EU Statement – UN General Assembly 2nd Committee: General Debate

Excellencies, distinguished delegates,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

Let me start by congratulating your Excellency, Ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhith, on your appointment as 2C Chair, as well as other members of the Bureau from Croatia, Iceland, Nigeria and Uruguay. You can count on our full support. The Candidate Countries *Montenegro^*, Albania^*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina align themselves with this statement.

The urgencies and uncertainty underpinningthe current international context are jeopardizing progress towards sustainable development. As we approach 2030, we welcome the renewed political commitment and consensus to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), most recently at the Summit of the Future. The EU recognises the urgent need to build resilience to crises and challenges that are derailing progress on the SDGs, particularly in the most fragile contexts and where terrorism, domestic or regional conflicts, acts of aggression are unravelling years of achievements.

As we embark on the 79th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), the EU is determined to promote multilateral solutions based on the UN Charter. We will continue to engage constructively with all stakeholders to achieve inclusive and sustainable development to eradicate poverty, tackle inequalities, strengthen the social fabric and preserve the environment while respecting human rights and leaving no one behind.

Our Heads of State and Government adopted the Pact for the Future only two weeks ago as the blueprint that will move us forward. The EU will continue to engage constructively with our partners and all stakeholders, including civil society and private sector actors, to meaningfully implement the outcomes of the Summit.

In line with this commitment, EU and its Member States' thematic priorities for the 79th session of UNGA are threefold: First, we must take concrete action to advance sustainable development and in particular financing for development. Second, we must address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Third, we must strengthen global governance to support sustainable digitalisation and the roll out of trustworthy and human-centric AI. Furthermore, the review of the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review this year will be a particular EU priority.

With the SDGs severely off-track, sustainable development must remain high on our agenda. The Summit of the Future reflected, as did the SDG Summit last year, at leaders level, on the challenges and opportunities of achieving the SDGs. We have identified concrete actions to protect the needs and interests of current and future generations. With the 2030 Agenda as our collective roadmap, we must double down on efforts to reverse the current backsliding in the implementation of the SDGs.This includes enhanced mobilization of financial resources from all sources in order to contribute to eradication of poverty, social inclusion, stronger partnerships, and a collective commitment to leave no one behind. The goal of peaceful, democratic, inclusive and just societies, based on good governance, rule of law, human rights and equal access to justice for all remains critical to the achievement of all the SDGs.

[Financing]

Financing for sustainable development remains a top priority. As the world's largest provider of Official Development Assistance (ODA), the EU will continue to mobilize financial resources to foster sustainable development, in line with the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. Leveraging both public and private investments is crucial for accelerating the necessary transitions. The EU will continue to support cooperation that is accompanied by transparency, accountability and effective structural reforms.

Public sector reforms remain crucial, including on the business environment, good governance and ensuring efficient and equitable taxation. Through the Global Gateway, the EU and its Member States, working in a Team Europe approach, collaborate with financial institutions and the private sector to support partner countries in promoting their own strategic autonomy and resilience and in accelerating their just digital and green transition according to their national priorities and needs. Global Gateway fosters sustainable investments in infrastructure and to improve health, education, innovation and research systems. The Global Gateway is fully aligned with the UN's Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the Paris Agreement.

More broadly, the EU has been actively engaged in reform of the international financial architecture to make it more responsive to global challenges and will continue to significantly contribute to this objective in all international fora. We welcome the significant level of ambition and numerous detailed actions - more than on any other topic - to accelerate the ongoing reform of the international financial architecture that have been agreed in the Pact for the Future. We fully recognise the imperative of mobilizing financing to achieve the SDGs and a more inclusive, just, peaceful, resilient and sustainable world for people and planet, for present and future generations. We will continue to support strengthening the voice and representation of developing countries, mobilizing additional financing that responds to the needs of developing countries, including direct financing to those most in need. We will support efforts to support developing countries to borrow sustainably to be able to invest in their long term development. In that vein we welcome the call for the IMF to undertake a review of ways to strengthen and improve the sovereign debt architecture, building on existing international processes, and engaging all relevant stakeholders including the Secretary-General, the World Bank, the Group of 20 and major bilateral creditors, as well as debtor countries in these efforts. We will support strengthening the system to respond effectively and equitably during systemic shocks and make the financial system more stable. We will spare no efforts in supporting developing countries in pursuing the interrelated objectives of achieving sustainable development, including poverty eradication and promoting sustainable, inclusive, resilient economic growth, and addressing climate change. Finally, we reiterate that the UN has an important role to play in global economic governance and that coordination with international financial institutions, that have independent but complementary mandates, will be crucial in achieving a global system that is more just and fit for purpose.

