EU Statement – UN General Assembly: adoption of the draft resolution on the GA Revitalization

EU Statement - UN General Assembly: adoption of the draft resolution on the GA Revitalization

5 September 2025, New York - Statement on behalf of the European Union and its Member States delivered by the Permanent Mission of Denmark, at the occasion of the adoption of the draft resolution on the Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly

Chairs, Excellencies, colleagues,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries Türkiye, North Macedonia*, Montenegro^*, Serbia^*, Albania^*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina^* and Georgia, as well as Armenia and Andorra, align themselves with this statement.

The European Union welcomes the consensual adoption of this session's draft resolution on the Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly and the positive, constructive engagement with delegations, in particular with other groups. We thank the Co-Chairs, Ambassadors of South Africa and Romania, as well as your teams, for your inclusive stewardship of our deliberations and for presenting a balanced and forward-looking text. We also would like to thank our colleagues from the Secretariat for their continued support.

La revitalisation des travaux de l'Assemblée générale est essentielle. Une Assemblée générale forte, transparente, efficace et inclusive est indispensable pour préserver la légitimité de cette Organisation et relever les défis mondiaux.

Nous nous félicitons en particulier des éléments suivants du projet de résolution:

• La réaffirmation du rôle central de l'Assemblée générale en tant que principal organe délibératif, normatif et représentatif des Nations Unies.

• Les mesures proposées de rationalisation opérationnelle, y compris la rationalisation des résolutions, l'approche du «marteau unique» / one gavel, et d'autres innovations visant à renforcer l'efficacité.

• L'accent renforcé mis sur l'égalité des sexes, dans la sélection du Secrétaire general(e), du Président(e) de l'Assemblée générale, ainsi que pour d'autres hauts responsables exécutifs, et, pour la première fois, dans le règlement intérieur.

• La reconnaissance du multilinguisme comme valeur fondamentale de l'Organisation, essentielle pour garantir l'inclusivité et l'accessibilité.

[The revitalization of the work of the General Assembly is key. A strong, transparent, effective and inclusive General Assembly is indispensable for maintaining the legitimacy of this Organization and for addressing global challenges.

We particularly welcome the following elements of the draft resolution:

• The reaffirmation of the General Assembly's central role as the chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations.

• The operational streamlining measures proposed, including rationalization of resolutions, the one-gavel approach and other innovations aimed at strengthening efficiency.

• The stronger emphasis on gender equality, in the selection of the Secretary-General, the President of the General Assembly, as well as for other executive heads, and, for the first time, in the rules of procedure.

• The recognition of multilingualism as a core value of the Organization, vital to ensuring inclusivity and accessibility.]

Acogemos especialmente con satisfacción la integración de la revitalización con los esfuerzos de reforma más amplios de las Naciones Unidas, incluida la Iniciativa ONU80 / UN80 y el seguimiento y la implementación del Pacto para el Futuro. Estas sinergias hacen que nuestro trabajo sea más coherente y tenga un mayor impacto.

Al mismo tiempo, a la Unión Europea le habría gustado ver una innovación más ambiciosa en determinadas áreas, en particular en lo relativo a los métodos de trabajo o a la importancia que debe otorgarse al equilibrio de género en el cargo de Secretario/a General y en otros altos cargos ejecutivos.

Copresidentes,

La Unión Europea y sus Estados miembros siguen plenamente comprometidos con el proceso de revitalización. Creemos que no se trata de un ejercicio puntual, sino de un esfuerzo continuado para garantizar que la Asamblea General pueda cumplir con el papel que le confiere la Carta, con credibilidad, eficiencia y relevancia para todos los Estados Miembros y para los pueblos a los que servimos.

We particularly welcome the integration of revitalization with wider UN reform efforts, including the UN80 Initiative and the Pact for the Future follow-up and implementation. These synergies make our work more coherent and impactful.

At the same time, the EU would have welcomed more ambitious innovation in certain areas, notably on working methods or on the emphasis to be placed on ensuring gender balance for the position of Secretary General and other executive heads

Co-Chairs,

The EU and its Member States remain fully committed to the revitalization process. We believe this is not a one-off exercise, but a continuing effort to ensure that the General Assembly can fulfil its Charter-mandated role with credibility, efficiency and relevance for all Member States and for the peoples we serve.

We also attach the utmost importance to the consensual adoption of this resolution, which is central to the functioning of the Organization, under the Charter, as it nears its 80^th anniversary, and we look forward to pro-actively engage with delegations on its implementation.

I thank you.

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