EU Statement: United Nations GA Informal consultations of the plenary on the report of the Secretary-General entitled "Mandating and delivering: analysis and recommendations to facilitate the reveiw of mandates"

(A/60/733 and A/60/733/Corr.1), New York, 11 October 2006

Statement by H.E. Ms. Heidi Schroderus-Fox, Ambassador, Deputy Permanent Representative of Finland to the United Nations, on behalf of the European Union

Distinguished Co-chairs,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union.

The Acceding Countries Bulgaria and Romania, the Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and the EFTA country Norway, member of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova align themselves with this declaration.

The European Union would like to thank the Co-chairs Ambassador Akram and Ambassador Cooney for their tireless efforts in guiding the work on the Mandate Review and we welcome their letter dated 9 October as an effort to take the process forward. We would also like to restate our support to the non-paper presenting the guidelines for the continuation of the process.

The EU has often stated that the Mandate Review should take place in an inclusive and transparent process. We therefore welcome the progress that has been made to date in this forum and in the Ad Hoc Working Group. We support the way forward proposed by the Co-chairs.

We thank the President of the General Assembly for the commitment expressed in her letter to the Member States last week. The European Union appreciates her efforts in strengthening of the United Nations system. We also want to express our gratitude to the Secretariat for their important contribution to the Mandate Review process.

With reference to our previous proposals, the European Union has suggested starting the review of the remaining mandates in the cluster concerning the effective coordination of humanitarian assistance efforts. However, we remain open to other suggestions made by Member States concerning the thematic clusters under which the review would be continued.

Given the importance of the exercise, it remains a high priority for the European Union to bring this process forward in an efficient and practical way. We look forward to continuing the work together with our partners on all aspects of this essential part of the United Nations Reform. The European Union is devoted to the process and stands ready to work comprehensively and constructively towards a functional and effective United Nations system.

Thank you, honourable Co-chairs

* Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.