Romania, 2025

I now give the floor to Her Excellency Auna Sedevia Tusoiu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Romania Excellencies, our very presence here today, representing our countries together in the same room, part of the same conversation, is in itself a deep expression of our commitment to multilateralism. What is also now important is that this is a place for our hopes and our trust in the framework provided by the United Nations. Romania stands firmly by the United Nations as we mark eight years since its creation and seventy years since we joined. And yes, we do celebrate, and we are proud of both our membership and the history, the mission and the work of this organization, but we also have a duty to see what works, to see also what does not work, and to act accordingly. We are living in troubled times, without precedent in history. People say that we want to prevent war, but war is very near to us. People say that we want to live under the reign of international law, but the world assists impassively to its repeated violation. I have heard similar statements many times in the interventions here of world leaders in the United Nations plenary, that we live and we face unprecedented times. However, the phrase that I just mentioned does not belong to me, and it is not about 2025. It was said by another Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, almost a century ago, by the Romanian diplomat Nicolae Titulescu, twice President of the General Assembly of the League of Nations. He was himself an advocate of collective security, speaking to the world in an attempt to prevent the escalation towards war, in an attempt to ensure that multilateralism has the power to fulfill a vision for peace. We all know here what is the history of the League of Nations, but we also know here that we must not repeat it. The United Nations must not share the same faith. Today, the world does not assist impassively. The world is here, present, involved, committed to peace efforts. We are here to ensure that aggressors can no longer replace the rule of law with the rule of the mighty. Romania remains a staunch supporter of international law. We lead in promoting the universal jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice. This is particularly so after the International Court of Justice rendered its advisory opinion on the obligation of states in respect of climate change this July. We call on the states here today to join the declaration of promoting the universal jurisdiction of the ICG launched by Romania. Looking at the international peace and security, our aspirations remain the same as those of Titulescu, remain the same as those that were 80 years ago, 70 years ago. For almost four years, we have been witnessing a fully-fledged war of aggression against Ukraine started by Russia, uninvited and unprovoked, a war that has unleashed the greatest security crisis in Europe in recent history and challenged the rule-based international order. We must respond to that challenge. The latest violations of the sovereign airspace of Poland, Estonia, Denmark, and of my country, Romania, by reckless actions aimed to provoke, were condemned by many other countries here in New York at the UN Security Council, and we are grateful for that. We once again proved together that provocations meant to destabilize our alliances and to put pressure on our unity have achieved the exact opposite. Any common challenge unites us more. We know and reaffirm that we are stronger together, that the prosperity of any of us is based on the security of all of us. The war in Ukraine, which is carried out both conventionally and hybrid by Russia and its allies, potentially might affect the maritime security in the Black Sea area, and it challenges already the resilience of the neighboring states. We, the United Nations, must act with the conviction that a just and lasting peace in Ukraine is in everybody's interest. We welcome the ongoing U.S. and European leaders' efforts in that respect, and we urge for an immediate, complete, and unconditional ceasefire. We also consider that the recent statements of President Donald Trump and that of European leaders are also an acceleration needed towards peace. In the meantime, Ukraine continues to need our support and our solidarity. In full accordance with the U.N. Charter, Ukraine has the right to protect its sovereignty, its independence and territorial integrity, and has the support of its people to do so. Romania's support has been substantial and multifaceted, and we will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it is needed, because their security, peace there, is also connected directly to our own security and prosperity. The government of Romania supports the pursuit of justice and accountability on the brutal war of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, looking at the global map. We are also concerned about the escalation of tensions and conflicts in the Middle East. An immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the unconditional release of all hostages, as well as adequate humanitarian assistance, are merely the first steps towards a permanent end to hostilities. We fully support mediation efforts towards these goals. We also need to maintain a political horizon for the implementation of the two-state solution. Romania supports this approach for over three decades as the only viable basis towards a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East. We also remain concerned about developments on the African continent, and we do reiterate our commitment to the stability of the region. A continent with such a large young population needs to give them the right to hope to plan and build their future in peace. But there is a decrease of the UN peace and security footprint around the world in the exact time while conflicts sometimes have no end in sight. This is not only because of the expected effects of the reform triggered by the UNAT Initiative. The reviewing process of the UN peace operations must respond better to current realities. Adaptability, local ownership, partnerships, including with regional organizations, are key attributes for such success. At the same time, conflict prevention and mediation should always come first, while the separation between the special political mission and peacekeeping operations should be eliminated to fully exploit synergies and capabilities. We need to rebuild trust in the mandates of the UN peacekeeping and UN political special missions. And that means action. From our perspective, there are already various instruments within the established UN framework to help maintain and restore the international peace and security, as it is our common mission. For example, the Global Nuclear Non-Proliferation Regime is one such key instrument, and the constructive cooperation of the member states with the International Atomic Energy Agency is essential. That is why Romania has also resumed our role in its leadership. The Security Council reform should make further progress in terms of transparency, working methods and representativity, in order to become more effective and consolidate its credibility beyond our small diplomatic circle. Successful steps have already been taken, such