EU Statement – UN General Assembly 5th Committee: Organization of Work

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, as well as Monaco align themselves with this statement.

As we open our 79th session, let me begin by congratulating you upon your election as Chair of the Fifth Committee. We are confident that your valuable UN experience, enthusiasm and leadership will guide our negotiations towards a fruitful and timely conclusion. We would also like to congratulate all newly appointed members of the Bureau who, together with your team will work with you to that end.

Allow me also to express our sincere appreciation to your predecessor, Ambassador Osama AbdelKhalek, his Bureau and team for guiding us through a very successful 78th session.

We also extend our gratitude to the members of the Fifth Committee Secretariat, and to all officers and staff of the UN, for their continued dedication to deliver the Organization's mandate.

Madame Chair,

As we open our new session, we would like to make the following overarching comments:

1. The European Union and its Member States remain staunch supporters of effective multilateralism.

The UN is experiencing a historic moment following the adoption of the Pact for the Future, which showcases that multilateralism remains the way forward. Achieving effective multilateralism is not easy; it requires compromises and responsibility, but it is the path to shaping the future together. To that end, we are committed to working collectively and consensually in the Fifth Committee for a stronger, more efficient, and results-oriented United Nations that truly serves its people.

1. There cannot be an effective United Nations without adequate payment and funding of all its mandates.

In this regard, our primary duty as Member States is to fulfill our financial obligations to the Organization in accordance with the agreed principles of solidarity and capacity to pay, and to meet our own responsibilities. In a scale year, we must be more mindful than ever that late, partial, and unpredictable payments hinder the United Nations' ability to fulfill its mandates, pushing the Organization into systemic underperformance and extended liquidity crisis. Therefore, we call upon all Member States to pay their contributions in full and on time.

As the Fifth Committee, one of our main responsibilities is the timely adoption of the UN regular budget for 2025 and adequate financing of all mandated activities. The UN budget reflects what is essential for the Organization to function effectively and represents our shared commitment to ensuring the proper operation of our United Nations. We welcome the proposals to continue the efforts initiated last year to consolidate and provide more predictability in resource requests, particularly in relation to human rights.

1. We acknowledge that we have a heavy agenda ahead, and we are ready to engage constructively on all agenda items.

This Main Session covers a broad agenda, ranging from oversight topics to budget-related issues, the Organization's structure, current and former workforce and matters with implications for the peace and security agenda. In light of the unprecedented number of conflicts and crises the world is facing, the European Union and its Member States remain steadfast supporters of peacebuilding and peacekeeping, and we will continue to work on the related agenda items.

In this context, it is crucial that we build trust by honoring our previous agreements and engaging in a spirit of consensus and good faith to reach new ones. 5C cannot be a forum to relitigate agreed mandates.

Madame. Chair,

We believe it is essential to uphold the key principles that underpin our working methods, serving as guidelines to our proceedings.

The European Union and its Member States emphasize the importance of preserving work/life balance for delegates and staff, not only as a right but also as the only way to promote inclusion and participation, while working efficiently and respectfully with both ourselves and the United Nations. Working outside normal conference hours, during weekends or over nights, should be the exception and not the norm.We must continue the good practices from last year, which stands as clear evidence that upholding deadlines is possible, and provide the Organization with a timely conclusion to our negotiations. As the Fifth Committee, we should set the standard for efficiency, responsibility, flexibility and excellence in our Organization, but we should also remember the importance of leading by example.

We strongly advocate for transparent and inclusive proceedings. All documents should be submitted on time and in all official languages to ensure inclusive and transparent negotiations, which are key to enhancing the quality of our resolutions.

Lastly, we reaffirm our strong commitment to reaching decisions by consensus, a principle well known and championed by the European Union. This requires a commitment to finding middle-ground positions that everyone can endorse and support, even when they do not fully align with our preferred choices.

In closing, Madame Chair, the European Union and its Member States are committed to working constructively with you, as well as with every group and delegation. We are confident that, under your leadership, we can conclude our negotiations on time and by consensus, and you can fully count on our support in achieving this goal.

I thank you, Madame Chair.

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