Brussels, Belgium. More than 400 former EU and member state ministers, ambassadors and senior officials signed a statement on Monday calling for peace in the Middle East, including Cyprus’ former Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis. The signatories urged the EU and its member states to engage fully with all relevant parties to bring peace to Israel-Palestine in line with UN principles, resolutions and international law.
Call for expanded EU engagement
The statement said that, with the international order facing unprecedented challenges, the EU and its member states must take a more active role in pursuing peace. It said such engagement should run in parallel to the rollout on January 22 in Davos of President Trump’s Board of Peace, a concept which, based on the mandate given to it by UNSCR 2803, purports to launch and operationalise the second phase of a comprehensive plan to bring peace in Gaza, between Israel and Palestine following the chain of events triggered by the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023.
Criticism of existing EU approach
The co-signatories said recent developments show the need for robust and prompt diplomatic action by the EU and its member states. They said that while the EU and its member states have consistently condemned actions inimical to peace, these statements have not been backed up by concrete measures.
Opposition to participation in the Board of Peace
The statement called on the EU and its member states to desist from membership of the Board of Peace, saying that in its current guise it includes an ICC indicted war criminal, with a second one invited, and that its charter and governance threaten to undermine, or in reality supplant, the role of the UN in safeguarding peace and security.
EU-Israel association agreement and further measures
The co-signatories called for the immediate launch of a critical, time-limited dialogue with Israel on the application of relevant provisions of the EU-Israel association agreement. They said that in the absence of constructive responses and actions on these concerns, the EU should adopt measures aimed at stopping Israeli excesses and what they described as unremitting violations of international law, including suspending the agreement.
Outreach to partners
The statement also called on the EU to reach out proactively to like-minded and strategic partners in the OECD, the Middle East, the Global South and other G20 members to establish common positions and develop initiatives to promote peace.
Conclusion
The signatories said a robust approach based on the EU’s founding values and principles is essential to reestablish the Union’s reputation as a force for peace and good.
What actions should the EU and its member states take next in response to the statement’s demands?