Statement by the European Union and its Member States on the Doha Declaration

Statement by the European Union and its Member States on the Doha Declaration

Statement by the European Union and its Member States on the Doha Declaration, Doha, 15-19 December 2025

Thank you Chairperson,

I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the EU and its members states,

The European Union and its Member States would like to express their sincere appreciation to the Government of the State of Qatar for its warm hospitality and for the excellent leadership demonstrated throughout the negotiation process, both in Vienna and in Doha. We particularly commend Qatar for its constructive and inclusive approach, which made it possible to conclude the negotiations and to adopt the Doha Declaration by consensus, thereby sending a strong signal of unity and commitment by the international community.

In spite of not being as ambitious as we would have expected, for the European Union, the Doha Declaration constitutes an overarching framework under which all resolutions adopted at this Conference should be understood and implemented. In this regard, we attach particular importance to the references to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Pact for the Future, and United Nations General Assembly resolution 78/265, "Seizing the opportunities of safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence systems for sustainable development". These references provide a solid multilateral anchor and ensure coherence between the work of this Conference and the broader United Nations framework.

The European Union further underlines the importance of addressing emerging challenges, including the impact of artificial intelligence, which should be safe, secure and trustworthy, and firmly grounded on human rights.

In addition, the EU reiterates the importance it attaches to gender mainstreaming in anti-corruption policies and strategies, as well as to ensuring the full, equal and meaningful participation of women across all anti-corruption activities, programmes and strategies, in line with our shared commitment to the empowerment of all women and girls.

The European Union also stresses the essential role of civil society, non-governmental organizations, academia, the private sector and other relevant stakeholders in the prevention and fight against corruption. Meaningful, safe and inclusive participation of civil society enhances transparency, accountability and the effectiveness of anti-corruption policies, and is fully in line with the Convention.

Finally, the European Union highlights the relevance of the Financing for Development agenda within the Doha Declaration and the Sevilla Commitment. We consider this an important step in strengthening the links between anti-corruption efforts and sustainable financing for development, including through enhanced domestic resource mobilization, integrity in public finance, and the fight against illicit financial flows. The EU and its Member States remain fully committed to advancing this agenda in a multilateral and inclusive manner.

We would like to thank again Qatar, as host of this Conference, and all delegations that contributed to this consensual adoption. I'm very happy to announce that the EU and its 27 Member States are cosponsoring the Doha Declaration.

We kindly request that this statement be reflected in the official records of the Conference.