On the situation of international law and the risks to multilateralism, democracy and the European Union

(2026/2037(INI))

The European Parliament,

–having regard to the Treaty on European Union (TEU), and in particular Articles 21, 34 and 36 thereof,

–having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Articles 208, 209, 214, 215 and 220 thereof,

–having regard to the Charter of the United Nations, and in particular Article 92 thereof, which establishes the International Court of Justice as the principal judicial organ of the United Nations,

–having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in particular the preamble and Article 18 thereof, and to the UN human rights conventions and the optional protocols thereto,

–having regard to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to the UN Sustainable Development Goals,

–having regard to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, adopted on 18 December 1979,

–having regard to UN General Assembly Resolution 79/318 of 18 July 2025 entitled ‘UN80 Initiative’,

–having regard to UN General Assembly Resolution 65/276 of 3 May 2011 entitled ‘Participation of the European Union in the work of the United Nations’,

–having regard to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court of 17 July 1998,

–having regard to its resolution of 16 June 2026 on countering transnational repression – towards an EU strategy to protect Europe’s sovereignty and democratic values1,

–having regard to its recommendation of 20 May 2026 to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly2,

–having regard to its resolutions of 21 January 2026 on the implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report 20253 and on human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter – annual report 20254,

–having regard to its resolution of 21 January 2026 on addressing impunity through EU sanctions, including the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime (so-called ‘EU Magnitsky Act’)5,

–having regard to its resolutions of 1 June 2023 on foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation6 and of 9 March 2022 on foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation7,

–having regard to its resolution of 6 July 2022 on the EU and the defence of multilateralism8,

–having regard to the work of its Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield,

–having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 12 November 2025 entitled ‘European Democracy Shield: Empowering Strong and Resilient Democracies’ (JOIN(2025)0791),

–having regard to the Council conclusions of 20 October 2025 on Upgrading the EU-UN Strategic Partnership on Peace and Security: Joint Priorities 2025-2028,

–having regard to the Council conclusions of 13 July 2026 on EU priorities at the United Nations during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, September 2026 – September 2027,

–having regard to the special address by Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada, at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos on 20 January 2026,

–having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

–having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Development,

–having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A10-0000/2026),

A.whereas international law remains the foundation of a rules-based international order;

B.whereas multilateralism, based on international law, remains a cornerstone of the EU’s external action under Article 21 TEU;

C.whereas the multilateral system is increasingly being tested by geopolitical rivalry, Russian aggression against Ukraine, the gradual disengagement of the United States from international organisations, and the growing influence of China and other regional powers, requiring the EU to strengthen its leadership role in support of international law and effective multilateralism;

D.whereas the UN and the World Trade Organization (WTO) face increasing institutional challenges, including the paralysis of the UN Security Council and the WTO dispute settlement system, while the insufficient representation of countries in the Global South has eroded confidence in multilateral governance;

E.whereas the EU must strengthen its capacity to defend its interests and values while developing partnerships based on mutual respect, reciprocity and dialogue;

F.whereas the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court are essential to respect for international law and the fight against impunity and must be protected against any external interference or coercive measure;

Defending international law: a political, security and democratic imperative

1.Stresses that the EU’s credibility as a global actor rests on its consistent defence of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, in particular the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence, self-determination and human rights; stresses that international law must be upheld impartially and consistently in all circumstances; calls for the EU to pursue its external action with greater coherence, humility and respect, while promoting its values through dialogue, partnership and example;

2.Invites the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) to strengthen support for international courts, in particular the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, as essential pillars of the rules-based international order; condemns all forms of pressure and coercive measures against these institutions and calls on the Commission to activate the Blocking Statute to protect the International Criminal Court from unlawful extraterritorial sanctions;

Rebuilding multilateralism to make it more credible and more useful

3.Invites the VP/HR, the Council and the Member States to support the reform of the UN, including the Security Council, in line with the UN80 Initiative; stresses that a more representative UN – one that ensures a stronger voice for countries in the Global South – is essential for strengthening the legitimacy, credibility and effectiveness of the multilateral system;

