New York, 13 April 2026 – On the occasion of the annual Security Council briefing on cooperation between the United Nations and the European Union, held under the agenda item devoted to cooperation between the UN and regional and subregional organizations in the maintenance of international peace and security, the Democratic Republic of the Congo reaffirmed its commitment to effective multilateralism based on complementarity of action, coherence of responses, and respect for international law.
In the statement delivered by its Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Zénon Mukongo Ngay, the DRC welcomed the European Union’s contribution to United Nations action at the political, financial, humanitarian, and operational levels, while underscoring that the value of this partnership must also be assessed by its ability to promote lasting political solutions, prevent crises, and strengthen national capacities.
Drawing on the Congolese experience, the DRC recalled that Operations Artemis and EUFOR RD Congo, mandated by the Security Council, demonstrated the usefulness of targeted regional action with a clear mandate in support of United Nations efforts in times of crisis. According to the Congolese delegation, these precedents show that the European Union can act as a credible operational partner, including in stabilization efforts on the African continent.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo nevertheless stressed several essential requirements that must guide this cooperation. It must remain fully anchored in the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, notably respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of States. It must also preserve the centrality of the United Nations and the Security Council, while giving priority to political approaches, conflict prevention, and the strengthening of national capacities in keeping with the principle of national ownership.
In this regard, the DRC emphasized the importance of stronger coordination among the United Nations, the European Union, and the African Union. In its view, more coherent cooperation among these three levels would improve the effectiveness of the collective response, particularly in support of African peace and security initiatives. In that connection, Kinshasa called for a balanced, predictable, and sustainable partnership, including with regard to the financing of African Union-led peace support operations.
In an international context marked by heightened tensions, the Democratic Republic of the Congo further stated that cooperation between the United Nations and the European Union should be guided by the search for useful convergences in order to defuse crises, foster dialogue, and strengthen effective multilateralism based on an objective reading of realities and respect for mandates. In conclusion, it reaffirmed that this partnership constitutes a useful lever for international peace and security, provided that it remains faithful to the Charter, to complementarity of action, and to the priorities of the States concerned.