At New York Summit, von der Leyen Backs Calls for Global Multilateralism

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addressed the Summit in Support of Multilateralism in New York on 22 September 2026. Opening her remarks alongside European Council President António Costa and Kenyan President William Ruto, who brought leaders together for the gathering, von der Leyen noted that much had already been said on the necessity of international cooperation. The high-level gathering brought together heads of state and international leaders to discuss diplomatic consensus and shared rules in global affairs.

For European citizens, international summits dictate how the EU projects its values, trade priorities, and security stance beyond its borders. Multilateralism—the formal practice of nations working together through agreed institutions rather than unilateral action—is the groundwork for international trade agreements, climate targets, and security arrangements that directly affect European consumer standards and economic stability. Demonstrating shared alignment with global partners like Kenya signals the EU's commitment to rules-based international trade and diplomacy.

In the European capital, multilateralism is less a lofty diplomatic ideal and more a daily working condition. The European Union itself is essentially multilateralism brought to life—a complex machine specifically engineered to stop 27 sovereign nations from resolving disagreements through louder, less peaceful means. At international gatherings in New York, seeing the Commission president and the Council president on stage together offers a moment of visible unity, even if their respective diplomatic staff back in Berlaymont and Justus Lipsius routinely spend considerable energy deciding whose institutional logo appears first on the joint press release.

Following the discussions in New York, EU diplomats will continue working alongside international partners to translate broad pledges on global governance into concrete working agreements across UN bodies and multilateral forums.