Summary: July 7, 2004: EUROPEAN UNION PRIORITIES FOR THE 59TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY (Brussels)
1. The European Union is deeply committed to the United Nations, to upholding and developing international law, and to effective multilateralism as a central element of its external action. This commitment was strongly reaffirmed by the European Council in its Conclusions of 12 December 2003, as well as by the European Commission in its Communication "The EU and the UN: The Choice of Multilateralism", and is a key element of the European Security Strategy.
2. The European Union will participate in the 59th General Assembly of the United Nations for the first time as an enlarged Union of twenty-five Member States. It is determined to do so vigorously and with ever-closer cohesion, and to harness its increased strength in the service of a strengthened United Nations.
3. During the course of the 59th Session, the European Union will continue to develop its co-operation with the United Nations and to engage with it and with regional partners in the areas of conflict prevention, crisis management, peacekeeping, post-conflict peace-building, justice and the rule of law, counter-terrorism and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, environment and sustainable development, HIV-AIDS and sexual and reproductive health, humanitarian assistance and human rights. The European Union will continue in its efforts to ensure universal participation in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. It will continue to support efforts to bring about a more effective system of collective security, in accordance with the UN Charter. The EU will engage with its UN partners in responding to the outcome of the work of the High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change.
4. The European Union recognises the need to strengthen the institutions of the UN and reaffirms the commitments contained in Section VIII, paragraph 30 of the Millennium Declaration.
5. The European Union will seek a better assessment of human rights situations and a better use of the existing mechanisms in the field of human rights, along with the appropriate follow up. In this regard, the EU will encourage a regular dialogue between the High Commissioner for Human Rights and other bodies. It will continue to support sufficient funding from the regular budget for the Office of the HCHR.
6. The European Union will engage vigorously in international conferences during the period of UNGA 59, in particular the Mauritius meeting of the Ten-year Review of the Barbados Programme of Action, the World Conference on Disaster Reduction and the preparations for the second phase of the World Summit of the Information Society. The EU will also engage actively in the functional commissions of ECOSOC, and particularly in the Thirteenth Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, which will be the first decision-making session after the WSSD.
2005 Major Event Top 
7. A particular focus of European Union activity at the forthcoming session of the General Assembly will be the preparation of the high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly that will take place in 2005. The EU will develop its approach, and engage with its partners in the United Nations, on the basis of a report of the UN Secretary-General.
8. The European Union's participation in the preparation of this major event will also be guided by the need for a comprehensive review of the progress made in implementing the Millennium Declaration and towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals derived therefrom, and in the integrated and co-ordinated implementation of the outcomes of the major United Nations conferences and summits. The EU will provide a consolidated report on its own contribution to the achievement of the MDGs.
9. Consideration of economic, social and related issues at UNGA 59, including the follow-up to the Copenhagen and Beijing Conferences, will be influenced by preparations for the major event, and the EU's engagement on these issues will take account of this. In that context, the European Union will devote great attention to the implementation of the Monterey consensus and will work further on innovative financing mechanisms.
General Assembly Revitalisation Top
10. The European Union will continue to support the momentum established towards the reform of the United Nations system and the revitalisation of the General Assembly, including the implementation of the agreed revised plenary agenda and continuation of efforts to revitalise and streamline the work of the main committees.
Disarmament and non-proliferation Top
11. The European Union will participate actively and engage on resolutions dealing with the issue of Weapons of Mass Destruction in accordance with its Strategy on the Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, which includes a commitment to a multilateral approach to disarmament and non-proliferation.
12. The European Union will explore the possibility of establishing a relationship between the Hague Code of Conduct on Ballistic Missile Proliferation and the United Nations.
13. The European Union will continue to engage actively in ongoing efforts to make the work of the First Committee more relevant and to rationalise its working methods, and will work to ensure that these efforts are reflected in a common response to Resolution A/Res/58/41.
Triennial Comprehensive Policy Review of UN Development activities and operations Top
14. The European Union will continue to work for a comprehensive resolution that will, inter alia, deal with the assessment and evaluation of UN assistance, promote simplification and harmonisation, promote more cohesion in activities and the use of resources at country level, and ensure that UN development activities are consistent with the Millennium Development Goals and include a human rights based approach.
Capital Master Plan Top
15. The European Union will strongly support the implementation of the CMP, and will work for agreement on a means of financing that is fair to member states in general and in accordance with the recognised responsibilities of host countries.
Reform of the Budgetary Process Top
16. The European Union will seek to build on resolution 58/271, to make the UN better equipped to meet the priorities set out in the Millennium Declaration, in particular in relation to UN staff recruitment and the redeployment of posts to meet the evolving needs of the UN Organisation.
Security and safety of the UN Top
17. The European Union will support appropriate improvements in security for the UN, including the allocation of the necessary resources. It will also strongly support efforts to strengthen the 1994 Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel.
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