High Representative/Vice-President Kaja Kallas at UNGA81: Building global partnerships for effective, UN-centered multilateralism, international law and accountability
At a time when the multilateral system and international law are increasingly under pressure, HRVP Kallas will bring a clear and united EU message to United Nations in New York: international law and the UN Charter must be upheld, sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected, and violations of international law must not go without accountability. Defending these principles requires strong partnerships. Her engagement at UNGA81 will therefore focus on engaging partners across regions and building alliances in support of effective multilateralism – turning international cooperation into concrete results for shared security and prosperity.
During her visit, she will host and take part in a series of high-level events and a string of bilateral meetings with international partners across the world with the aim of forging cross-regional alliances to address shared global challenges.
From 20 to 24 September, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission (HR/VP) Kaja Kallas will travel to New York for the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
HR/VP Kallas will host and take part in a series of high-level events and a string of bilateral meetings with international partners with the aim of forging cross-regional alliances to address shared global challenges.
On Sunday 20 September, High Representative/Vice-President Kallas, together with President of the European Council António Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, will represent the EU at the 8th trilateral meeting with the African Union and the United Nations. The trio will also hold a bilateral meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres. HR/VP Kallas will co-host a Ministerial Dinner on the Middle East with the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister of Qatar.
On Monday 21 September, HR/VP Kallas will co-host a Ministerial-Level Side Event on Humanitarian Law and Humanitarian Action, together with Commissioner Hadja Lahbib and representatives from Ireland, Jordan, Canada, Brazil and the African Union. In the afternoon, she will chair the annual informal EU Foreign Ministers meeting, joined by Indo-Pacific countries with whom the EU has signed Security and Defence Partnerships (Australia, India, Japan, Republic of Korea). This will be followed by a press conference, transmitted live on EBS. In the evening, the HR/VP will participate in a meeting of G7 Foreign Ministers.
On Monday, at 18:30 EDT (+1 00:30h CEST), President von der Leyen will participate in the Summit in support of Multilateralism, hosted by the Presidents of Kenya and the European Council, and the Prime Minister of Canada.
Also on Monday, President of the European Council, António Costa, together with the President of Kenya, William Ruto, and the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney, will convene the Partners for multilateralism, international law, peace and prosperity summit (P4M summit).
On Tuesday 22 September, HR/VP Kallas will join President Costa and President von der Leyen for the opening of the UNGA81 General Debate. In the afternoon, she will co-host the High-Level Side Event on ‘Global Food Security and the Black Sea’, together with Ukraine, France and Romania.
Also on Tuesday morning at 09:00 EDT (15:00 CEST), President von der Leyen will join the opening of the 81st UN General Assembly. At 15:00 EDT (21:00 CEST), she will then participate in the High-level dialogue ‘Protecting Children's rights facing Artificial Intelligence', co-hosted by the Presidents of France and Kenya, as well as the Prime Ministers of Spain and Australia.
Also on Tuesday President of the European Council António Costa will take part in the event The Road Ahead: One Year after the New York Declaration and the Comprehensive 20-point Peace Plan for Gaza.
UN Photo/Manual Elias 2018
On Wednesday 23 September, HR/VP Kallas will co-host the annual EU-CELAC Foreign Ministerial Meeting, together with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay. She will co-host the Ministerial-level side event on 'Reinforcing cooperation to achieve a secure and stable maritime domain', together with the Philippines, Estonia, the Netherlands, Canada and Japan. In the afternoon, HR/VP Kallas will speak at the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine. She will also host an EU-Western Balkans Leaders meeting and co-hosts in the Ministerial Climate Security Discussion, hosted by the UK Foreign Secretary.
Also on Wednesday, at 10:00 EDT (16:00 CEST), President von der Leyen will co-host the OceanEye International Alliance Pledging event, together with the Prime Minister of Canada, to gather pledges to better monitor and protect our ocean. In the afternoon, at 15:00 EDT (21:00 CEST), she will participate in the High-level meeting on Climate Action and Just Transition, organised by the UN Secretary-General.
Also on Wednesday President Costa will participate in the Sixth Summit of the International Crimea Platform and in the High-Level Side event on OceanEye International Alliance.
On Thursday 24 September, HR/VP Kallas will participate in the meeting of the Informal Ministerial Network for the International Criminal Court, hosted by Austria and Liechtenstein. She will co-host the annual Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution meeting, together with Norway and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The HR/VP will co-chair the Ministerial meeting of the Group of Friends of Accountability on Ukraine, together with the Netherlands, Estonia, Ukraine, Denmark, the Marshall Islands, Albania, Canada, and Lithuania. In the afternoon, she will take part and deliver remarks at the Ministerial Meeting of the Ad-Hoc Liaison Committee on Palestine.
Also on Thursday, President of the European Council António Costa will address the UN General Assembly on behalf of the EU.
President von der Leyen, the President of the European Council António Costa, and High Representative/Vice-President Kaja Kallas will be joined by Executive Vice-Presidents Teresa Ribera and Roxana Mînzatu, and Commissioners Dubravka Šuica, Wopke Hoekstra, Jozef Síkela, Costas Kadis, Hadja Lahbib, Magnus Brunner, Michael McGrath, and Apostolos Tzitzikostas.
Commissioner Kadis and Commissioner Lahbib will respectively represent the EU at the UN-mandated high-level meetings on the existential threats posed by sea-level rise, as well as on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.
Throughout the week, HR/VP Kallas will hold a series of bilateral meetings with high-level interlocutors from around the world.
Press and audio-visual material will be available on the EEAS website and EBS. Follow also @eudiplomacy, @euatun and @kajakallas on Instagram for further updates and behind the scenes insights into the HRVP’s activities, as well as @eu_eeas, @EUatUN and @kajakallas on X and Bluesky.