Remarks by Commissioner Kyriakides at UNGA High-Level meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance

Thank you, President. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

I would like to start by congratulating Malta and Barbados for their stewardship in leading the UN Membership to agree on this Political Declaration.

AMR threatens us all, no matter who we are or where we live, and the most vulnerable are the front line.

It seriously undermines our progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals worldwide.

Some countries and regions, including the European Union and its Member States, have been monitoring AMR closely for years and are working to curb it.

However, this cannot be done in isolation.

So the political declaration before us today is an important milestone in dealing with this crisis, together.

Awareness is the first step – to changing our behaviour, to more prudent use of antimicrobials, and to securing the necessary resources.

But we need much more: concrete proposals and targets to push us towards effective action and delivering results.

Sustainable financing from all sources should be promoted at all levels, with special attention and international support for low- and middle-income countries.

I warmly welcome the inclusion of these elements in today's Declaration.

The One Health approach is rightly recognised as the way forward and One Health National Action Plans are at the heart of the Declaration, with clear commitments to develop, update and implement them with appropriate financial support.

We now have targets for action at both global and national levels.

States will be guided by the new independent panel for evidence for action against AMR, which will provide guidance based on scientific evidence.

I can announce today that the European Commission will support the setting up of this panel in 2025, with €2.5 million.

And the mechanisms we have will allow us to share experiences and best practices across sectors.

We have successfully implemented this approach through the EU AMR One Health Network.

I am glad to see that the Quadripartite AMR Multistakeholder Partnership Platform will have a similar role at global level.

Every two years, ministerial conferences will provide a platform for us to examine our global progress.

The European Union is a major contributor to numerous existing funds, and it invites others to help support those who need it.

Quality also matters – these funds have to be used more efficiently.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Every aspect of the Declaration is important: prevention, surveillance and monitoring, research, innovation, manufacturing, access, training, education, and awareness.

And they span all sectors: human, animal, plant and environmental health.

Above all, today is a call to translate commitments into actions and results.

The situation is urgent, so the ambition for implementing this Declaration needs to be higher than ever.

We have the tools, and we have the knowledge.

In the European Union we are ready to play our part to the full.

We look forward to working together with all of you.

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EU Statement at High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance