EU Statement – UN General Assembly 5th Committee: Special Political Missions

Madame Chair,

I have the honor to speak on behalf of the Member States of the European Union.

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

We would like to begin by expressing our gratitude to the Controller, Mr. Chandramouli Ramanathan, for presenting the Secretary-General's report, and to Mr. Abdallah Bachar Bong, Chair of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, for presenting the Committee's related reports. We greatly appreciate the timely publication of these documents, which will enable us to make meaningful progress in the months ahead.

Additionally, we sincerely commend the staff of the Special Political Missions for their dedicated efforts. We recognize the significant challenges they face and the often volatile environments in which they operate.

Madame Chair,

The European Union and its Member States remain committed to conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and protecting human rights, especially for women and girls. As global challenges intensify-including geopolitical divisions, climate change, and ongoing conflicts-we face a world marked by inequality, injustice, and uncertainty. These interconnected issues threaten national stability and require us to fully leverage all available tools to strengthen peace.

Special Political Missions are crucial in this effort, playing a key role in conflict prevention and addressing multifaceted global crises. Their multidimensional approach makes them instrumental in tackling complex challenges across security, development, and human rights. By fostering cross-pillar coordination, in line with the Secretary-General's reform vision, Special Political Missions effectively break down silos and build synergies.

We welcome the significant progress made in recent years towards system-wide coherence and strengthened integration between Special Political Missions and the Resident Coordinator system. This positive shift has fostered local ownership and long-term partnerships. Further, we commend the ongoing efforts to optimize resources and enhance efficiency in mandate fulfillment. The improved collaboration between Resident Coordinator personnel and mission counterparts has been instrumental in ensuring the effective delivery of UN mandates, demonstrating the value of this integrated approach.

We strongly encourage the continued development of inclusive strategies that promote the participation of women, youth, and marginalized groups. This inclusivity is crucial for the effectiveness and sustainability of the missions processes.

Madame Chair,

Special Political Missions face complex challenges in their peacebuilding efforts at various levels. We acknowledge and regret the challenges of the past four years that have prevented this Committee from reaching a consensual outcome.This year, as with previous years, the European Union and its Member States remain optimistic and deeply committed to negotiated outcome on the Budget and Administration issues of Special Political Missions. We see this as an opportunity for renewed collaboration and are dedicated to working tirelessly with all partners. Our goal is to achieve a positive, consensus-based outcome for this item in a timely manner. Our approach to negotiations will be technical and realistic, ensuring each mission's budget aligns with Security Council mandates. Whether promoting dialogue, supporting justice, or protecting rights, our goal is to agree the necessary resources while ensuring accountability and effective delivery of the missions' objectives.

The European Union and its Member States look forward to constructive engagement with all Member States to secure a robust 2025 budget for Special Political Missions, whose contributions to global peace and stability are more critical than ever. We look forward to engaging with the teams in charge of establishing new Special Political Missions, as well as ensuring the orderly exit of others, and ensuring all have the resources necessary to meet the needs on the ground and fully execute their mandates.

I thank you, Madame Chair.

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