A joint commitment to multilateralism, international law, peace and prosperity

 

A joint commitment to multilateralism, international law, peace and prosperity

September 21, 2026
New York, United States of America

Initial co-sponsors: Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, the European Union, India and Kenya

“We come together at a time of profound global transformation. The escalating pace and scale of global change are reshaping our present and will define our collective future.

We are concerned by growing polarisation, the spread of conflict, violations of international law and the increasing resort to power politics, protectionism, coercion and the threat or use of force. These trends are a threat to international peace and security and harm global cooperation precisely when it is needed more than ever.

We recognise that economic interdependence is increasingly used as a source of leverage, disrupting trade, supply chains, investment and development finance. At the same time, shared global challenges, including the triple planetary crisis of climate emergency, biodiversity loss and pollution as well as the rapid development of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, require stronger cooperation and more effective provision of global public goods.

Today, we, the signatories to this Declaration, commit to work together in support of peace, stability, inclusive and sustainable development, shared prosperity, human dignity and rights for all. 

We reaffirm that the multilateral system founded on the United Nations Charter remains indispensable. It has helped provide a framework for peace, decolonisation, prosperity, and human dignity. It must now respond to a world that is more interconnected and complex, more contested and more multipolar.

We affirm the need to uphold and enforce the rules, principles and commitments that remain essential to international order, while renewing and reforming the multilateral system so that it is more effective, representative, inclusive and fit for purpose.

We reaffirm our commitment to international law and to the principles of sovereign equality, territorial integrity, the peaceful settlement of disputes and the prohibition of the threat or use of force.

We underline the importance of international humanitarian law, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the promotion and protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all.

We reaffirm our commitment to the timely implementation of key international agreements and frameworks, including the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

We recognise that rising inequalities within and among countries pose challenges to stability, social cohesion and inclusive growth and must be addressed by joint efforts, including through initiatives such as the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty and the International Panel on Inequality. 

We commit to strengthening multilateral cooperation that is open, fair, equitable, inclusive, networked and practical, including through closer partnerships with regional organisations and support for regional integration.

We agree to work together to reform and strengthen multilateral institutions, in particular the United Nations through initiatives such as UN80, so that they are better able to prevent conflict, respond to crises, deliver sustainable development, promote fair trade, protect human rights and the rule of law, and address existing and emerging global challenges.

We support fair, open, resilient, predictable and inclusive economic cooperation. This includes more diversified and resilient global supply chains, reform of the multilateral trading system, an improved international financial architecture and stronger coordination on international finance, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, climate change and global health issues. 

The signatories to this declaration are committed to strengthen the multilateral system, including through regular exchanges open to partners from all regions of the world, to foster dialogue, coordination and practical cooperation.

Today, at a time of global transformation and mounting pressure on the international order, we choose cooperation, respect for international law, multilateralism and shared responsibility as the foundations of our collective efforts.”