What changed between the draft committee report and the plenary report

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RECOMMENDATION

6 unchanged paragraphs

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))

The European Parliament,

– 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,

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

Added:– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in particular its preamble and Article 18, and to the UN human rights conventions and the optional protocols thereto,

Added:– having regard to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),

Added:– having regard to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT),

Added:– having regard to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women,

Added:– having regard to the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, and the Secretary General’s message to commemorate the UN’s 80th anniversary,

4 unchanged paragraphs

– 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,

Added:– having regard to UN General Assembly Resolution ES-11/4 of 12 October 2022 on the territorial integrity of Ukraine,

– 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,

Added:– having regard to UN General Assembly Resolution 377 (V) of 3 November 1950 on Uniting for Peace,

Added:– having regard to UN Security Council Resolution 1325 of 31 October 2000 on Women, Peace, and Security,

Added:– having regard to UN Security Council Resolution 2803 of 17 November 2025, adopting the Gaza Ceasefire Plan,

Added:– having regard to UN Security Council Resolution 2817 of 11 March 2026 on the condemnation of Iran’s attacks against regional neighbours,

Added:– having regard to the UN80 Initiative Action Pan of 21 November 2025,

– 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’,

Added:– having regard to its resolutions of 21 January 2026 on the implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report 2025, and on human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter – annual report 2025,

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

Added:– having regard to its resolution of 24 October 2024 on the misinterpretation of UN resolution 2758 by the People’s Republic of China and its continuous military provocations around Taiwan,

Added:– having regard to its resolution of 23 October 2020 on Gender Equality in EU’s foreign and security policy, which mentions a feminist foreign policy,

4 unchanged paragraphs

– 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,

Added:– having regard to the oral conclusions drawn by President António Costa following the informal meeting of the members of the European Council of 22 January 2026,

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

Changed:– having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A100000/2025),(A10-0103/2026),

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;

Change 1

Removed: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;

Added:B. whereas democracy, its systems, standards and values, are bedrock pillars of the current multilateral system; whereas a rules-based multilateral system is promoted by democracies, as they are mutually beneficial; whereas a world of democracies, understood as mature democratic systems, is an altogether freer world, given their significant checks and balances that prevent the unpredictable behaviour of autocracies in the international context; whereas democracy is under siege in the international arena by authoritarian, totalitarian and illiberal regimes, which are attacking it both within and beyond their borders;

Added:C. whereas the multilateral system is facing growing threats, such as Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, which constitute attacks on the global peace and security architecture, including the UN Security Council (UNSC), China’s rising influence and the worrying withdrawal of the United States from international organisations, as well as cuts to funding affecting critical areas such as humanitarian assistance, education, climate change, hybrid threats, international law, health and peacebuilding; whereas criticism of the current state of the multilateral system also comes from democratic countries and (natural) allies of the EU; whereas the inability of the UNSC and its permanent members to act in the face of major violations of the UN Charter has contributed to public criticism of the UN as a whole;

Added:D. whereas using economic tools such as tariffs, export controls, and sanctions to achieve geopolitical goals outside multilateral frameworks has the potential to weaken the World Trade Organization, fragment the global economy, deepen global inequalities and affect developing countries and vulnerable populations;

Added:E. whereas attempts to weaken the UN peace architecture, including attacks on the UN Peacebuilding Commission and broader peace governance structures, constitute an effort to undermine the UN’s capacity to prevent conflict, support post-conflict reconstruction and act as a guarantor of international peace and security;

Added:F. whereas globalisation and challenges such as climate change, the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, pandemics, terrorism, the fight against organised crime, drug and human trafficking, and the management of migration, among others, require multilateral responses; whereas funding cuts and withdrawals from key multilateral bodies and platforms have weakened the international community’s ability to respond effectively to such crises;

Added:G. whereas the UN system is the cornerstone of the current multilateral system; whereas it remains the most appropriate framework in which to move forward, with its core objectives of promoting peace, human rights and sustainable development at a global level; whereas the UN system may be experiencing structural fatigue, partly due to its lack of adaptation to new international actors that share its principles, such as the EU;

Added:H. whereas the UNSC is a very important body for maintaining international peace and security and, given the seriousness and complexity of the current challenges, should play a more effective and decisive role;

Added:I. whereas the reform of the UN system is necessary to ensure it is fit for purpose; whereas the UN80 initiative is a welcome initiative; whereas the UN cannot be expected to do more with fewer resources;

Added:J. whereas statements and actions threatening the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenland and the self-determination of the Greenlandic people represent a violation of fundamental principles of international law, including respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and self-determination, and contribute to the normalisation of coercive diplomacy;

Added:K. whereas UNSC Resolution 2803 welcomed the establishment of a Board of Peace as a transitional administration with international legal personality that sets the framework, and coordinates funding for, the redevelopment of Gaza pursuant to the Comprehensive Plan and, in a manner consistent with relevant international legal principles, for a credible pathway to a two-state solution; whereas European Council President Costa, among others, has expressed serious doubts about a number of elements in the charter of the Board of Peace relating to its scope, governance and compatibility with the UN Charter; whereas Parliament expresses solidarity with the victims of settler violence in the West Bank;

Added:L. whereas in August 2025 the Trump administration barred Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 Palestinian officials from attending the meeting of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York; whereas the principles of inclusiveness and universality underpinning the UN system must be upheld at all times;

Added:M. whereas the EU remains committed to international law and the UN Charter and its rules and principles, including those of sovereignty, territorial integrity and self-determination, and to human rights and fundamental freedoms, and stands firmly in support of a multilateral system based on international law, with the UN at its core;

Added:N. whereas the EU, as a global actor, should play a stronger role within the UN; whereas the EU is progressively increasing its security and defence capabilities, with the aim of assuming greater responsibilities in conflict prevention, crisis management, defence and peacebuilding;

Added:O. whereas it appears essential for the EU to intensify its cooperation with all partners, including the UN and its agencies, to jointly advance the UN’s internal reform process and thus ensure that the UN remains effective, cost-efficient and capable of addressing the rising global challenges of our time;

Added:P. whereas Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) is responsible, inter alia, for relations with the UN in respect of matters falling within its remit, and for promoting, implementing and monitoring the EU’s common foreign and security policy, including through exchanges with international partners and parliamentary diplomacy; whereas the annual session of the UNGA is a key multilateral forum for promoting the EU’s foreign policy priorities and for parliamentary oversight; whereas in light of the above, regular missions of the AFET committee to the sessions of the UNGA would support this mandate, allowing Parliament to engage with counterparts, reinforce its role in multilateral affairs and uphold the EU’s commitment to effective and coherent external action;

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

Change 2

Changed:(a) continue to support effective multilateralism in which laws and norms are stronger than conflict, with the UN at its core, complemented by the EU’s bilateral relations with third countries, in order to prioritise effectiveness, promote and defend international law and uphold the rules and principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity,integrity (including maritime zones as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), non-use of force, political independence, self-determination and the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms;freedoms, and oppose coercive diplomacy and attempts by any state to undermine or erode the rules-based multilateral order;

Change 3

Changed:(b) remain steadfast in defending the respect, protection and fulfilment of universal human rights, democracy, human dignity, equality andequality, the rule of law,law and inclusive, credible and transparent electoral processes, in line with the 2025 Council Conclusions on EU priorities in UN human rights fora; firmly uphold the principle that human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated, be they civil, cultural, economic, political or social;

Change 4

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