PROPOSAL FOR A RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL
17.4.2008
by Alexander Lambsdorff, Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck
on behalf of the ALDE Group
on the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly
B6‑0176/2008
European Parliament recommendation to the Council on the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly
The European Parliament,
– having regard to the UN Secretary General’s report entitled 'In Larger Freedom', the subsequent Outcome Document of the 2005 World Summit and the Secretary General’s report entitled 'Investing in the United Nations: for a stronger organisation worldwide',
– having regard to the 62nd session of the United Nations General Assembly,
– having regard to Rule 114(1) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas EU foreign policy is based on strong and unequivocal support for effective multilateralism as embodied by the United Nations Charter,
B. whereas the European Union is a key political and financial partner for the UN in fighting poverty and promoting economic and social development, providing collective security and upholding human rights throughout the world,
C. whereas the long overdue reform of the UN Security Council has yet to be carried out,
D. whereas the coordination of EU Member States' positions within the United Nations varies sharply from body to body and from policy to policy,
E. whereas such coordination requires closer cooperation between the relevant Brussels-based Council working groups and the relevant EU offices and the Member States’ Permanent Representations in New York,
F. whereas the Treaty of Lisbon confers legal personality upon the EU, an innovation which will have major repercussions for the representation of the Union at the United Nations,
Addresses the following recommendations to the Council
Visibility of the European Union at the United Nations
1. Calls for the Union’s political priorities for the next UN General Assembly session to be the subject of an in-depth, wide-ranging debate in Brussels, and to be spelt out in a formal position of the Council;
2. Considers that this formal position should be regarded by Permanent Representations in New York as a binding political platform to be used as a basis for negotiations with other countries;
3. Invites the Council and the Commission to consider, with a view to the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, reorganising their offices in New York;
4. Urges the Council to study in depth the implications which the Treaty of Lisbon has for the Union’s future representation at the United Nations and Member States to commit themselves clearly and unequivocally to taking all the necessary steps to ensure that the Union enjoys adequate visibility and authority within the UN bodies and fora;
The EU contribution to the United Nations reform
5. Calls on the Council, the Commission and the Member States to continue to press for the establishment of membership criteria for the purposes of elections to the UNHRC; calls, pending such a reform, for EU Member States in the UNHRC to apply those criteria when determining their support for candidate countries;
6. Points to the need for the EU to speak with one voice in addressing human rights issues, but also to the fact that it is important for each EU Member State to voice the EU position, in order to give it more weight;
7. Strongly believes that by establishing the Peacebuilding Commission, the United Nations member states have created an important new structure to support fragile societies recovering from the devastation of war;
8. Calls on the Council to support the work of the Peacebuilding Commission, highlighting any gaps that threaten to undermine peace;
9. Welcomes the resumption of the activities of the Working Group on the Revitalisation of the General Assembly, tasked with identifying ways of enhancing the assembly’s role, authority, effectiveness and efficiency;
10. Calls on Member States to find a more cohesive position on the reform of the UN Security Council;
11. Instructs its President to forward this recommendation to the Council and, for information, to the Commission.