In response to “growing fragmentation and contestation, and serious violations of international law”, the European Union reaffirms its commitment to multilateralism, making it one of its priorities for the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. On 13 July 2026, the Council of the EU set out guidelines for its engagement with the UN for September 2026 to September 2027.

In these conclusions, the EU underscored its respect for international law, the sovereign equality and territorial integrity of all States, the peaceful settlement of disputes, and investment in international cooperation.

The priorities are set against a backdrop that UN Secretary-General António Guterres recently described as “a world that is demanding more from the United Nations even as conflict is spreading, humanitarian needs are multiplying, development gains are under pressure, and trust is being tested.”

The EU has pledged to act as a “predictable and credible partner” to the UN, working with countries and regional groups to defend international law and find global solutions to common challenges, including through implementation of the Pact for the Future, adopted in 2024.

The EU also voiced support for the UN80 initiative, the Secretary-General’s push to reform the UN into a more effective, cost-efficient and responsive organisation capable of meeting current and future challenges.

The EU’s engagement at the UN this year will be organised around four priorities:

• Defending and developing an efficient, effective and inclusive multilateral system rooted in the UN Charter and international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law
• Advancing reforms across the UN’s three pillars, peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights, through partnerships and coalitions
• Strengthening the UN’s peace and security architecture, based on prevention and sustaining peace
• Advancing prosperity and sustainable development toward 2030 and beyond

Guterres underscored this vital partnership during his visit to the Council of the EU in March 2026, saying the EU “will be absolutely central  in the efforts to create an international order based on the rule of law, an international order in which we will have more justice, in which we will have more climate action, in which we will have more control of the evolution of technologies and in which international law will  prevail.”

The EU is an observer member at the General Assembly. As such, it will take the stage on 24 September 2026 during the week of the General Debate to address all UN Member States.

• The European Union and the United Nations: a leading partnership
• UN Team in Brussels – Who are we and how do we function
• Downloadable PDF on the engagement of the UN Brussels Team with EU institutions