On a European Parliament recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly

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DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RECOMMENDATION

to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly

(2025/2167(INI))

– having regard to the Charter of the United Nations,

– having regard to the Treaty on European Union (TEU), in particular Articles 21, 34 and 36 thereof,

– having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), in particular Articles 208, 214 and 220 thereof,

– having regard to the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly,

– having regard to UN General Assembly Resolution 79/318 of 18 July 2025 on the UN80 Initiative,

– having regard to UN General Assembly Resolution ES-11/7 of 24 February 2025 on advancing a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine,

– having regard to UN General Assembly Resolution 79/174 of 17 December 2024 on freedom of religion and belief,

– having regard to UN General Assembly Resolution 79/1 of 22 September 2024 on the Pact for the Future,

– having regard to UN General Assembly Resolution 65/276 of 10 May 2011 on the participation of the European Union in the work of the United Nations,

– having regard to the report of the UN Secretary-General of 18 September 2025 entitled ‘Shifting Paradigms: United to Deliver’,

– having regard to the report of the UN Secretary-General of 4 September 2025 on revised estimates relating to the proposed programme budget for 2026 and the support account for peacekeeping operations for the 2025/26 period,

– having regard to the report of the UN Secretary-General of 31 July 2025 entitled ‘Report of the mandate implementation review’,

– having regard to its recommendation to the Council of 9 June 2021 on the 75th and 76th sessions of the United Nations General Assembly,

– having regard to the Council conclusions of 20 October 2025 on Upgrading the EU-UN Strategic Partnership on Peace and Security: Joint Priorities 2025-2028,

– having regard to the Council conclusions of 23 June 2025 on EU priorities at the United Nations during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, September 2025 – September 2026,

– having regard to the Council conclusions of 27 January 2025 on EU priorities in UN Human Rights Fora in 2025,

– having regard to the European Council conclusions of 20 March 2025,

– having regard to Rule 121 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A100000/2025),

A. whereas, in the current geopolitical climate, it is of critical importance to uphold and strengthen the rules-based international order and to ensure the efficient functioning of intergovernmental organisations;

B. whereas the multilateral system is facing growing threats, such as Russia’s attacks on the global peace and security architecture, including the UN Security Council (UNSC), China’s rising influence and the reframing of US participation in international organisations, as well as cuts to funding affecting critical areas such as humanitarian assistance, education, health and peacebuilding;

1. Recommends that the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy:

Safeguarding and strengthening multilateralism

(a) continue to support effective multilateralism with the UN at its core, promote and defend international law and uphold the rules and principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence, self-determination and the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms;

(b) remain steadfast in defending the respect, protection and fulfilment of universal human rights, democracy, human dignity, equality and the rule of law, in line with the 2025 Council Conclusions on EU priorities in UN human rights fora;

(c) reaffirm the essential role of multilateral organisations as indispensable platforms for conflict resolution and global governance;

Reform of the UN system

(d) support ambitious reforms of the UN system and advance the UN80 reform agenda, ensuring a more effective, efficient, transparent, financially sustainable and responsive UN that is capable of addressing current and emerging global challenges;

(e) advocate for a comprehensive reform of the UNSC to make it more effective, inclusive, transparent, democratic and accountable, ensuring it better reflects today’s global realities, establishing conditions for strictly limiting the use of the veto when it blocks essential UN action, with the aim of fully revoking it in the future;

(f) encourage Member States to coordinate their actions within UN bodies and agencies, and to work towards a reform of the UN special rapporteur system; adopt the procedures to effectively address any potential biases and inefficiencies which might jeopardise the mandate of UN agencies, ensuring adequate vetting and oversight of staff, and their removal where appropriate;

(g) continue strengthening cooperation with partners, such as the United States, to build consensus and advance an effective multilateral order;

(h) recall the UNSC’s responsibility to uphold international peace and security and ensure accountability for violations of international law, and explore ways to strengthen the United Nations General Assembly’s (UNGA) role in this area, through employing an EU-style system of qualified majority voting, whereby UNGA resolutions voted for by a majority of two thirds of the members representing two thirds of the population are considered binding;

