Press Release: MEPs discuss with UNSG Guterres ways to promote and guarantee multilateralism

A European Parliament’s delegation of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Subcommitee on Human Rights, headed by Chairman David McAllister met with António Guterres the UN Secretary General, in New York on Tuesday.

The delegation of MEPs explored ways to reaffirm the importance of cooperation between the EU and the UN in order to promote and guarantee multilateralism while there are growing threats to democracy worldwide. The need to enhance the credibility of multilateral diplomacy to achieve real results was underlined. The EU is strongly committed to promoting a rules-based global order with multilateralism as its key principle and with the UN at its core. UNSG Guterres insisted on the fact that the EU is a vital and honest broker.

 “At a moment when multilateralism is under fire, we fully support EU-UN Partnership. Joining our forces and finding innovative solutions is a must to achieve global ambitions and to tackle current global challenges!” said Mr McAllister.

MEPs highlighted that the EU-UN Partnership needs to be turned into concrete steps: it is the time to explore ways to transform political declarations into concrete actions. The EU and the UN should play complementary and reinforcing roles every time peace and security are threatened. MEPs discussed ways to initiate a structured political cooperation between the EU and the UN to address common key priorities such as the UN reform agenda, the promotion of peacebuilding and sustaining peace, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Global compact on Migration and for refugees as well as action against climate change.

The delegation held high-level meetings with the UN leadership and discussed peace and security matters, humanitarian situation and conflict prevention with Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs, Miroslav Jenča and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock. Furthermore, MEPs addressed the status of the UN reforms with Assistant Secretary-General for Strategic Coordination in Executive Office, Fabrizio Hochschild. As a sign of the European Union’s coordination, coherence and visibilty within the UN, MEPs met the European Union’s Security Council Permanent and non-Members, which represents, for the first time, one third of the UN Security Council members. The EU reinforced cooperation with and within the UN is a strong signal for expanding its global engagement.

Human Rights as well as Sexual Violence in Conflict were also the key points for discussion with the Chair of the Third Committee, Ambassador H.E. Mahmoud Saikal and with the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten. As 2018 marks the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, MEPs shared the UN concerns on the fact that the human rights agenda is losing ground. Therefore, MEPs reiterated the need to ensure promotion and protection of human rights at the heart of multilateralism.

 

Composition of the Delegation

Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), Arnaud DANJEAN (EPP, FR), Othmar KARAS (EPP, AT), Eugen FREUND (S&D, AT), David MARTIN (S&D, UK), Baroness Nosheena MOBARIK (ECR, UK), Patricia LALONDE (ALDE, FR), Barbara LOCHBIHLER (Greens/EFA, DE).