4.Invites the Commission, the VP/HR, the Council and the Member States to strengthen strategic coordination within the UN system through more structured consultation and preparation involving the European External Action Service (EEAS), EU delegations and the EU Member States in order to improve the coherence, visibility and effectiveness of the EU’s position in multilateral forums;

5.Invites the Commission and the VP/HR to deepen partnerships with countries in the Global South based on mutual respect, equal partnership and shared ownership; stresses that countries in the Global South are essential partners in global governance; calls for enhanced cooperation in areas of common interest, including food security, sustainable infrastructure, clean energy, global health, artificial intelligence and sustainable finance;

6.Invites the Commission, the VP/HR and the Member States to strengthen EU development cooperation as a strategic instrument for effective multilateralism and international partnerships; calls for development cooperation to be guided by measurable results, local needs and greater coherence between the policies of the EU and the Member States; calls for simplified funding procedures in order to improve the effectiveness, visibility and responsiveness of EU action;

Establishing new alliances with partners who share the same values

7.Takes into full consideration the vision presented by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in his special address at the 2026 World Economic Forum, in which he called for enhanced cooperation between democratic middle powers; believes that the EU should take the initiative to strengthen cooperation between countries sharing common values, strategic interests and objectives;

8.Invites the VP/HR to launch a structured diplomatic initiative with like-minded partners committed to international law and effective multilateralism; invites the Commission and the VP/HR to present a communication establishing a roadmap for this cooperation, including closer engagement with regional organisations such as the African Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and Mercosur; stresses that this initiative should foster flexible and issue-based cooperation, while remaining open to broad international participation;

Strengthening the democratic resilience of the EU

9.Stresses that the EU’s credibility in promoting international law abroad depends on full respect for democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights within the EU itself; calls for the application of rule of law conditionality to be strengthened and extended in order to consolidate the coherence and credibility of EU action;

10.Invites the Commission, the VP/HR and the Member States to strengthen the EU’s resilience to hybrid threats by protecting democratic institutions and electoral processes, strengthening cybersecurity, combating foreign information manipulation and interference, and strengthening citizens’ resilience to disinformation; underlines the importance of media freedom and media literacy and of protecting journalists and ensuring that the regulatory framework is appropriate for major online platforms;

Positioning the EU as an effective global player

11.Invites the Council to establish an annual meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council dedicated to international law, multilateralism and global governance reform, in order to strengthen coordination ahead of major multilateral negotiations and initiatives;

12.Reiterates its call for a transition from unanimous voting to qualified majority voting on matters of common foreign and security policy, in order to enable the EU to react more quickly and effectively to international crises and to make its voice heard with greater strength and credibility;

13.Calls for the EU and the Member States to accelerate the establishment of a genuine European Defence Union in recognition of the fact that effective multilateralism and the defence of international law require credible diplomatic, economic and defence capabilities; stresses that the aim of a strengthened European defence is to protect the EU, its citizens and its democratic institutions, to consolidate its strategic autonomy and to strengthen its capacity to contribute to international peace and security, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations;

14.Invites the Commission, the Council and the Member States to strengthen the EU’s open strategic autonomy by reducing excessive strategic dependencies that compromise its ability to act independently and conduct a coherent foreign policy; stresses that open strategic autonomy implies neither isolationism nor protectionism, but strengthened partnerships, more resilient supply chains and diversified international cooperation;

15.Calls for a clearer and more coherent external representation of the EU, through strengthened political coordination and a more precise distribution of responsibilities among the leaders of the EU, in order to strengthen the credibility and effectiveness of the EU’s external action;

16.Calls for the strengthening of the EEAS as a strategic hub for more integrated EU external action, ensuring greater coherence between the EU’s external instruments, while fully respecting the institutional balance established by the Treaties;

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17.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the European Council, the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the heads of the relevant United Nations bodies.