Checked Against Delivery
Thank you, President.
And let me also thank the Secretary-General for his valuable briefings and recommendations and recognise Pakistan for its leadership on this issue, in particular Security Council resolution 2788.
Mr. President,
In joining the United Nations, every Member State has undertaken a solemn and binding commitment to uphold the UN Charter. To promote and defend its principles, purposes, and values. To settle all international disputes by peaceful means. Today, that commitment is under unprecedented threat.
In a world where new conflicts are erupting, existing ones are deepening, and humanitarian suffering continues to worsen, it is high time not only to restate and recommit to these principles and values, but to turn them into concrete action.
Doing so does not require reinventing the wheel.
From diplomacy, judicial settlement, and mediation, to confidence-building measures. From early warning mechanisms to crisis management. These tools are already at our disposal. We have committed and recommitted to them on multiple occasions. What is needed, as ever, is the political will and the courage to use them.
Mr. President,
Before conflict erupts, around this table and across this organisation, we have many options for action, as highlighted by many speakers this morning.
As a first port of call, we, as Member States, must fulfil our obligation under Article 33 of the Charter to settle any international dispute by peaceful means. This is both a legal obligation and a moral responsibility.
Furthermore, the Secretary-General has an important role to play and should make full use of his or her good offices. This is a vital instrument and should be used actively and ambitiously, even when the risk of failure is high. The willingness to engage proactively in conflict prevention is also an essential quality in the selection of the next Secretary-General.
The UN must have the capacity to respond to conflict, take preventive action and adapt to changing conflict dynamics. The special political missions play an important role, which we must reflect on as we continue the implementation of the Pact for the Future and our considerations of the future of peace operations and the UN80 initiative.
We also underscore the ability of the Secretary-General to bring matters to the attention of the Security Council under Article 99 as an important preventive tool.
The Secretary-General's invocation of Article 99 in December 2023, in response to the humanitarian situation in Gaza, demonstrated the continued relevance of this tool. We encourage its proactive use whenever and wherever the threshold is met, and call on this Council to respond to such warnings with the urgency and the decisiveness they demand.
If prevention fails, legal disputes should, as a general rule, be referred to the International Court of Justice. As the principal judicial organ of the UN, the ICJ plays an essential role in upholding international law and in supporting the peaceful settlement of disputes. We encourage all Member States to accept the compulsory jurisdiction of the Court and call for full compliance with the decisions of the Court.
Mr. President, in addition to these fundamental options for actions, three points are particularly important to highlight.
First, the Security Council has the ability to adopt binding and enforceable decisions under the Charter. Under Article 25, Member States are obliged to comply with these decisions and implement them.
Yet, we continue to witness an unwillingness to fully implement Council resolutions by some Member States. Denmark calls on all Member States to fully implement the Council’s decisions.
Second,
Defending international law and human rights must remain at the heart of this Council’s work. Responsibility requires restraint. That includes voluntary restraint on the use of the veto in situations involving mass atrocities. When populations face the gravest crimes, this Council must not be paralysed.
Third,
Prevention requires investments beyond this Chamber. In peacebuilding. In confidence-building measures. In early warning mechanisms. And in civil society and youth initiatives. Women’s full, equal, meaningful, and safe participation must be ensured across peace and security efforts. These are essential investments in sustaining international peace and security, together with nationally owned prevention strategies.
In closing, Mr. President,
We reiterate our call to turn commitments into action. To make better use of the tools we already have, to better serve the people we represent, and those who rely on this Council and this Organisation to act.
I thank you.