The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, to be held in Spain in 2025, will be a crucial opportunity to advance the Financing for Development agenda and accelerate progress towards the rapid implementation of the SDGs. We therefore look forward to the forthcoming sessions of the FFD4 Preparatory Committee, during which you can count on our full and constructive engagement.

[triple planetary crisis]

Addressing the existential threat posed by the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, exacerbated by unsustainable resource use, remains at the heart of the EU's agenda. We believe it is critical that we strengthen environmental governance with the UN Environment Assembly and accelerate the implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements.

Urgent, collective action is required to fully implement the Paris Agreement and keep the 1.5°C temperature goal within reach. We call on all parties to follow up on the implementation of the outcome of the first Global Stocktake under the Paris Agreement, particularly in the lead-up to UNFCCC COP29 in Azerbaijan next month, and to strengthen their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) ahead of COP 30 in Brazil. We must accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels and ensure a resilient and just green energy transition worldwide. The issue of climate finance is also crucial. In this regard, we invite parties to support and work towards a new collective quantified goal on climate finance to be set at COP29 that will unlock all sources of finance and align financial flows with the goals of the Paris Agreement. The EU also invites partners to continue the global reflection on the sustainable financing of a global, just and inclusive green energy transition with a view to accelerate it and better share its benefits across the world.

1. stress the importance of a shared and enhanced understanding that climate change and environmental degradation lead to increased instability and conflicts, and vice-versa, as well as to human suffering, resource scarcity including water and food insecurity, internal displacement and forced migration.

Halting and reversing biodiversity loss is another priority for the EU, as healthy ecosystems are vital for achieving the SDGs. We are therefore fully committed to the timely implementation of the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and look forward to UNCBD COP16 in Colombia later this month. The EU places a strong emphasis on biodiversity funding, and has doubled its international funding for biodiversity, particularly for the most vulnerable countries, over the period 2021-2027. The EU is also committed to achieving land degradation neutrality by 2030 and looks forward to UNCCD COP16 in Saudi Arabia in December this year.

Pollution is a pervasive problem that must be addressed at all levels to ensure the effective implementation of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment for all. The EU supports ongoing efforts to implement Global Framework on Chemicals and establish a Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and to Combat pollution, and calls for an ambitious international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution to be concluded by the end of 2024.

The EU is firmly committed to achieving sustainable consumption and production by shifting from a linear to a circular economy. This will reduce the extraction and processing of natural resources. It will also deliver a significant decrease in the environmental negative impacts that come with the current intense and linear production and consumption system.

The EU is strong advocate for stronger international ocean governance and looks forward to the third UN Ocean Conference in June 2025. We are pleased to see that the Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction now has 104 signatories and we congratulate those 13 parties that have already ratified it. The EU and its Member States are determined to follow and has finalised its internal procedures and is ready to ratify by the 2025 Ocean Conference. EU Member States are also committed expedient ratification. We urge all States to commit to swift ratification of the Agreement, so that it can enter into force as soon as possible, and to commit to its effective implementation. We also call on the international community to build on the High-Level Meeting on Sea-Level Rise and work with all stakeholders, including the scientific and legal community and civil society, to address the existential threats of sea-level rise, in line with UNCLOS.

The stability of the global water cycle is crucial for achieving all SDGs. Preserving freshwater ecosystems and addressing water pollution and overuse are paramount for climate and biodiversity actions, as well as for food security, peace and health. The 2023 UN Water Conference marked a watershed moment, as the world came together to mobilize global action for water security and resilience. It made water a priority for the UN, and showed that solving the global water crisis requires cooperation rather than competition over water resources. It is now up to us to ensure that water remains a priority in the years to come, including through the 2026 UN Water Conference and 2028 Water Decade Conference. We need to establish an effective multilateral water governance system, and in this regard, the EU welcomes the recent appointment of the Special Envoy for Water.

[digitalization]

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of digitalization in fostering resilience. While it is essential to address the benefits that digital technologies might bring to humanity, we must also mitigate the risks. The EU strongly supports a multi-stakeholder and inclusive global digital governance and is engaging to shape an effective multilateral system to advance a human-centric digital transformation and an inclusive, open, safe, digital future for all. We welcome the adoption of the Global Digital Compact (GDC) as an important outcome of the Summit of the Future, and will work towards its full implementation. We also welcome the report of the High Level Advisory Body on AI. Global AI governance should be based on existing structures and international law, and it should be carried out in respect for human rights. The EU is playing a leading role in this field with the adoption of the AI Act - the first-ever comprehensive legal framework on AI.

The EU also supports the development of UN Global Principles for Information Integrity as an important tool to ensure accountability of the multiple actors at play in the information environment and to support capacity building to foster societies resilient to disinformation. The EU and its Member States will actively work to prevent and counter the amplification and legitimisation of misinformation campaigns.

Beyond these areas of financing, triple crisis and digitalisation, the EU has a number of other, more targeted priorities.

