusive mediation processes, including through the full, equal, andmeaningful engagement of women mediators - notably via regional women mediators' networks. In this regard, the UN Common Pledge for Women's Full, Equal and Meaningful Participation in Peace Processes, which the EU signed, is an important initiative. UNSC resolution 1325 on Women, peace and security celebrates 25 years this year and represents an opportunity to strengthen the essential role of women as actors in building sustainable peace.
Let me now turn to conflict prevention. Prevention saves lives, safeguards development gains, and is cost-efficient. IMF research indicates that every dollar invested in conflict prevention can save between $26 and $103 in upstream costs. For the EU as a global actor for peace, conflict prevention is a core foreign policy objective. The best guarantees of prevention remain democratic governance, the rule of law and respect for human rights, paired with inclusive economic development.
Our Conflict Analysis and Early Warning exercises look carefully to conflict drivers, triggers, and dynamics, as well as to the main actors for conflict and peace in local contexts. We welcome the contributions of the UN's Peace and Development Advisers to such exercises. The important work of the PDA's to support national prevention efforts was recently showcased at an event the EU hosted together with Kenya.
In recent years, we have engaged in regular dialogues on conflict prevention, preventive diplomacy, and mediation with both the UN and regional organisations such as the African Union and ECOWAS. Our joint preventive actions have helped reduce tensions. I name a few examples:
President,
Now more than ever, we need to stand by the rules of international law and prioritise the peaceful settlement of disputes and justice. As the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, the International Court of Justice has an central role to play, through its authoritative decisions and advisory opinions, for the promotion of international peace and justice globally.
In conclusion, the EU is committed to strengthening multilateralism, conflict prevention, and inclusive dialogue. By working together with the UN and regional partners, we can better address today's challenges and build a more peaceful and resilient world for future generations.
Thank you.
* North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.