The next week, the European Union will attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly with the purpose of placing the defense of multilateralism and International Law at the center of its agenda, while insisting on the need to promote a reform of the UN to make it "more effective" and strengthen its capacity to respond to "the current challenges of peace and security."
The meeting will be attended by the President of the European Council, António Costa —who will represent the EU at the General Assembly—, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas. All of them will hold meetings with international leaders and participate in various events aimed at advocating for the role of the United Nations and multilateral cooperation.
According to a statement from the European Council ahead of the High-Level Week, which will take place in New York from September 20 to 24, Costa will emphasize the commitment of the Twenty-Seven to an "effective, inclusive, and rules-based" multilateral system, firmly anchored in the United Nations Charter and International Law.
"Now more than ever, we must remain united to defend a rules-based international order and rebuild trust in global governance. No country, no matter how powerful, can face current challenges alone," stated the Portuguese socialist leader in remarks sent to the media, who emphasized that international cooperation "is not an act of idealism, but a necessity and a matter of survival."
The President of the European Council —who will co-chair the 'Partners for Multilateralism' summit along with the leaders of Kenya and Canada— also highlighted that the EU will continue to act as a "predictable and reliable" partner for the United Nations and reiterated the bloc's commitment to modernizing the organization.
For her part, Von der Leyen will participate alongside Costa in the summit in support of multilateralism before attending the opening of the General Assembly on Tuesday, accompanied by a large delegation from the European Commission, according to another statement released by the community executive.
During her stay in New York, the president of the Commission will also participate in high-level meetings focused on children's rights in the face of the advancement of Artificial Intelligence, the protection of the oceans, and climate action linked to a just transition.
In a scenario that Brussels interprets as "a transition in the leadership of the United Nations," the highest representatives of the community institutions will reiterate their "unwavering" support for a "renewed and strengthened" multilateralism, with the United Nations as the central axis, and will highlight the role of the EU as the main contributor to the UN system, according to the text from the Commission.