as the veto initiative, but more needs to be done. And let me be clear here what am I referring to when I say more needs to be done. We need to act together and make sure that the aggressor doesn't have the power to veto anymore on the wars that it has started unprovoked and uninvited. The General Assembly has its own role in the area of peace and security, according to the UN Charter. Its complementarity, its synergy with the Security Council must be put to good use. We welcome the recent consensus on the revitalization process, including with regard to the Secretary General's selection and appointment, one that we proudly co-facilitated. Closely linked is also the peace and security for ensuring international humanitarian response to emergencies. Romania supports the central coordinating role of the UN and the more consistent humanitarian diplomacy. We must ensure a fully effective, non-discriminatory and unhindered response to the needs of those affected, to the needs of those that are vulnerable now. At the same time, an integrated approach to humanitarian development and peace actions is key to leverage investments on the long run. Distinguished audience, we now come to another fundamental pillar of the UN, to fulfill a legitimate aspiration towards prosperous, sustainable and inclusive societies. We have shown political will, but will is not enough. Our actions do not suffice. Sustainable development cannot be achieved without peace and security, protection of human rights, as enshrined in all 17 SDGs and adequate capacities and financial resources. Romania supports the effective official development assistance, as it is reflected in alignment to best standards in the field of OECD recommendations, as we also plan to join OECD next year. As we approach COP-30, we must urgently address environmental degradation, including pollution and biodiversity loss. We are also committed to achieve climate neutrality by mid-century, and we join efforts to keep the 1.5 degrees Celsius target alive. Some consider this effort to be expensive, but it is way more expensive not to do it. We must accelerate a just energy transition and emission reduction, while ensuring energy security. Romania already does so. And since climate change is a threat multiplier, Romania supports an integrated approach to the climate and security nexus within the UN system. We remain firmly committed to support sustainable development globally. We believe that investing in human capital, advancing green and digital transitions and reinforcing institutional resilience are key pillars for long-term prosperity. We live in a digital age. Human rights must be upheld also online, especially because that is where we currently have the attention of most of the young people living in our countries and globally. The implementation of Global Digital Compact should ensure a human-centric, human rights-based approach to the digital future. We cannot leave it with no rules. Moreover, it should harness the achievements of the SDGs. Thirdly, let us look at the human rights pillar, starting with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, also a spectacular example of women leadership in the United Nations. We have progressively built a complex system to ensure that the fundamental rights and freedoms are protected, respected and fulfilled. Our shared values and goals are still not met, but we have the necessary means at our disposal. Romania believes we can succeed if we continue to uphold the universality, indivisibility and interdependence of all human rights. We cannot dilute existing commitments. We cannot afford to accept pushbacks. We must ensure adequate, predictable and sustainable funding for human rights. That is the only way. Each of us has the ability, but also the responsibility to act, since human rights, democracy and the rule of law come hand in hand. Furthermore, the civic space is a vital component of resilient and democratic societies. We have witnessed this firsthand in Romania as well. It is essential that we rely on civil society. Romania advocates for the meaningful participation of civil society actors and human rights defenders in all UN human rights processes. The voices of youth must be heard. Gender equality in law, but also in practice, must remain a priority and is a priority for my country. We are imperfect in following that priority, but we are doing our best. We celebrate now 40 years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and its Platform for Action, and we must show real progress in terms of gender parity, combating discrimination and harmful stereotypes, eliminating pay gaps, as well as violence and abuse. We look forward for the upcoming session of the Commission of the Status of Women to deliver results on the implementation of the Beijing Agenda further. Romania welcomes the adoption of the UN Convention against Cybercrime, which will contribute to preventing and combating the misuse of technology, besides safeguarding fundamental rights and freedoms. We have actively contributed to its negotiation, and we believe that many international and regional instruments should be used in its implementation. For example, the Cybercrime Program Office of the Council of Europe from Bucharest has achieved major impact worldwide. It has benefited more than 140 countries since its creation a decade ago. The Southeast European Law Enforcement Center, also hosted by my country, has brought an important contribution in the fight against transnational crime in all its forms, in the region and beyond. We should also bear in mind that this information, with malign intent, has dire consequences for democracies. They have tried to influence our democracy at home in Romania, and they have failed. They will try again, and we must ensure they will fail again. In neighboring Republic of Moldova, in about 12 hours from now, the polls open. It is perhaps the most consequential legislative election since the country's independence. In the run-up to these elections, we have seen reports from Moldova that witness malign foreign interference and disinformation on an unprecedented scale, directed by Russia through proxies inside and outside Moldova. The intent, as we see it, is clear, to deny the Moldovan voters the legitimate right to freely decide the future of their own country. Our neighbors are a young and vibrant democracy. They have proved courage, resilience, and vision. But now they are challenged with the powerful tools of an authoritarian state. Ladies and gentlemen, we must ensure a swift implementation of the Pact for the Future, our building block for action on the whole range of UN activities. And we must be responsible and ambitious with the UN reform process, particularly with regards to the UNAT Initiative. Romania supports efforts towards more efficiency and effectiveness in mandate delivery, as well as a system-wide approach to harness synergies and eliminate duplications. We simply cannot afford not to do so. At the same time, the UN can function properly only if it is adequately funded. In conclusion, I would like to renew our support to the UN system for a better world and a prosperous future. You can count on Romania, and Romania counts on the United Nations. Thank you for your attention.