[other issues]

Addressing food security is an essential part of the EU's support for the international rules-based order and Agenda 2030. We are deeply concerned that Zero Hunger is the only SDG that none of the 193 UN member states has achieved or is on track to achieve, due to i. a. malnutrition, unhealthy diets, and unsustainable agriculture, and most alarming, the threats of famine caused primarily by ongoing conflicts and negative consequences of climate change. We will continue to cooperate with key partners and international organisations to support the transition towards sustainable and resilient food systems.

The World Social Summit (WSS) in 2025 will present an opportunity to renew the social contract, anchored in human rights, and the ILO's Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. The EU supports the Global Coalition for Social Justice in contributing to the Summit's objectives and ensuring effective follow-up. The WSS must ensure broad participation, including of representatives of civil society and social partners, such as workers' and employers' organizations, youth, persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples and other key stakeholders.

Building on the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the EU and its Member States commit to support SIDS in the implementation of the new 10-year Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS,including, but not limited to, addressing their climate-related challenges, such as sea-level rise and extreme weather events. The EU and its Member States also support Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) in their unique challenges and look forward to the Third UN Conference on LLDCs in Botswana in December. We will continue to support implementation and follow up of the Fifth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). The will also support priorities of the middle-income countries to deal with their unique challenges.

More also needs to be done in follow-up to the Midterm Review of the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, to achieve more resilient and sustainable societies - ensuring that no one is left behind. Early warning systems and nexus between peace, development and humanitarian efforts are key in achieving goals and targets.

The Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) is an important contribution in recognizing structural vulnerability and the lack of structural resilience across the different dimensions of sustainable development. Using vulnerability indices can give a more nuanced understanding to inform decisions and stimulate pivotal action. We therefore encourage all development institutions to build on these new tools to better integrate vulnerability into their analysis and actions. We will continue to work with all partners to ensure that the specific needs of developing countries are recognised and met.

Addressing the root causes of gender inequality is also high on the EU's agenda, alongside efforts to combat gender-based violence in all its forms. We recall our commitment to support women's and youth's equal, full, effective and meaningful participation, in all their diversity, including in all spheres of public and political life, as per the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2024.

We welcome the Declaration on Future Generations as another important outcome of the Summit of the Future, as it focuses on, inter alia, applying foresight in policymaking for unleashing future generations' full potential. Inclusive and equal access to quality education is the bedrock of sustainable development and is crucial to foster resilience. The EU has made education a priority and we will continue to support an ambitious follow-up to the Transforming Education Summit.

The EU remains committed to the promotion, protection and fulfilment of all human rights and to the full and effective implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the outcomes of their review conferences and remains committed to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), in this context. Having that in mind, the EU reaffirms its commitment to the promotion, protection and fulfilment of the right of every individual to have full control over, and decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality and sexual and reproductive health, free from discrimination, coercion and violence. The EU further stresses the need for universal access to quality and affordable comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information, education, including comprehensive sexuality education, and health-care services.

Finally, the EU recalls its commitment to continue pursuing a comprehensive approach to migration, including the root causes, international protection, regular migration, alongside effectively countering human trafficking and smuggling.

[QCPR]

Last but certainly not least, this year we are about to assesses the effectiveness, efficiency, coherence and impact of UN operational activities for development through the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR). This will be the first review after COVID 19 pandemic and the last full one before 2030, when we have to reach our goal of implementing the SDGs. The European Union and its Member States are ready to participate constructively in these negotiations in order to improve the way the UN development system operates to support programme countries in their development efforts. Our overall priority is to ensure a more efficient and effective UN development system that is fit for purpose to achieve Agenda 2030 and address inequalities.

[working methods]

Also this year, as in previous years, the EU looks forward to engaging constructively with the Bureau and all interested delegations in achieving more substantial progress with the revitalization of the work of the Second Committee. We are committed to making the work of the Committee more focussed and impactful by addressing rationalization of initiatives, mandated reporting and working methods. Our aim would be to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of the Second Committee as well as alleviate its heavy workload. We hope to have fruitful discussions on this with all delegations, as a common endeavour.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Pact for the Future has provided comprehensive menu of concrete actions to reinvigorate global governance and make our multilateral system more fit for purpose. Strengthening cooperation, accountability and inclusivity in multilateral fora will be key to increasing trust in the system and ensuring effectiveness, ownership and transparency. The EU will continue to engage constructively with all stakeholders, including civil society actors, and will support their meaningful participation in the proceedings of the Second Committee in order to fully implement the outcomes of the Summit. The EU is committed to working closely with all stakeholders to deliver tangible outcomes that advance sustainable development, address global inequalities, eradicate poverty, and build a more resilient and prosperous world where human rights of all are respected and protected.

We look forward to productive discussions and a successful session.

Thank you.

*North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.