The choice of the tenth UN Secretary-General, who will take office in January 2027, could shape global diplomacy, the response to crises across the world and the direction of the multilateral system for the next decade.
The four candidates so far in the running participated in a series of “interactive dialogues” at UN Headquarters in New York.
Current General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock, explains the process and shares her views on the road ahead.
"Since the start of the Middle East conflict, our bill for fossil fuel imports increased by €25 billion." – President von der Leyen
On 24 April 2026, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen held a press conference together with António Costa, President of the European Council and Nikos Christodoulides, President of Cyprus.
In her statement, President von der Leyen warned that the Middle East conflict has cost the EU €25 billion extra in fossil fuel imports, pushing for faster adoption of renewables, nuclear power, and electrification to secure energy independence. She announced the signing of the "One Europe, One Market" roadmap, to complete the Single Market by 2027, simplifying trade rules and boosting digital/AI growth, while stressing that the next EU budget must raise new revenues to fund defence, tech, and green transitions without cutting key programmes. Finally, she urged clearer EU defence cooperation, including a mutual defence mechanism and hybrid threat responses, to strengthen collective security.
For the full transcript of the statement, see here:
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/statement_26_882
Watch on the Audiovisual Portal of the European Commission:
https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/media/video/I-288330
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Source: Council of the European Union (video statements)
Europe has one of the largest transport networks in the world, over 5 million kilometres of roads, 200,000 kilometres of railway, and millions of flights every year. But how does it all connect, and what is the EU’s role?
In this video, we explore Europe’s transport infrastructure from the ground up. We visit the Brenner Base Tunnel, one of the continent’s biggest infrastructure projects, and explain the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) – the EU’s masterplan for seamless railway transport and connectivity from Scandinavia to Sicily, powered by intelligent traffic systems.
We also cover air traffic management across Europe’s skies, the role of organisations like Eurocontrol, and how sustainable aviation fuel and the Single European Sky are making flying greener and safer.
Finally, we break down what smart mobility and the European Green Deal mean for everyday travellers, the economy, and Europe’s climate future.
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00:00 Intro
00:45 Brenner Base Tunnel
02:01 TEN-T
03:11 European Air Traffic Management
04:28 Maritime Transport
04:53 Why should you care?
05:55 Outro
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This is the official YouTube channel of the European Council and the Council of the European Union.
The European Council is the highest political body of the European Union. It brings together the heads of state or government of all member states, as well as its President and the President of the European Commission. It shapes the EU’s political agenda, addresses major challenges and sets strategic priorities, such as those outlined in the Strategic Agenda 2024–2029. This seeks to build a Europe that is free and democratic, strong and secure, prosperous and competitive. The European Council also plays a key role in crisis management, from responding to Russia’s war in Ukraine to tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. Decisions are typically made by consensus. Its meetings, often called ‘European summits’, take place at least four times a year in Brussels.
The Council of the European Union (often referred to as the ‘Council’) is where the EU’s day-to-day legislative and policy work takes place. Bringing together ministers from each EU member state, it negotiates and adopts laws, usually in partnership with the European Parliament, across 10 policy areas, from foreign affairs to energy. Unlike the European Council, the Council of the European Union operates under a rotating six-month presidency. Each member state holds the presidency in turn. Meetings are held regularly in Brussels and Luxembourg, ensuring that every EU country, regardless of size, has an equal voice in shaping European policies.
Source: World Trade Organization – WTO (video statements)
Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala met with the Chief Executive of Macao, China, Sam Hou Fai on 23 April at the WTO. They discussed the active role Macao, China plays at the WTO and its strong support for the multilateral trading system. As trade openness and transparency are key to Macao, China’s strong economic performance, both leaders highlighted the importance of the WTO for supporting the ongoing contribution of Macao, China to the global economy.
Download this video from the WTO website:
https://www.wto.org/english/res_e/webcas_e/webcas_e.htm
Briefing by Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, on the question concerning the country.
He said, “When I last briefed you in January, I underscored that Haiti was entering a decisive phase requiring sustained efforts across the political and security tracks. This phase is clearly now fully underway.”
On the political transition, Ruiz Massieu said, “The transfer of executive authority on 7 February to the Council of Ministers, under the leadership of Prime Minister Fils-Aimé, ensured institutional continuity at a moment of significant vulnerability.”
Turning to the humanitarian situation, he added, “Today, as the Council is aware, more than 1.45 million people are internally displaced, mostly because of violence, and an estimated 6.4 million Haitians will require humanitarian assistance in 2026. Behind these figures are communities under immense strain, where insecurity and humanitarian needs are increasingly intertwined. Without tangible improvements on the security front, progress will be difficult to sustain.”
On international coordination, Ruiz Massieu said, “The Coordination Mechanism established on 14 April — bringing together BINUH, the recently established United Nations Support Office in Haiti and the Gang Suppression Force — is instrumental in ensuring that international support is coherent, coordinated and aligned with national priorities determined by the Haitian authorities.”
He added, “As this Council has recognized, the security response alone will not suffice. Renewed national efforts on disarmament, dismantlement, reintegration and community violence reduction play a significant role in consolidating security gains and creating space for further political and electoral progress.”
Source: United Kingdom UK House of Lords (video statements)
In this highlight from the chamber, members press the government on its plans to tackle plastic pollution, including plastic waste, the damage to health done by microplastics and creating PFAS-free alternatives for school uniforms.
Read a transcript of this question https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2026-04-22/debates/6FF0490F-E603-40AE-B065-998519D024D8/PlasticPollutionReduction
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Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)
The Culture, Media and Sport Committee have published a report following an independent an-led review of live and electronic music. Fans, musicians, activists, and industry professionals explain what this means for the industry.
