The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, is travelling to New York on Sunday, 21 September, where he will begin his participation in the 80th High-Level Week of the General Assembly of the United Nations, during which he will present Spain’s proposals to halt the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East.
Albares, who will be part of the delegation led by King Felipe VI and President of the Government Pedro Sánchez, begins a week with a busy agenda during which he will convey Spain’s commitment to multilateralism and to the principles and values of the United Nations Charter.
The Minister will also outline Spain’s response to the growing humanitarian needs resulting from the proliferation of conflicts and the funding crisis facing the United Nations system, exacerbated by cuts adopted by its main contributors.
Debates on the Middle East will hold particular significance, with the Conference on the Implementation of the Two-State Solution on Monday 22 September, and the ministerial meeting in support of UNRWA on Thursday 25 September, co-chaired by Spain, Jordan and Brazil, during which Albares will reiterate firm political and financial support for the agency. The humanitarian situation in Gaza will also be addressed in several parallel events.
Regarding Ukraine, Spain will also have the opportunity to present its proposals at the 5th Summit of the Crimea Platform and at the annual meeting of the Group of friends on accountability in Ukraine.
Ibero-America
The main events related to Ibero-America are the EU-CELAC ministerial meeting (Wednesday 24), preparing for the EU-CELAC Summit in November, and the traditional breakfast of Ibero-American Foreign Ministers (Thursday 25), which this year is chaired by Spain as the country hosting the 2026 Ibero-American Summit. Among the meetings organised by Spain, the high-level roundtable convened by the President of the Government and the Presidents of Brazil and Chile titled “Second Meeting in Defence of Democracy” (Wednesday 24), is also notable.
Throughout the week, Albares will reaffirm Spain’s priorities for this 80th session, aligned with those of the EU, with a particular emphasis on the country’s commitment to the international order based on international law and support for the United Nations. He will do so in high-level meetings and parallel events of interest to Spain, including issues such as gender and diversity; transformation of the global economy; protection of humanitarian action; governance of artificial intelligence; climate change; global health; and conflict prevention.
Other matters in which Spain will have a significant presence during the week include the EU Foreign Ministers’ meeting at the informal Foreign Affairs Council on Monday 22; the meeting of the Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism (Wednesday 24); the G20 ministerial meeting (Thursday 25); and the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Programme of Action for Youth (Thursday 25).
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