Romania

Madam President of the General Assembly, 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 in view are our hopes and our trust in the framework provided by the United Nations.

Romania stands firmly by the United Nations, as we mark 80 years since its creation and 70 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, what does not, 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 impassibly to its repeated violation."

I have heard in many interventions here, in the plenary of the United Nations, that we live unprecedented times. However, the phrase I quoted earlier does not belong to me and is not about 2025.

It was said by another Romanian Foreign Minister, almost a century ago, 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 and ensure that multilateralism has the power to fulfill a vision for peace. We do know the history of The League of Nations, but the history of UN will not be the same.

Today the world does not assist impassibly.

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 obligations of States in respect of climate change this July.

We call on the states to join the Declaration of promoting the universal jurisdiction of the ICJ launched by Romania.

Looking at the international peace and security, our aspirations remain the same as they were 80 years ago.

For almost four years, we have been witnessing a fully-fledged war of aggression against Ukraine started by Russia, unleashing the greatest security crisis in Europe in recent history and challenging the rules-based international order.

The latest violations of the sovereign airspace of Poland, Estonia, Denmark and my own country, Romania - by reckless actions aimed to provoke - were condemned by many other countries, here in New York, at the UN Security Council.

We once again proved together that provocations meant to destabilize our alliances and to put pressure on our unity achieve the opposite.

We know and reaffirm that we are stronger together, that the prosperity of any of us depends 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 affects the maritime security in the Black Sea area and challenges the resilience of 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 US and European efforts in that respect and we urge for an immediate, complete and unconditional ceasefire.

In the meantime, Ukraine continues to need our support and solidarity. In full accordance with the UN Charter, Ukraine has the right to protect its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.

Romania's support has been substantial and multifaceted and we will continue to stand with Ukraine, for as long as needed.

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 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 has supported 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 reiterate our commitment to the stability of this region. A continent with such a large young population needs peace.

There is a decrease of the UN peace and security footprint around the world, while conflicts have no end in sight. This is not only because of the expected effects of the reforms triggered by the UN80 Initiative.

The reviewing process of the UN peace operations must respond better to current realities. Adaptability, local ownership and partnerships, including with regional organizations, are key attributes for success. At the same time, conflict prevention and mediation should always come first, while the separation between special political missions 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.

From our perspective, there are various instruments within the established UN framework, to help maintaining and restoring the international peace and security.

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.

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 diplomatic circle. Successful steps have already been taken, such as the Veto Initiative, but more needs to be done.

The General Assembly has its own role in the area of peace and security, according to the UN Charter. Its complementarity and 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 selection and appointment.

Closely linked to peace and security is ensuring international humanitarian response to emergencies. Romania supports the central coordinating role of the UN and a more consistent humanitarian diplomacy. We must ensure a fully effective, non-discriminatory and unhindered response to the needs of vulnerable and affected people. 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 fulfil a legitimate aspiration towards prosperous, sustainable and inclusive societies. We have shown political will, but 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's support to effective official development assistance is reflected in its alignment to best standards in the field and to OECD recommendations.

As we approach COP30, we must urgently address environmental degradation, including pollution and biodiversity loss.

We are also committed to achieving climate neutrality by midcentury and we join efforts to keep the 1.5℃ target alive. We must accelerate a just energy transition and emissions reduction, while ensuring energy security. And, since climate change is a threat multiplier, Romania supports an integrated approach to the climate and security nexus within the UN system.

Romania remains firmly committed to supporting 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.

In the digital age, human rights must be upheld also online. The implementation of the Global Digital Compact should ensure a human-centric, human rights-based approach to the digital future. Moreover, it should harness the achievement of the SDGs.

Thirdly, let us look at the human rights pillar. Starting with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we have progressively built a complex system to ensure that fundamental rights and freedoms are promoted, 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 and we cannot afford to accept push-backs in ensuring adequate, predictable, and sustainable funding of human rights.

Each of us has the ability and 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. 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, and gender equality, in law and in practice, is a priority for my country. We celebrate 30 years since the adoption of the Beijing declaration and its Platform for Action and we must show real progress in terms of gender parity, combatting discrimination and harmful stereotypes, eliminating pay gaps, as well as violence and abuse. We look forward to the upcoming session of the Commission on the Status of Women to deliver results on the implementation of the Beijing Agenda.

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. Romania has actively contributed to its negotiation and believes that many international and regional instruments should be used in its implementation. For example, the Cybercrime Programme Office of the Council of Europe (C-Proc) from Bucharest has achieved major impact worldwide, benefiting more than 130 countries, since its establishment, more than 10 years ago. The Southeast European Law Enforcement Center – SELEC, 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 disinformation with malign intent has dire consequences for democracies.

In neighboring Republic of Moldova, in about 12 hours polls open for - perhaps - the most consequential legislative elections since the country's independence. In the runup to these elections, we have witnessed malign foreign interference and disinformation on an unprecedented scale - directed by Russia through proxies inside and outside Moldova. The intention is clear: to deny the Moldovan voters the legitimate right to freely decide the future of their own country. To subvert a young and vibrant democracy 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 UN80 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.

At the same time, the UN can function properly 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.