Currently, the United Nations debate a reform of the Security Council. Taking into account the insufficiencies and inefficiencies of the current system, UEF together with JEF strongly believe that a reform is necessary. The United Nations have to play a greater role in dealing with international security issues and in implementing the rule of international law. 1n this respect, the Security Council as the central organ has to be more representative.
Given the fact, that the European Union can be considered as a regional sub-organisation of the United Nations, which has dedicated itself to the promotion of the ideals of the UN- Charter, the absence of any direct representation of the European Union is unacceptable. As the world’s second biggest economy, as the contributor of the most aids for developing countries, the EU deserves a greater weight in the United Nations.
UEF and JEF stress the importance of a Single European Foreign Policy, as expression of European Federal Government, in order to ensure the promotion of the ideals of the European project, which are also underlying the idea of United Nations to a great extent. The numeric weight of having two permanent members of the Security Council is not used in an efficient manner and shows once more the necessity for a single and coherent foreign policy overcoming the divisions. 1t is the wish of a large majority of European citizens to be represented on the world level as Europeans. The divisions of the past, which not only undermined the weight and the credibility of the EU but also complicated the management of several crises, underlined once more the necessity of a Single European Policy.
Although the draft Constitutional Treaty does not introduce a truly Single Foreign Policy, it paves the way for a single representation of the EU in international organisations. Art. 111-305 §2 states that “When the Union has defined a position on a subject which is on the United Nations Security Council agenda, those Member States which sit on the Security Council shall request that the Union Minister for Foreign Affairs be asked to present the Union’s position.”
UEF and JEF call on the full implementation of article 111-216 in advance. 1t should be the guideline for any further proposals of reform.
UEF and JEF call on the governments of the member states, their Parliaments, the European Commission, the European Parliament, European parties, to demand a single permanent seat for the European Union in the UN Security Council. This seat should be given to the Foreign Minister of the Union.
UEF and JEF demand all member states of the EU, who are advocating a national permanent seat in the UN Security Council, to take into account the aim of a single European seat. Their actions should not damage this European strategy.
UEF and JEF remind all members of the United Nations to take into consideration that a permanent seat for the EU would also mean an encouraging signal for other world regions and their efforts to establish regional communities.
UEF and JEF call for the launch of a Europe-wide campaign that would demand the realisation of a Single European Foreign Policy, and therefore the appointment of a European Foreign Affairs Minister, endowed with full powers, as single representative of the EU in the UN Security Council.
UEF and JEF ask the World Federalist Movement to cooperate together on this platform of requests.
Resolution adopted by the JEF Federal Committee on 31 October 2004
Resolution adopted by the UEF Federal Committee on 21 November 2004