EU COUNTRIES INTERACTION IN THE UNITED NATIONS: COMPETITION AND MECHANISMS OF COORDINATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17072/2218-1067-2025-4-102-111Keywords:
UN, EU, EU CFSP, EU foreign policy, actorness, policy coordination, EU agencyAbstract
The article examines the coordination of the positions of European Union countries within the United Nations, as well as the associated competition among EU states. The authors' research approach is based on N. Burmester's theory of "three dimensions" of international organisations, which can simultaneously act as "instruments", "arenas", and "actors" of world politics. EU interaction in the UN fits this logic, functioning as a negotiation process among member states, EU supranational institutions, and other countries, while the formation of a common European position consistently reveals competition among EU members seeking to protect their national interests. The authors analyse the mechanism of coordination and functionality of the EU Delegation to the UN in its main bodies (General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council), and consider the priority topics for the Union: political issues, human rights, and reform of the Organization. It is concluded that the supranational factor (unlike interstate) does not play a key role in consolidating the positions of the EU member states, and the process of interaction itself, due to its specificity and national contradictions between the countries of the bloc, is subject to three problems: rigidity, generalisation, and positioning.References
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