EU Presidency Statement - Report of the High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change

Mr. President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. Let me first thank the Secretary-General for his briefing, as well as you personally for organizing this first exchange of views.

The European Union commends the Secretary-General for his leadership and vision to establish the High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change. We consider this an example of the Secretary-General's full dedication to address key concerns of collective security as well as of his commitment to promote more effective, efficient and equitable international cooperation, with a performing United Nations at its center.

Mr. President,

The European Union welcomes the report of the Panel. This balanced, serious and rich report requires our thorough consideration. At this point in time, we can only give a preliminary reaction.

The EU shares the strong sense of urgency of the Panel to find a new consensus on collective security. The report rightly exposes the interconnectedness of the six "clusters" of threats and challenges, and in particular how security and development are related. The EU appreciates the broader, comprehensive concept of collective security elaborated by the Panel. It shares the need to focus more on prevention, not in the least by putting increased emphasis on development, and to achieve more forcefully the implementation of already agreed commitments, notably with regard to the MDG's.

The Panel offers a vision to improve our state security, but it also recommends increased attention to our human security, and we support that. The EU welcomes the contribution by the Panel to a debate on clear rules and norms for the use of force.

Mr. President,

The EU considers the improvement of our involvement with societies and states at risk of instability of critical importance. The Panel recommends to address the institutional gap between conflict and development. The EU welcomes this emphasis we look forward to discuss the Panel's recommendations.

Mr. President,

Rightly, the Panel asserts that international institutions, in particular the United Nations itself, should more agressively adapt to changing conditions and needs to tackle the challenges. The EU will assess the various proposals, including further strengthening and rationalizing of the GA, reform of the Security Council, improving ECOSOC, creating a Peacebuilding Commission, and reforming the Human Rights Commission. We will have to look into ways to strengthen the role of the SG and his Secretariat.

Although the question of expanding the Security Council unavoidably generates a lot of political interest, the EU believes that this is only one element in our debate. It should not distract our attention from the wider reform issues and, indeed, from the overriding necessity to build a stronger system of collective security and international cooperation, fit for today's world.

Mr. President,

We now need a clear strategy to organize our work. Time is precious, both in the sense of issues at stake and in view of the need for timely preparations for the Summit in September 2005.

The EU looks forward to informal discussions during the beginning of next year, under your able guidance.Together with the report of the Millennium Project, these exchanges should contribute to inspire our preparations for the Summit. Clearly, discussions should not only be held in New York, but also in our capitals and within our respective regional organisations. The outcome should also help the SG in preparing his report for the Summit, due in March.

Mr. President,

In sum, the EU considers the report a very important contribution to our discussions on promoting collective security, on confronting existing and emerging threats, and on making our multilateral framework, with a central role of the UN, truly effective.

We repeat our fullest confidence in the capable leadership of the Secretary-General during the important months ahead and assure him of the full support of the European Union.

Thank you.

| Top |