Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset has inaugurated the 46-member organisation’s first permanent Observer Office to the United Nations in New York, marking a significant step in cooperation between the Council of Europe and the UN at a time of growing geopolitical fragmentation and pressure on multilateral institutions.
Following a bilateral meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres at the UN headquarters, the new office was officially opened on Monday afternoon 21 September during the Secretary General’s visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) week.
A platform for closer dialogue and cooperation
The permanent presence will deepen dialogue with the United Nations, non-member states, and other international organisations, while raising the visibility of the Council of Europe’s work on human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
Joining Secretary General Alain Berset for the official opening were Andrii Sybiha, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, and Guy Ryder, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for policy.
The inauguration also brought together high-level guests, including His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See; Mihai Popșoi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova; and Ervin Ibrahimović, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro.
“This office exists to close the distance between regions. To engage with the United Nations. To build with the other regional organisations that work here,” said Secretary General Berset.
“No country, no organisation and no region will solve any of these challenges alone. More and more, countries far apart find they stand in the same place: on the side of law.
The new office reflects the Council of Europe’s Strategy on external action presented at the Chișinău Ministerial Session earlier this year, which aims to extend the reach of the organisation’s standards and expertise beyond Europe. The New York presence will help translate that strategy into action through closer engagement with the UN, regional organisations and non-member states, while promoting Council of Europe instruments open to wider participation.
The work of the Council of Europe
Founded in 1949, the Council of Europe has built a common legal space based on human rights, democracy and the rule of law. At its heart is the European Convention on Human Rights, which enables individuals to bring cases before the European Court of Human Rights, whose judgments are legally binding. The organisation’s conventions and standards also reach well beyond Europe, providing practical frameworks for international cooperation on issues ranging from cybercrime and artificial intelligence to corruption and violence against women.
The Council of Europe Framework Convention on artificial intelligence and human rights, democracy and the rule of law illustrates this wider reach. AI is a global challenge, and the Convention provides a legal framework grounded in human rights, democracy and the rule of law. It is open to countries beyond Europe, and the United States is a signatory.
“The United Nations has global reach. We bring a common legal space built on human rights, democracy and the rule of law and our task is to connect these strengths”, Secretary General Berset said.
Multilateralism and democratic security at UNGA
During the UNGA, the Secretary General is focusing on Ukraine, international law, democratic security and stronger cooperation between international and regional organisations.
He is attending the opening of the UN General Assembly general debate and participating in the Council of Europe side event “Delivering social rights, renewing democracy: from Doha and Chișinău to a New Democratic Pact for Europe”, on the margins of UNGA.
Visit to Washington
Following his programme in New York, Secretary General Alain Berset will travel to Washington D.C. for the second leg of his visit to the United States.
Discussions in Washington will focus on Ukraine, transatlantic and interregional cooperation, and European security. The Secretary General will meet members of the US Congress, address the permanent council of the Organization of American States, and take part in public discussions at Georgetown University and the Hudson Institute. He will also visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
The visit takes place as 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of the United States becoming an observer state to the Council of Europe.
