Espen Barth Eide, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Norway, said that “those who shaped the UN were not guided by naïve idealism” but by “a deep realist recognition that mankind simply could not continue as before” and understood the need for shared norms and principles to prevent another world war. “Our UN — imperfect as it is — has since provided an unrivalled global arena for seeking solutions to common challenges,” he said, adding:  “There is little doubt that the world would have been a more brutal and less prosperous place without the UN.”  Since 1945, inter-State wars have become fewer and more distant, former colonies have achieved independence and sovereignty, and hundreds of millions of people have been lifted out of poverty.  Yet today, “we find our UN in crisis” — politically and financially — with several Member States significantly reducing their contributions, making it harder to fulfil the Organization’s core mission.

Turning to current crises, he recalled that in Sudan, civilians face the world’s largest displacement and hunger emergency after more than 900 days of conflict, which has received “far too little attention”. In Ukraine, the Russian Federation has violated the most fundamental principle of international law, he stressed, voicing support for Ukraine’s right to freedom and independence.  In Gaza, “life is living hell” — with nearly two years of extreme death, starvation, and forced displacement — while in the West Bank, “settlements and settler violence continue unchecked”.  He declared:  “The war must end now, massive humanitarian aid must reach those in need now, the remaining hostages must be released now and the illegal occupation must end now.”

Nevertheless, there is an alternative to the “never-ending cycle of violence”.  At the recent conference on Palestine, Member States developed a roadmap toward a settlement of the conflict between Israel and Palestine.  Recognition of the State of Palestine, however, is only one step toward the two-State solution.  “Palestinian governance must be strengthened, Hamas must be demobilized, and we need credible security guarantees between Israel and Palestine,” he added.