Thank you, Mr. Chair.

In addition to what Ireland, on behalf of the EUMS, explained before the vote, I would like to stress the following:

For Germany, confronting the legacies of colonialism remains a critical and ongoing priority and I wish to thank all our partners here at the General Assembly who engage in an open and friendly dialogue on this important topic.

We take our historical responsibility very seriously, and still cannot support a text that seeks to instrumentalize this pressing global issue for geopolitical maneuvers.

We have serious concerns about the credibility of the intentions of the facilitator of this resolution—a UN Member State that has been waging an illegal war of aggression against a neighboring nation for over four years, denying its very right to existence and subjugating the population in temporarily occupied territories.

This Member State seeks to present itself as an advocate of decolonization and an opponent of imperialism. Yet, it denies its own history of imperialism while, at the same time, brutally suppressing neighboring peoples in order to expand its own territory.

It is deeply concerning that this state lures foreign citizens from across the globe to fight and to die in its criminal war. This State similarly justifies its aggression against its peaceful neighbor using a profoundly imperialist rationale—claiming a “sphere of influence” over sovereign nations and denying them the sovereign right to make their own decisions regarding alliances and governance. This reveals the true intention behind this initiative today: to deflect global attention from this genuinely neo-colonialist attitude, and to pass the buck to others.

Therefore, we cannot consider this endeavor presented here today as a credible contribution to addressing a pertinent topic, the legacy of colonialism.

Chair,

During the colonial era, Germany was among the countries that caused immense suffering in various parts of the world. We recognize our historical responsibility. We also have no doubt that the injustices of colonialism endure through their lasting legacies today.

Germany stands in solidarity with the victims of the transatlantic slave trade and their descendants. We remain committed to reconciliation, remembrance, fighting racism, discrimination and exploitation.

In recent years, public awareness in Germany about the crimes and atrocities committed during the colonial period, and their lasting consequences, has grown significantly. On several occasions Germany has recognized its moral responsibility for colonial injustice and asked for forgiveness for colonial crimes, as did for example the German Federal President during his visit to Tanzania in 2023. Most recently, Germany had the opportunity to co-host a high-level Side Event on Reparatory Justice, organized by the President of Ghana during this year’s High-level week here in New York.

When addressing our colonial past, it is essential for us to do so in dialogue, on the basis of mutual respect at eye level. Open discussions and mutual listening are the only way to build authentic partnerships to overcome the colonial legacy. Unfortunately, in our view, the resolution before us does not contribute to this aim. This is why we could not support it.

I thank you, Mr. Chair.