EU Statement – UN Security Council: Leadership for Peace

EU Statement - UN Security Council: Leadership for Peace

15 December 2025, New York - European Union Statement by H.E. Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis, Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations, at the UN Security Council Open Debate on Maintenance of international peace and security: Leadership for Peace

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the EU.

Chair

As we meet today, the rules-based international order enshrined in the UN Charter - which embodies a universal set of principles and legal commitments to ensure peace, human rights, development, and dignity for all, and to which all nations have subscribed - is experiencing unprecedented turmoil.

This turmoil does not come from outside. It comes from within. The UN is us. When polarization gets weaponized and geopolitical conflicts intensify, this happens on our watch, and it affects us all. Violations of the UN Charter, of international law, and of core humanitarian principles have repercussions far beyond borders.

But the UN as an organization is not helpless to react. The Secretary-General has a distinct mission in contributing to conflict prevention, ensuring effective peacekeeping, and supporting peacebuilding and sustainable peace. The Secretary-General can also act as the voice of the vulnerable, and - most important - serve as principle guardian of universal standards, international law, and the UN Charter.

The UN80 initiative is a clear demonstration of how the Secretary-General can propose and pursue a vision that should shape an efficient, coordinated and responsive United Nations, adapted to rapidly changing realities. We need to design an organisation that delivers results better -- and equally -- across its three pillars. The EU remains fully engaged in supporting these efforts.

Very soon, we will select the next Secretary-General. The EU welcomes steps towards more inclusivity and transparency as mandated in GA resolution 79/327. We look forward to the candidates' vision statements, and to participating in the informal dialogues of the General Assembly.

In common pursuit of peace, the Secretary-General has an important role to engage stakeholders in dialogue. The Secretary-General and the Security Council can and must complement each other. This partnership must embody the principles of inclusivity and cooperation, engaging regional organizations, civil society, and affected communities in dialogue and action.

In conclusion, the EU remains a steadfast supporter of the Secretary-General to navigate these challenges. We cannot afford - none of us can -- to abandon the foundational values of the UN to revisionist narratives and subversive actions. And we most certainly cannot take the achievements of the past eight decades for granted. Peace under the UN Charter is not a given; Peace is a choice. And it should be our choice, every day. Because, ultimately, the UN is us.

Thank you.