UN: EU Statement on Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of the Islamic Conference

UNGA 61st Session 64th Plenary meeting; Agenda item 108(q) Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of the Islamic Conference: draft resolution (A/61/L.26); Explanation of Position by Mr. Janne Jokinen, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of Finland to the UN, on behalf of the EU, New York, 4 December 2006.

Madam President,

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

The Acceding Countries Bulgaria and Romania, the Candidate Countries Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Montenegro and Serbia, and the EFTA countries Iceland and Liechtenstein, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Moldova align themselves with this declaration.

Madam President,

Though the European Union has been able to join the consensus today on this text, at the same time as doing so we would like to make clear our views on a technical basis on one very important issue.

The European Union is consistently opposed to the inclusion in resolutions adopted by the United Nations of references to documents expressing political commitments or other matters of a purely internal nature that have been agreed within other organisations, whether regional, cross-regional or confessional. Such commitments have been subscribed to only by the members of those organisations. They have not been subject to the process of inter-governmental negotiation within the United Nations, and thus have no place in UN resolutions.

The primary objective of resolutions such as the one adopted just now on the co-operation between the UN and the OIC is the re-affirmation by the wider UN membership of its willingness to pursue co-operation of this nature. Such co-operation cannot take place otherwise than in full adherence to the Charter of the United Nations, and the commitments expressed in this kind of resolution must likewise be consistent with the principles of the UN Charter.

It is on this basis, and on the clear understanding that the contents of this resolution create no precedent for the future, that the European Union has been able to join consensus on this resolution today. 

Thank you, Madam President.

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