DELEGATION TO THE UNITED NATIONS – NEW YORK

Originally established as an information office in 1964, the European Commission’s representation in New York officially became a Delegation to the United Nations on October 11, 1974, when the UN General Assembly (UNGA) granted observer status to the "European Economic Community" (subsequently changed to "European Community").

At the UN, the European Community is represented by the Commission’s Delegation and by the EU Member State holding the six-month rotating EU Presidency.

The general role of the Delegation is to reinforce the coordination of common EU positions in the United Nations. The Commission plays an active role in defining such common positions, thereby contributing to the enhanced role of the EU at the UN, especially in the economic and social sectors. Indeed, the EU Treaty requires common positions to be upheld at the UN so that their collective weight can have more impact in the world. While in most cases the EU is represented by the Presidency in UN negotiations, the European Commission acts as negotiator in a number of areas of Community competence (e.g., trade, fisheries, agriculture, some environmental issues).

For more on how the EU operates at the UN, please visit: About the EU at the UN.

As an observer within the UNGA and most UN specialized agencies, the European Community has no vote, as such. It is, however, a party to more than 50 UN multilateral agreements and conventions as the only non-state participant. Further, it has obtained special "full participant" status in a number of important UN conferences, like the Rio "Earth Summit" and the Cairo (population), Copenhagen (social), Beijing (women) and Kyoto (climate change) and Johannesburg (sustainable development) conferences.
In November 1991, the European Community was accepted as a full member of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization, the first time a UN agency recognized it as a full voting member.

The Commission’s New York Delegation also administers an inter-institutional website on behalf of the EU, the EU@UN website, which offers and archives EU statements at the UN, as well as policy statements and information relevant to the UN and multilateral spheres, covering issues like development, peace and security, humanitarian assistance, trade, environment and human rights.

In addition to its UN responsibilities, the New York Delegation is an active participant in the tri-state (New York/New Jersey/Connecticut) foreign affairs community, where it acts as a liaison between Brussels and important US-based organizations and associations. To help communicate the EU's role in the world and its relationship with the US and the UN, the New York Delegation arranges programs and platforms for high-level EU visitors to the New York area. It also provides speakers on EU-related topics.

The New York Delegation offers three internship sessions per year. The program, which is highly selective, offers interns the opportunity to follow the activities of the Delegation in UN bodies such as the Security Council, General Assembly and its various committees. Learn more about Internships in New York.

The Delegation's contact information is:
European Commission
222 East 41st Street
20th Floor
New York, NY 10017

www.eu-un-europa.eu

Telephone: (212) 371-3804
Fax: (212) 238-5191
E-mail: delegation-new-york-euinfo@ec.europa.eu