António Costa calls for UN Security Council reform at General Assembly

During his speech at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, European Council President António Costa advocated for strengthened multilateralism to address global challenges such as artificial intelligence, pandemics, the climate crisis, and financial instability. Costa argued that no single nation can resolve these issues alone and called for a response based on reforming, renewing, and reinvesting in international institutions rather than withdrawing from them.

A central component of his address was the European Union’s call for a comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council to ensure it becomes more effective, inclusive, democratic, and accountable. Costa also emphasized the need for an accountable and regulated architecture for AI governance, asserting that the United Nations must play a central role in setting global standards through initiatives like the UN Global Digital Compact.

Additionally, Costa announced the launch of the ‘Partners for Multilateralism, International Law, Peace and Prosperity’ initiative, a platform developed alongside Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, India, and Kenya to defend common principles and work toward concrete solutions.