And let me start by thanking the rapporteur and the fellow shadows for very good cooperation on drafting this recommendation.
Multilateralism, if it is to continue being relevant, must be effective.
I believe that there are four fundamental aspects which we need to address to ensure that we continue to benefit from multilateral cooperation and institutions and that it serves the cause of freedom and human dignity:
First, we finally need a strong and comprehensive strategic direction from the EU Member States about the EU’s role in the world
Second, we need to put our values, especially support for freedom and democracy at the heart of our multilateral agenda.
Third, we must not be afraid to reform multilateral fora that are coming short – for example, the Human Rights Council abused by authoritarian regimes, and with a strong anti-Israel bias.
Fourthly, we must build the resilience of multilateral fora against the malign influence of authoritarian regimes, in particular the Chinese Communist Party.
I believe the free world has an important stake in ensuring that the multilateral system remains relevant and resilient. We need to be ambitious, have a clear strategy, and defend freedom.
Photo: European Parliament
