President Nikos Christodoulides participated on the evening of September 21 in New York in the high-level summit titled “Partners for Multilateralism, International Law, Peace and Prosperity”.
The summit was convened by European Council President António Costa, Kenyan President William Ruto and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
During his intervention, Christodoulides welcomed the initiative and stressed that, amid intense geopolitical uncertainty and multiple international challenges, multilateralism, the United Nations Charter and international law are more necessary than ever to safeguard international peace and security.
For Cyprus, he said, respect for international law is neither an abstract nor theoretical principle. The Republic of Cyprus continues to experience the consequences of the Turkish invasion and ongoing military occupation, he noted, adding that Cyprus knows from its own experience the importance of consistently and universally applying the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes and respect for fundamental human rights.
Role of smaller states
Christodoulides also highlighted the importance of an effective multilateral system for small and medium-sized states.
Such a system creates an international environment in which the position and security of a state are not determined by its size or power, but are instead based on common rules and collective responsibility, he said.
The President also referred to Cyprus’ role as an EU member state at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
He said the country’s geographical and political position allows it to act as a bridge for cooperation, dialogue and trust between different regions and approaches.
Cyprus highlights humanitarian initiatives
In this context, Christodoulides referred to initiatives undertaken by the Republic of Cyprus to provide humanitarian assistance, address the effects of climate change and safely evacuate third-country nationals from crisis areas.
He described these efforts as practical examples of how multilateral cooperation can be translated into concrete action.
Call for a more effective multilateral system
Christodoulides concluded by stressing that the multilateral system must evolve and adapt to contemporary challenges so that it remains effective, representative and credible.
The credibility of the international system ultimately depends on the consistent implementation of the rules and principles that the international community itself has agreed to uphold, he said.
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