The European Union has called for a UN Secretary-General who will defend the UN Charter, uphold international law and give equal weight to the organisation’s peace and security, development and human rights work, according to a statement delivered in New York.
The statement was made on 19 August during interactive dialogues with candidates for the post of Secretary-General and was delivered by Ambassador Hedda Samson, acting Chargée d’Affaires, on behalf of the EU and its member states, the European External Action Service (EEAS) announced.
The EU said the UN needs a leader who can “build trust, reduce polarization, and bridge divides”, while also accelerating reforms and delivering “solutions that make a real difference in people’s lives on the ground”.
It said the UN’s three “pillars” — peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights — should be treated equally, referring to the areas of work set out in the UN Charter.
On development, the EU said it provides close to 50% of all official development assistance (ODA) and more than one-third of all voluntary contributions to the UN system.
Concern over human rights funding
The EU stated it is “deeply concerned” about what it described as recent “normative attacks” on human rights, including women’s and girls’ rights and gender equality, as well as “racial, religious, political, and other forms of discrimination and persecution”.
Only 1% of UN system spending is dedicated to human rights mandates, creating an imbalance between the UN’s three pillars.
The EU used the session to put questions to candidates, including whether they agree that governments and the UN system should not “pick and choose” which human rights to protect or which UN pillars to prioritise.
It also asked candidates to provide concrete examples of how protecting human rights has improved sustainable development or peace and security — or how violations have harmed them — and how they would protect and increase funding for the UN’s human rights work if elected Secretary-General, citing the Pact for the Future.
