“Without the UN, there would be no disarmament treaties, no International Court of Justice, no climate agreements or Sustainable Development Goals,” Prime Minister Hendrikus Wilhelmus Maria (Dick) Schoof said.  Although the situation right now might be especially difficult, “it has never been easy,” he reminded the Assembly, adding that every achievement was preceded by lengthy consultations and sometimes “it was tempting to throw in the towel.”  Welcoming the UN80 initiative which aims to enhance the Organization’s impact on the ground and simplify its structure, he said “changing with the times also means making the most of today’s opportunities,” including by using artificial intelligence.

His country is already taking the lead on this, teaming up with donors and partners to explore new ways of boosting the effectiveness of multilateral institutions.  But while the methods might change, the principles remain the same, he said, stressing that the most important one of all is the protection of the international legal order.  This protection is not a given; the international community has seen that in Ukraine, where people have been suffering under the Russian Federation’s attacks for almost three and a half years.  Ukraine has adopted a constructive stance, but so far the Russian Federation has shown no genuine willingness to accept the United States’ proposals.

“In case you're thinking, ‘there goes another European who only wants to talk about European problems,’ let me assure you, that is not the case,” he added.  “As a Kingdom of different countries in different parts of the world, we know that better than anyone.”  The Caribbean part of the Kingdom has seen how vulnerable people are when they are dependent on others for their food security, he said. Turning to Sudan, where more than 150,000 people have been killed since April 2023, he noted that half the country’s population is living with food insecurity.  Calling on all parties to respect international law and allow humanitarian aid to reach those who need it, he noted that his country is giving 16 million euros to the Sudan Humanitarian Fund this year. 

In Gaza, every day brings more heartbreaking images — “images we scarcely thought possible”, he said.  Urging the Israeli Government to drastically change its course, he expressed support for the European Commission’s proposal to restrict investment in Israeli companies that develop dual use technologies.  Further, “we want to suspend the European Union-Israel Association Agreement,” he said, and refuse goods from illegal settlements.  Also stressing that Hamas is a terrorist organization that must lay down its arms, he said it has no place in the future governance of the Gaza Strip.  Taking stock of how much there is to be done and how the UN has failed in many arenas, he said:  “I understand that some of us may be tempted to give in to despair.  And yet, we can’t allow that.”