Ahead of the European Commission-United Nations Retreat, President Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission and Secretary-General António Guterres of the UN held a press statement. The retreat, which took place on July 13-14, 2023, gathered President von der Leyen, 11 members of the College in Brussels, Secretary-General Guterres, and other senior UN officials for a working meeting.

The primary objectives of the retreat were to identify practical measures for implementing ‘Our Common Agenda’ proposed by the Secretary-General, which aims to enhance global governance inclusivity and effectiveness, as well as to strengthen collaboration in advancing human rights worldwide. Additionally, the meeting served as a platform to prepare for the forthcoming High-level week of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, including the SDG Summit.

As indicated, high on the agenda will be discussions about the governance of AI; ways of achieving sustainable development goals; and digital transition. Although the statement provided only a brief mention of AI, it acknowledged the importance of addressing both the positive and negative aspects of this transformative technology.