Peace and security

(i) reaffirm their condemnation of Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine and its attacks against the global peace and security architecture, including UNSC instruments; advocate for a full ceasefire to alleviate civilian suffering, and for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine, including robust security guarantees based on the UN Charter and international law, while ensuring full accountability for war crimes; support the UN in identifying legal mechanisms to mobilise frozen Russian assets for Ukraine’s reconstruction without imposing a financial burden on EU Member States;

(j) express concern about the risk of increased confrontation across the Middle East and the destabilising role played by Iran and its regional proxies; step up diplomatic efforts in multilateral forums and seek closer cooperation with the EU’s partners in the region to support de-escalation, reconstruction and meaningful dialogue; urge all actors to comply with their obligations under international law with the aim of reaching a fair, comprehensive and lasting peace based on the two-state solution;

(k) engage in diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea and oppose any unilateral change to the status quo; work with like-minded partners to reinforce stability in the region; underline that UN Resolution 2758 does not determine the sovereignty of the People’s Republic of China over Taiwan, and step up support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organisations;

(l) continue engaging with the UN to address global security challenges through conflict prevention, mediation, peacebuilding and crisis management, in accordance with the EU-UN Strategic Partnership on Peace and Security; recognise the essential role of UN peace operations and leverage the review on the future of these operations to ensure they are adapted in accordance with today’s security landscape;

(m) acknowledge the severe risks arising from a new arms race and the weakening of global disarmament efforts, largely driven by Russia’s, China’s and North Korea’s nuclear build-up; continue to safeguard and reinforce the multilateral frameworks governing non-proliferation and arms control, as well as those regulating the export of arms and dual-use goods and technologies; promote and strengthen multilateral instruments against the production, stockpiling and use of chemical and biological weapons;

Sustainable development and human rights

(n) continue integrating a human rights-based approach into sustainable development; emphasise the EU’s leading role as the world’s largest provider of official development assistance; further leverage the Global Gateway as a sustainable, transparent, democratic and values-based alternative to competing infrastructure initiatives, and one which contributes to delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals by fostering mutual growth, economic activity and job creation in partner countries, while strengthening the EU’s strategic autonomy, geopolitical position and global credibility;

(o) reaffirm unequivocally that all human rights enshrined in UN conventions must be fully upheld; call on the UN to condemn global trends undermining these rights, including the increasing marginalisation of human rights and the shrinking space for civil society;

(p) prioritise the fight against disinformation, spread through algorithmic amplification by large online platforms, the growing use of large language models without adequate safeguards in place, their exploitation by malicious foreign actors, and the failure of big technology companies to meet their obligations under existing legislation on this topic, undermining democracy and electoral processes;

(q) strengthen the promotion of freedom of religion and belief and call for more robust measures to protect religious and other minorities, including Christian communities;

(r) reinforce the EU’s commitment to advancing global health together with partners;

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2. Instructs its President to forward this recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

In view of growing global instability, multiple conflicts and crises, and growing threats to the multilateral system, it is of critical importance to uphold and strengthen the rules-based international order and to ensure the efficient functioning of intergovernmental organisations. The report underlines the need to support an effective rules-based multilateral order with the UN at its core, promote and defend international law, and uphold the rules and principles of the UN Charter, while working towards a more effective, efficient, transparent, financially sustainable and responsive UN that is capable of meeting current and emerging global challenges.

The report recalls the EU’s commitment to human rights, sustainable development and multilateral cooperation, emphasising the EU’s leading role in development assistance, its support for the Sustainable Development Goals, and the need to counter disinformation, protect fundamental freedoms, and to uphold freedom of religion or belief. It also underlines the importance of modernising UN mandates and practices to ensure effectiveness, impartiality and credibility across the system.

It advocates for leveraging multilateral cooperation to better address current challenges such as maintaining international peace and security, combating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, fostering sustainable development, and promoting human rights worldwide.

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteur declares that he included in his report input on matters pertaining to the subject of the file that he received, in the preparation of the draft report, from the following interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register, or from the following representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies:

1. Interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register

2. Representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies

The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteur.

Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the rapporteur declares that he has submitted to the natural persons concerned the European Parliament’s Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.