New York: European Council President Antonio Costa on Monday (local time) said international law, effective institutions and international cooperation were essential for lasting peace and prosperity as the European Union (EU), along with India, Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Canada and Kenya, launched the ‘Partners for Multilateralism’ (P4M) initiative on the sidelines of the UNGA High-Level Week.
Speaking after the 'Partners for Multilateralism Summit' (P4M) initiative, Costa said, “We are building a partnership open to all those who believe in international law, in the United Nations, and in the power of working together. Our message is simple: we are stronger when we act together. And together we can turn our shared principles into concrete results,” Costa added.
He said while addressing the media that the participating countries came from different continents and had different histories and perspectives but shared the belief that global challenges required collective action.
“Today we launch the Partners for Multilateralism initiative, co-sponsored by Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, India, Kenya, and the European Union. We come from different continents, we have different histories and perspectives, but we share a fundamental conviction: the challenges we face cannot be solved by any country acting alone,” Costa said.
Costa said that the partners aimed to uphold international law, strengthen multilateral cooperation and deliver peace and prosperity, stressing that peace and prosperity were interdependent.
“We share a common purpose: to uphold international law, strengthen multilateral cooperation, and deliver peace and prosperity for our people. Because there can be no lasting peace without prosperity, and no lasting prosperity without peace. Neither can endure without international law, effective institutions and international cooperation,” he said.
He said that the challenges ranging from climate change and global health to technological transformation and international security required collective responses. “From climate change to global health, from technological transformation to international security, the challenges of our time demand collective solutions. And our response must be collective too,” he said.
Costa said the summit was the beginning of efforts to translate the partners’ shared principles into concrete action and invited other members of the international community to endorse the declaration adopted at the meeting and join the initiative.
“This is why today's meeting is not an end in itself; it is the beginning of a joint effort to turn our shared principles into concrete action. We invite all members of the international community to endorse the declaration adopted today, to join this initiative, and to help shape its next steps,” he said.
He said that the senior officials had been tasked with establishing a coordination channel and identifying priority areas for cooperation, with EU High Representative Kaja Kallas set to coordinate the effort on behalf of the European Union.
“We have tasked our senior officials with establishing a coordination channel and identifying priority areas where we can work together and deliver concrete results. The European Union High Representative, Kaja Kallas, will coordinate this effort on behalf of the European Union,” he added.
The European Council President said that the meeting demonstrated that commitment to cooperation continued across continents, regions and political traditions despite growing divisions.
“Today's meeting has demonstrated something important: in a world of growing divisions, there is still a strong shared commitment to cooperation, and that commitment extends across continents, regions, and political traditions. The road ahead will not be easy, but today we have shown that we are not walking it alone,” Costa said.
Meanwhile, representing India, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar stressed during the summit that international law, rules and norms must remain central to the functioning of the multilateral system.
“Multilateralism will be best served when international law, rules and norms are scrupulously observed,” Jaishankar said. Calling for institutional reform, he said multilateralism would require greater advocacy as well as stronger implementation.
“For Multilateralism to forge ahead its advocacy and its practice must both be strengthened. Reformed Multilateralism is therefore essential,” he said. Jaishankar called for more participative deliberations and transparent decision-making in international institutions, saying such changes were necessary to restore confidence in the UN system.
“More participative deliberations and more transparent decision-making are both overdue. That would provide the hope and the optimism, which is clearly needed by the UN system and it would reinforce the resolve to work together,” he said.
The EU, together with India, Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Canada and Kenya, launched the initiative on Monday (local time) on the margins of the UN General Assembly High-Level Week. The initiative, according to the European Council, brings together countries committed to working collectively in support of peace, stability, inclusive and sustainable development, shared prosperity, human dignity and rights for all.