Portugal elected as Chair of the United Nations Committee on Conferences

On 22 April, during its organizational session, the United Nations Committee on Conferences elected Portugal to serve as Chair for the 2026 session, with the Bureau composed of Brazil, Hungary and Iran as Vice-Chairs, and Kenya as Rapporteur.

The Committee on Conferences work covers the planning and scheduling of conferences and meetings, as well as the efficient use of conference-servicing resources and facilities across New York, Geneva, Vienna and Nairobi. It also addresses issues related to documentation and publications, translation and interpretation services and the use of information technology. The Committee seeks to promote more integrated and effective global management of conference services across the United Nations system.

Ahead of the organizational session, Mr. Ricardo Alves, First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of Portugal, was received by the USG for General Assembly and Conference Management, Mr. Movses Abelian, and ASG Ms. Norman Chalet. The meeting provided an opportunity to exchange views on the Committee’s upcoming work and priorities as well as on the broader functioning of conference services. On the occasion, both the USG and ASG conveyed their best wishes to Mr. Alves for a productive tenure in the lead-up to his designation as Chair of the Committee on Conferences for its 2026 session.