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Full speech by the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell
Thank you, Madam President, for giving me this opportunity and for the great work that Albania is doing at the United Nations and also as a future member of the European Union. I’m really sad that I can not be with you personally. I’m very sorry. I was planning to travel to New York to be with you on this meeting, but the pandemic is not over yet. I tested positive two weeks ago in Jordan and I’m still positive so I had to cancel the trip. Anyway, here we have the opportunity to chat via video link and thank you very much for your attention.
We meet at a historic moment. Everyone is very aware of this. The UN was founded 72 years ago to save humanity from the wounds of war. To build a system of global cooperation, defending the sovereign equality of all as well as protecting the rights of both states and peoples. Gradually the UN built around itself a whole system of rules, norms and organizations which deal with a range of issues in international relations.
The UN has always been the embodiment of this greater idea: that we share a planet and that we need global governance to live together, peacefully and sustainably. Even at the height of the Cold War, the UN continued to function
The basis of it all was respect for international rule of law. All states, regardless of their size or political orientation, committed themselves to respecting international law and fundamental principles, above all the non-use of force in international relations.
The EU has multilateralism in its DNA. We are multilateralists by nature. It is part of our deepest conviction that we need agreed rules: to soften the passion of states; to provide public goods; and to ensure global cooperation even between states with different ideological beliefs.
It is easier to collaborate between friends and with the same mind. But it is still necessary to cooperate with countries that are not. We must cooperate despite our differences.
We have always been a strong supporter of the UN: investing politically and financially. We pay our obligations in full and on time. We have consistently supported major UN initiatives such as the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and human rights work.
We work closely together here in New York and on the ground. All EU crisis management operations work with the UN as their partner. We are the partner you can count on.
The hard truth is that the multilateral system is under pressure like never before. There are great global trends and challenges for which we need global cooperation. But the supply and demand of multilateralism do not match.
The speed and scale of cooperation is not so necessary to manage ‘global commonalities’. Consider climate change, but also vaccines and the pandemic or digital revolution. In each case, they have seized it, despite obstacles we can scarcely imagine. “
The main reason has been the increase in political competition in power. Recent years have seen more distrust, more points and more vetoes. The price is paid for unresolved problems, wars and conflicts that are exacerbated, people left at the mercy of events.
Last year when I met you all. I spoke of a “deficit in multilateralism.” I’m afraid that since then the situation has only gotten worse.
The UN Charter entrusts this Council with the maintenance of international peace and security. So sitting on the Security Council is a big responsibility. The world needs this Council to be able to make decisions and protect the people whose lives depend on it.
Russia’s war against Ukraine has come to the forefront of these structural problems and reinforced them. It has already left tens of thousands dead and over 5 million refugees – the fastest growing refugee crisis since World War II.
The war is taking place in Europe, but this is not a European war. This is an attack on the foundations of the UN and this Security Council, by a permanent member of the Council.
In a globalized world, there are no “distant”. Everything is close to everyone. A war or a major security crisis in one region affects everyone. It is also impossible to ‘split’, to think that security tensions will not affect the economy. We can see it from the shocking waves that Russia’s war against Ukraine is sending around the world, exacerbating a global food and energy crisis.
The EU is fully mobilized to keep Ukraine economically viable and militarily capable of defending its people, its territorial integrity and its democracy. And we call on every member of the UN, large and small, to help Ukraine do the same.
In the face of aggression, no one can be neutral. To be neutral in this case means to be on the side of the aggressor. No one can live safely in a world where the illegal use of force is normalized or tolerated.
This war is sending ripple effects around the world. And these complicate a pre-existing food crisis with suffering yields due to climate change.
The World Food Program estimates that the number of food insecure people has doubled from 135 million before the pandemic to 276 million in early 2022. Due to the war, WFP now estimates that number will rise to 323 million.
I call on all of you to help end the war, to restore Ukraine’s sovereignty, and to ensure that the global consequences are curbed, especially the growing food crisis.
Right now, Russia is blocking at least 20 million tons of Ukrainian grain that cannot reach global markets because they are being blocked.
This is the equivalent of 300 mass ships having to anchor in ports around the world. Instead, Russia is bombing Ukraine’s ports, infrastructure and agricultural land.
Only after President Putin spoke with the President of the African Union did Russian forces bomb Ukraine’s second largest grain silo in Mykolaiv. These actions speak for themselves.
