On Wednesday 20 September 2023, the Foreign Ministers of the ten elected members of the Security Council for 2023 came together to reaffirm the following: 

• The ten elected members of the Security Council remain convinced of the critical role of the Security Council in upholding international peace and security, based on the UN Charter and international law, and the sovereign equality of states.  

• Today we speak with one voice to reaffirm our commitment to multilateralism with the UN at its core.

• When the Security Council is united, we have seen the significant actions it can take to secure peace. In this regard, we call for restraint in the use of veto, especially on actions aimed at preventing mass atrocities. 

• The elected members constitute two thirds of the membership of the Security Council and bring important and diverse perspectives and experience to the Council’s work. We aspire and are committed to a Council that is able to tackle the complex and pressing threats to peace and security that we collectively face. 

• We will live up to the responsibilities and obligations entrusted to us through our election by the members of these United Nations, and uphold the letter and the spirit of the UN Charter. 

• We highlight the urgent need for Security Council reform. We underscore that improving the working methods of the Council is a prerequisite for a more effective Council. We therefore underline and reiterate the E-10 recent joint statement on 5 September 2023.

• We will continue to play a constructive role aiming to bridge divides and identify useful compromises on all issues on the Council’s agenda. The E10 and its membership will also continue to lead initiatives that bolster international peace and security. 

• We will continue to work collectively towards a more effective, transparent, inclusive, representative Council for all.

• In the current turbulent global circumstances and their implications for international peace and security, we urge concrete steps towards the complete elimination of all weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons, and to redoubling efforts towards reducing nuclear risk.

• Finally, the E-10 bring from across the world a demand for peace in line with the UN Charter.