EU Council Conclusions on the Implementation of the Outcome of the UN World Summit

Conclusions from the GENERAL AFFAIRS and EXTERNAL RELATIONS Council meeting; Luxembourg, 10 April 2006

The Council adopted the following conclusions:

"1. The Council recalls its Conclusions adopted on 7 November 2005 on the UN World Summit follow-up and reaffirms its commitment to play an active role in ensuring that the reforms agreed at the Summit are fully and urgently implemented.

2. The Council welcomes the adoption of the resolution establishing the Human Rights Council by the UN General Assembly on 15 March in New York. The establishment of the Human Rights Council is an essential element in further strengthening the UN human rights machinery and represents an important step in the UN reform process.

Not everything the EU had aimed for was reflected in the final text. However, the Council considers that the resolution meets the basic requirements which made the text acceptable as a compromise. The European Union stands ready to cooperate with other members of the UN in order to make the Human Rights Council an effective and efficient body, which will make a genuine contribution to the promotion and protection of all human rights for all.

The Council looks forward to the first elections to the Human Rights Council on 9 May, where we should aim at establishing a credible body, and affirms its intention to contribute actively to the first session of the new Council from 19 June. The Council is of the view that the first session should already address substantive issues.

The Council also attaches importance to the implementation of the UN World Summit decision to strengthen the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) through the doubling of its regular budget resources over the next five years.

3. The Council welcomes the establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission by the UN General Assembly and Security Council resolutions of 20 December 2005. The EU is committed to fully and actively contribute to the work of the Commission.

The EU looks forward to the early convening of the organisational committee of the Peacebuilding Commission and hopes that the PBC will soon thereafter meet in its first country-specific formations in order to assist countries to achieve sustainable peace. In this regard, the quick establishment and adequate staffing of the new Peacebuilding Support Office within existing resources, as well as the early establishment of effective and accountable mechanisms for administrating the Peacebuilding Fund are of particular importance.

4. The Council welcomes efforts to make the UN more reactive to humanitarian emergencies, including through the establishment of the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) by the General Assembly resolution of 12 December 2005 and its official launch on 9 March 2006. The CERF is an important achievement in the field of humanitarian reform and should ensure more predictable, additional, and timely funding for relief operations, complementing existing emergency financial mechanisms within UN agencies. In addition, it will make a significant contribution to the financing of chronically under-funded emergencies.

5. Management Reform is central to achieve a stronger and more effective UN. The Council supports the steps already taken to improve the management of the organisation, in particular by ensuring ethical conduct and strengthening oversight and accountability within the Secretariat.

The Council welcomes the far-reaching report of the Secretary-General "Investing in the UN" as a good basis to transform the UN into a more efficient and accountable organisation and reiterates the EU's full support to Secretary-General Kofi Annan in successfully carrying out the management reform.

The EU expresses its readiness to work with all member states towards a fruitful outcome of the deliberations in the General Assembly to enable the UN-Secretariat to better meet the challenges of the XXI century.

6. The Council underlines the importance of the Mandate Review as a necessary stock-taking to strengthen the organisation and increase UN efficiency for the benefit of all member states. The EU emphasises that Mandate Review is neither a cost-cutting exercise nor intended to reduce the activity of the UN or put into question the priorities set by the General Assembly.

7. The Council attaches high priority to the UN system-wide coherence and the work carried out by the panel set up to explore ways for the United Nations to work more coherently and effectively across the world in the areas of development, humanitarian assistance and environment. The Council invites the panel to present an action-oriented plan for reform with clear benchmarks.

8. The Council attaches great importance to development cooperation and to the implementation of the commitments reaffirmed at the 2005 World Summit. The EU will continue to actively contribute to the reform of the Economic and Social Council and the development aspects of the reform process. The Council welcomes efforts to make ECOSOC more effective in order to help fulfil its mandate as the central coordinating body at the UN for economic, social and environmental affairs, inter alia by the establishment of a biennial Development Cooperation Forum.

9. Other areas of UN reform, including the reform of main UN bodies, among them the General Assembly and the Security Council, as well as the rule of law will also be vigorously pursued by the EU. Likewise the EU will participate actively in the upcoming consultations on the reform of the UN's environmental activities; in this regard the EU will strive for the establishment of a UN agency for the environment, based on UNEP, with a revised and strengthened mandate, supported by stable, adequate and predictable financial contributions and operating on an equal footing with other UN specialised agencies. The EU will also continue to be firmly engaged in the fight against terrorism. In particular, the EU remains committed to working towards an agreement on the comprehensive convention on international terrorism during the 60th session of the UNGA and looks forward to the development, without delay, of a comprehensive UN counter terrorism strategy.

10. The Council pays tribute and continues to support the outstanding efforts of Secretary-General Annan and General Assembly President Eliasson in this crucial implementation phase."

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• EU Presidency Statement - Implementation of Decisions from 2005 World Summit (16/12/2005)
• EU Presidency Statement - Follow-up to World Summit Outcome on Development  (13/12/2005)
• EU External Relations Council Conclusions (7/11/2005)
• EU Council Conclusions - UN World Summit (7/11/2005)