European Commission - Announcement President von der Leyen attends UN General Assembly underscoring the EU's commitment to multilateralism Brussels, 30 September 2026 President Ursula von der Leyen was in New York last week to participate in the 81 st UN General Assembly . Throughout the week, the President engaged with world leaders and took part in several high-level events, underscoring the EU's commitment to mult...
European Commission - Announcement President von der Leyen attends UN General Assembly underscoring the EU's commitment to multilateralism Brussels, 30 September 2026 President Ursula von der Leyen was in New York last week to participate in the 81 st UN General Assembly . Throughout the week, the President engaged with world leaders and took part in several high-level events, underscoring the EU's commitment to multilateralism and to the role of the UN. Several College members , as well as European Council President António Costa ,were also in New York to represent the European Union. Protecting children online On Tuesday, the President of the Commission attended the high-level dialogue on ‘ Protecting Children's Rights facing Artificial Intelligence ' co- hosted by the leaders of France, Spain, Australia and Kenya. President von der Leyen reiterated the need to protect children online as platforms are not built to protect them; on the contrary. She laid out: “Our children are engaging with some of the most sophisticated technology ever created. And it was not created with children's wellbeing or development in mind. Platforms are designed to capture attention. The goal is to keep the children online and monetise their attention.” In a world where children now spend around 7 to 8 hours online every day, the Commission came up with a proposal to frame their access to social media : the EU KIDS Act , which the President presented during her State of the Union Address earlier this month: “The KIDS Act says no social media under 13”, President von der Leyen stated. “No personal accounts under 15. That means, from 13 until a child turns 15, only mini accounts set up and supervised by parents, with limited features and time restrictions – 60 minutes a day, but the parents can reduce this time.” Further, the proposal introduces a reversal of the burden of proof , which in the words of the President means: “ the responsibility is on the platforms to prove they are safe for children. If this is not the case, they do not get access to our children.” Children's wellbeing online is a topic close to the President's heart. At the beginning of the summer, the Special Panel on Child Safety Online presented its recommendations to President von der Leyen, and the KIDS Act is a direct follow-up to those recommendations . The President's participation in this high-level event highlights her commitment and the Commission's work to be a trailblazer on the topic. In the margins of UNGA, the President also met with Tim Cook , Apple's Executive Chairman, with whom she discussed the importance of privacy, safety and security for children. Adapting to and tackling climate change On Wednesday, the President of the Commission took part in two events focused on climate: the High-Level meeting on Climate Action and Just Transition and the OceanEye International Alliance Pledging Event. At the High-Level meeting on Climate Action and Just Transition, the President reiterated the urgency to act , saying: “The recent summer months have been, as we heard from the scientists, the hottest on record, but maybe the coolest for the years to come. Europe is warming at double the global rate, even though we account for only 6% of global emissions.” Following this observation, the President emphasised the importance of energy security and diversification . In light of the current energy crisis caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, President von der Leyen underlined the need to electrify Europe further and invest in renewable energies . She declared: “Europe also has assets. This is electricity produced in Europe from homegrown renewables and nuclear. This clean electricity gives us independence, energy security, and it is affordable. Today, renewables are the world's fastest-growing energy source.” The President also highlighted the efforts the EU has been making. The EU has not only been pushing for carbon pricing but also to double energy efficiency and triple renewables by 2030 . Further, President von der Leyen underlined the campaign that started last year with South Africa on scaling up renewables as well as the Global Gateway investment programme for the clean transition . President von der Leyen also co-hosted, together with Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada, the OceanEye International Alliance Pledging Event launching the OceanEye mission of ocean observation. Ocean observation is a vector of a lot of information. In the words of the President: “ Beyond moments of crisis, ocean data is essential every day. It helps us: adapt to climate change, advise on shipping routes, and restore vital fishing stocks. So, we must listen to our ocean and protect it more than ever before.” All in all, the EU increased the funding for Ocean observation activities with an additional €92 million , while the Co-Chair of the OceanEye International Alliance, Canada, pledged C$82 million over five years to expand Canada's ability to observe the ocean . Altogether, the pledges from all partner countries so far amount to almost €220 million , with a mix of financial contributions, in ‑ kind support and the provision of assets such as research vessels, sensors, drones and data ‑ processing facilities . Thanks to the funding, Europe will extend its network of sensors , including in space, to improve the gathering of data. The network will also be expanded to the least-observed areas on Earth , including through a partnership with the Vendée Globe race. Additionally, data is turned into action through the digital twin of the ocean, a virtual replica of the seas that helps understanding and protecting them. A total of 31 members have joined the OceanEye International Alliance , including the EU and 30 countries. Supporting multilateralism and maintaining strong partnerships President von der Leyen also attended the Summit in Support of Multilateralism where she emphasised the importance of partnerships and the need to have institutions that can move fast , expressing her support for the UN80 initiative for a simpler, more efficient UN. The President also took the occasion to meet several world leaders and strengthen the EU's bilateral relations. She met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and reiterated Europe's support to strengthen Ukraine's defence , insisting on the new anti-ballistic programme and the upcoming support. The Commission President also met with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham , with whom she discussed the close cooperation between the EU and the UK to help Ukraine's defence as well as the common work on AI and the upcoming EU-UK Summit. Together with President Costa, she met Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese , with whom they addressed the EU-Australia Security and Defence Partnership as well as the EU-Australia FTA . President von der Leyen also met with the Presidents of Panama , Chile and Syria , as well as the Prime Ministers of Armenia and Pakistan . More information: Speech by President von der Leyen at the high-level dialogue on ‘Protecting Children's Rights facing Artificial Intelligence' (22 September 2026) Speech by President von der Leyen at the Summit in Support of Multilateralism (22 September 2026) Speech by President von der Leyen at the OceanEye International Alliance Pledging Event (23 September 2026) Speech by President von der Leyen at the High-Level meeting on Climate Action and Just Transition (23 September 2026) Read-out of President von der Leyen's meeting with Prime Minister Støre in New York (22 September 2026) Press release : EU and Canada secure almost €220 million in pledges for Global Ocean Observation Press release : EU advances Global Health Resilience Initiative with new Global Gateway investments in Africa and Latin America Audiovisual coverage AC/26/2026 <@rel_link@> Related media Participation of Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)
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