We fully support the UN efforts so that Ukraine can reopen its ports and resume its grain shipments to the world. This should be the top priority.
The easiest way to do this is for Russia to stop its aggression, withdraw its troops from all over Ukraine, and, finally, work with the UN and others to reopen the Black Sea. Military risks to commercial navigation in the area inevitably increase the cost of insurance and transportation further fueling the current crisis.
Until then, we will all have to face the global consequences of Russia’s war. That is what you have to say: Europe stands by its partners. We support the role of the UN, including the Global Crisis Response Team.
The EU has already increased its support for some of the most affected regions. The EU and its member states – what we call the Europe Team – have pledged 1 billion euros for the Sahel and Lake Chad regions and over 600 million euros for the countries of East Africa. We have also set up a € 225 million food facility to assist our partners in the Middle East and North Africa.
Let me add a word about sanctions here and respond directly to Russian misinformation: EU sanctions are not the cause of food shortages. They only aim to stop the Kremlin from being able to finance military aggression – not to carry out legitimate trade.
EU sanctions do not prohibit the import and transport of Russian agricultural goods, neither for fertilizers, nor for payment for such Russian exports.
Moreover, EU financial sanctions apply only in the territory of the EU: we are against secondary sanctions as a matter of principle and law. So our measures do not affect the ability of third countries to buy from Russia if they wish.
I have discussed with UN Secretary-General Guterres, Undersecretary-General Griffiths and UNCTAD Secretary-General Grynspan their efforts to unblock Ukrainian grain exports to the Black Sea.
In support of UN efforts, we are ready to examine possible misinterpretation of EU sanctions that could lead to overlap or market avoidance and to further clarify to economic operators what is and what is not intended in our sanctions. We are ready to work with all partners in this regard.
Madam President,
As the war has returned to Europe, it has not stopped anywhere else. We are aware of this. That is why the EU continues to help prevent and resolve conflicts and crises around the world.
Over 4,000 women and men are deployed by the EU in 18 crisis management missions and operations on three continents, always working in close cooperation with the UN.
I would like to mention in particular our operations in the Mediterranean (IRINI), off the coast of Somalia (ATALANTA) and in Bosnia and Herzegovina (ALTHEA).
IRIN plays a unique role in enforcing the UN arms embargo and preventing the illegal export of oil from Libya. ATALANTA has been successfully assisting against piracy off the coast of Somalia since 2008 and is now tackling other illegal trafficking, including drugs. From March to April last year alone, it seized 12 tons of narcotics. And ALTHEA supports the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina in maintaining the safest possible environment in a very difficult political context.
Beyond crisis management and peace operations, the EU and its member states make a major contribution to the UN’s mediation, peacebuilding and transition work. Just to give you a figure: for the period 2021 – 2022, we have tripled our contribution to the UN Peacebuilding Fund (UNFF).
In this context, I want to underline the strategic nature of cooperation for peace and security between the EU and the EU. We work together to provide personalized forms of support for training, capacity building and equipment. We want to put into practice our maxim of ‘African solutions to African problems’.
Let me conclude with a few quick comments on specific regional crises where the EU has a deep interest and where we work closely with the UN:
- Syria: 11 years in crisis, we can not forget the Syrian people. We continue to support Special Envoy Pedersen. We need a solution so that cross-border humanitarian aid continues to flow. Millions depend on it. At the last Brussels conference on Syria, the EU and its member states 4.8 billion euros for 2022 and beyond, 75% of the total amount promised.
- Iran: I am in constant contact with all parties to try to arrange a return to the JCPoA and ensure its full implementation. The basic elements and conditions for doing this are well known and on the table. And the time for decision is now.
- Sahel: trends are worrying. The EU will remain engaged in the region, with our operations, working with MINUSMA. But we need commitments from local partners, both for the security situation on the ground and for the state of democratic governance
- Afghanistan: we will continue to support the Afghan people. I welcome the new UNAMA mandate, but it is clear that the human rights situation is deteriorating, especially for women and girls. We need continued international pressure on the Taliban to fully reopen education for all girls and women. Access to education is a fundamental human right,
There are many other crises that I can mention: Myanmar, Yemen, Venezuela, etc.
But let me stop here. I’m sure we will have an interesting debate. I look forward to your comments.
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