The President of the European Council, António Costa, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will travel together with other members of the College of Commissioners to New York to represent the European Union at the High-Level Week of the 81st General Assembly of the United Nations, from September 20 through September 24–25.
Costa will address the General Assembly on behalf of the EU on September 24, reiterating the Union’s support for an effective, inclusive multilateral system grounded in the UN Charter and international law. At the same time, on September 21, it will co-host with Kenyan President William Ruto and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, the “Partners for Multilateralism, International Law, Peace, and Prosperity” Summit (P4M), in which the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, is also expected to attend. According to the European Council, the meeting’s objective is to defend and strengthen the multilateral system amid growing geopolitical tensions.
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“Today, more than ever, we must stand united to defend a rules-based international order and restore trust in global governance. No country, no matter how powerful, can tackle today’s challenges on its own. Cooperation is not an act of idealism; it is a necessity and a matter of survival,” said Costa, emphasizing that the EU will remain a “predictable and reliable partner” for the Organization and is committed to its modernization.
Read more: Hoping to identify common ground and guided by “new ideas,” Nikos Christodoulides heads to New York
Von der Leyen, for her part, will participate in the meeting on multilateralism on Monday evening, at the opening of the 81st General Assembly on Tuesday morning, as well as in a high-level dialogue on protecting children’s rights in the context of artificial intelligence, with France, Spain, Kenya, and Australia. On Wednesday, she will co-host an event with Carney to announce commitments to protect the oceans—the OceanEye International Alliance. In addition, she will participate in a high-level meeting on climate action and a just transition, organized by the UN Secretary-General.
The EU High Representative, Kaja Kallas, along with Executive Vice-Presidents Teresa Ribera and Roxana Minzatu, as well as Commissioners Dubravka Šuica, Wopke Hoekstra, Josef Šikela, Costas Kadis, Haja Labib, Magnus Brunner, Michael McGrath, and Apostolos Tzitzikostas. Cypriot Commissioner Kadis will represent the EU at the high-level meeting on sea-level rise, while Commissioner Labib will attend the meeting on pandemic prevention and preparedness.
Costa will also participate in the event marking the first anniversary of the New York Declaration and the peace plan for Gaza on September 22, as well as the Summit of the International Platform on Crimea on September 23, and will hold a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the High-Level Week.
