The European Union and its Member States remain committed to implementing the Pact for the Future, together with the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations, as a shared instrument to modernise the multilateral system and rebuild trust, the EU told a UN General Assembly informal meeting on 14 July 2026. Speaking on behalf of the EU and its Member States, Marie-Aurélie Vernin, Team Leader for SDGs at the European Commission's DG INTPA, said the Pact can help make the UN more fit for purpose, advance the Sustainable Development Goals, reform the international financial architecture, and strengthen the peacebuilding architecture through the 2025 Peacebuilding Architecture Review. The statement was delivered at a roundtable discussion titled 'Making Multilateralism Fit for the Future' during the informal meeting 'Taking Stock of the Pact for the Future' in New York.
The EU called for sustaining momentum for the Pact's implementation despite UN budgetary constraints and geopolitical tensions, and stressed the link between the Pact and the UN80 reform exercise, describing them as 'two sides of the same coin.' Vernin noted that ambition is needed on both strands to respond to existential challenges facing the UN, particularly under the leadership of a new UN Secretary-General. The EU highlighted the Pact's commitments on means of implementation and global governance reform as especially important.
Accelerating SDG implementation should be a priority, with primary responsibility lying with national governments, but reform of the international financial architecture can help close the SDG financing gap, the EU said. The EU's main contribution to implementing the SDGs beyond its borders is the Global Gateway strategy, which is being scaled up through over 150 Team Europe initiatives worldwide that coordinate and combine resources for greater impact. The EU expressed readiness to contribute to and monitor implementation of the Pact through relevant UN forums and to prepare for the 2028 UN Stocktaking Summit.