The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, chaired the traditional breakfast meeting of Ibero-American Foreign ministers in New York on Thursday 24 September. The event takes place during the United Nations ministerial week, which Spain is chairing this year.
The Ibero-American Foreign ministers reviewed all the work carried out during Spain’s Pro Tempore Secretariat and outlined the main agreements to be put before the Ibero-American leaders at the Ibero-American Summit in Madrid on 4 and 5 November.
The Foreign ministers have endorsed the candidacy of Honduras, which will hold the Pro Tempore Secretariat for the period 2026–2028 and host the next Summit in 2028, thereby ensuring the institutional continuity and political momentum of the Ibero-American Conference over the coming years.
The international profile of the Ibero-American Community, one of the priorities of our Pro Tempore Secretariat, has also featured prominently on the agenda. In this context, the ministers agreed that the Madrid Summit should welcome key players such as Angola, India, Turkey and the Association of Caribbean States as observers. In this way, the Ibero-American Community is positioning itself globally as a forum for dialogue, political consultation and international cooperation with Africa, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean.
The Ibero-American Foreign ministers also reviewed progress on the five major achievements of the Madrid Summit: the new Strategy for Ibero-American Cooperation, which updates one of the Community’s defining features; the Ibero-American Charter on Care and Support, aimed at promoting more inclusive and sustainable care systems; the Ibero-American Network for Disaster Risk Reduction and Civil Protection, designed to strengthen regional cooperation on emergency prevention and response; and the Ibero-American Alliance for Artificial Intelligence, designed to promote a common agenda for technological development based on the region’s priorities and capabilities; and the Ibero-American Charter on Academic Mobility, which will facilitate educational exchanges and the flow of knowledge between Ibero-American universities and higher education institutions.
In this regard, the Foreign ministers’ breakfast meeting has provided significant political impetus ahead of Madrid hosting a summit aimed at strengthening cooperation, coordination and the international profile of Ibero-America.
Review of the United Nations High-Level Week
The Minister has concluded his participation in the High-Level Week of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, during which he outlined the foreign policy priorities through which Spain is addressing the main challenges on the international stage.
Before bringing his participation to a close at this premier global diplomatic gathering – which saw him carry out a packed four-day programme – Albares took stock of the week’s events, highlighting the consolidation of Spain’s international role. He did so after referring to the support received for Spain’s proposals on conflicts such as those in Gaza and Ukraine, as well as the country’s firm commitment to multilateralism and the defence of international law.
Among the various events in which Minister Albares has taken part this week, his address at the ‘Atlantic Council’ think tank stands out, where he emphasised the need for Ceuta and Melilla to be at the heart of Europe and that migration is a structural, long-term European phenomenon requiring shared responsibility, the strengthening of external border management and structural collaboration with countries of origin and transit.
Furthermore, a number of events dedicated to supporting Palestine took place this Thursday, such as the High-Level Ministerial Event of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, as well as the ministerial meeting in support of UNRWA, which Spain co-chairs with Jordan and Brazil. There, Minister Albares emphasised Spain’s firm commitment to diplomacy and negotiation, and to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, in accordance with international law and the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council. Albares stated that “a just and lasting peace, which includes a solution to the issue of Palestinian refugees and the right of Palestinians and Israelis to live in peace and security, will only be achieved through the effective implementation of the two-State solution.
The Foreign Minister took advantage of his participation in the High-Level Week to hold a series of bilateral meetings, notably those with the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the High Representative for the Alliance of Civilisations, as well as with representatives from Algeria, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Iran, the Dominican Republic and the organisations American Jewish Committee and Major Jewish Organisations.
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