Visit to New York and Washington: UN General Assembly and opening of the Council of Europe Observer Office

Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset will visit New York and Washington D.C. from 20 to 26 September, attending the UN General Assembly high-level week, opening the Council of Europe’s new Permanent Observer Office to the United Nations and holding meetings with senior leaders and public discussions on multilateralism, democratic security and the international law-based order.

New York

• 21 September — Inauguration of the Council of Europe Permanent Observer Office to the United Nations
• 22 September — Opening of the UN General Assembly general debate; side event “Delivering social rights, renewing democracy: from Doha and Chișinău to a New Democratic Pact for Europe”
• Meetings planned with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and senior UN officials, the African Union Commission, the Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council and Council of Europe member states

Washington D.C.

• 24 September — Meetings with members of the Senate and House of Representatives; “A Conversation with Alain Berset” at Georgetown University; visit to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• 25 September — Meeting with OAS Secretary General Albert Ramdin; address to the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States; fireside discussion at the Hudson Institute

Source: press release of 17 September 2026, © Council of Europe. Programme as announced; not yet listed in the coe.int agenda on 18 September.