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.
The visit comes at a time of growing geopolitical fragmentation and rupture in the multilateral system. The Secretary General will argue for stronger cooperation between international and regional organisations.
The new Council of Europe Observer Office in New York, which Alain Berset will inaugurate on 21 September, marks a milestone in strengthening the organisation's engagement with the United Nations at a time of mounting pressure on multilateral institutions. It will provide a permanent platform for closer dialogue with the UN, non-member states and other international organisations.
Strengthening multilateralism in New York
During the New York leg of his visit, the Secretary General is due to meet UN Secretary-General António Guterres and senior UN officials. Meetings are also planned with high-level representatives of the African Union commission, the Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council as well as Council of Europe member states.
He will attend the opening of the UN General Assembly general debate on 22 September and participate in the UN side event "Delivering social rights, renewing democracy: from Doha and Chișinău to a New Democratic Pact for Europe.", co-organised by the Council of Europe.
His discussions will address the future of multilateralism and international law at a time of renewed great-power competition, as well as Ukraine, democratic security and the need for closer cooperation between international and regional organisations.
Promoting transatlantic and interregional cooperation in Washington
In Washington D.C., the Secretary General will meet senior elected representatives, address the permanent council of the Organization of American States (OAS) and participate in public discussions at Georgetown University and the Hudson Institute.
The visit comes as 2026 marks 30 years since the United States became an observer state to the Council of Europe, providing an opportunity to look at the future of the transatlantic relationship as Europe assumes greater responsibility for its own security and democracies on both sides of the Atlantic confront new geopolitical and technological challenges.
On 24 September, the Secretary General will meet members of both the Senate and House of Representatives and participate in "A Conversation with Alain Berset" at Georgetown University. He will also visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Europe and the Americas working together
On 25 September, he will meet Secretary General Albert Ramdin and address the permanent council of the Organization of American States (OAS) at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. The OAS brings together all 35 independent states of the Americas and serves as a key forum for political dialogue and cooperation across the hemisphere. The exchange with the permanent council will focus on democracy and the challenges facing democratic institutions. Discussions with Secretary General Ramdin will also address cooperation between the two regional organisations and the role of multilateralism.
The Council of Europe and the OAS are longstanding partners, with cooperation rooted in shared priorities including democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Their cooperation covers areas such as constitutional law, cybercrime, artificial intelligence, anti-corruption, drug policy and combating violence against women. Thirty OAS member states are parties to Council of Europe conventions.
Secretary General Berset will later participate in a fireside discussion at the Hudson Institute on the challenges facing democracy, security and the international order.
Secretary General Alain Berset
The New Democratic Pact for Europe
