Portugal

Madam President of the General Assembly, Mr. Secretary-General, Excellencies,

This is a symbolic moment for the United Nations — the celebration of its 80th anniversary — and for Portugal, which marks 70 years of membership. A time for taking stock, for commitment, and for renewed multilateral ambition.

Portugal today is what it has always aspired to be. A country open to the world, one that listens and engages in dialogue, committed to building bridges, deeply multilateralist and guided by the Charter of the United Nations. A world with more cooperation and respect for international law is a safer, more predictable, more stable and peaceful world, more prosperous, more plural, more representative and more capable of responding collectively to global challenges.

Seventy years ago, we found in this community the space to affirm our true values and contribute to global solutions, even in today's world, increasingly fragmented, polarized and unpredictable. And it is in this same community that we will continue to defend the basic principles of healthy coexistence between nations.

It is also with this coherence and sense of responsibility, with this awareness of the need to contribute, act and decide guided by values and principles, that we are candidates for the Security Council for 2027-2028, a decision formalized in 2013.

Excellencies,

I pay tribute to the outgoing President, Mr. Philémon Yang, for his support in the adoption of the Pact for the Future. I congratulate the President of the 80th Session of the General Assembly, Ms. Annalena Baerbock, wishing her the greatest success.

I express my appreciation for the tireless work of the Secretary-General, António Guterres. His humanism, his attachment to international law and the reforms he has promoted since 2017, including now UN80 and the Pact for the Future, are his hallmark and will be his legacy. It is a source of pride to have a Portuguese as Secretary-General of the United Nations, and all the more so because he is someone who projects a Portuguese way of engaging in international relations. He will always be able to count on Portugal's firm support.

Excellencies,

We are living through a time of multiple and persistent crises, marked by division, polarization, and violations of international law. A time of divergence between the exercise of power and responsibility, between technology and ethics, between the urgency of crises and the capacity to respond and act. Inevitably affected, the UN faces, at the threshold of its eighth decade, an existential moment. Without transformation, reinforcement and renewal, the UN will be marginalized and we will be left at the mercy of the law of force. No G1, G2, G3, G1+2, G2+1 will be a solution.

We support the UN80 process and the Pact for the Future, as well as reforms that strengthen the Organization, without marginalizing the pillars of development and human rights.

International law cannot be ignored. We believe in the rule of law as the foundation of international peace and justice. A world governed by rules is a safer and more predictable and equitable world. The Charter of the United Nations must remain our common compass.

The United Nations will have to adapt to our time, but we cannot forget the lesson of the League of Nations. History has already shown us what happens when principles are abandoned in the name of pure realpolitik.

Excellencies,

We believe that, in the process of reform and transformation of the UN, it is crucial to act in three major areas: Prevention, Partnership and Protection.

Prevention. Acting before conflict, not only after. With mediation, preventive diplomacy, the good offices of the Secretary-General, and the important role of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC).

Conflict prevention saves lives, avoids destruction and institutional collapse. Peacebuilding tackles the root causes of violence and promotes resilient and peaceful societies.

Prevention is also achieved through development. As Portugal has done, co-chairing, together with an African partner — Burundi — the preparation of the 4th Conference on Financing for Development. With ideas, dialogue, determination and results. Without sustainable development there will be no lasting peace. Implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the promotion of a balanced reform of the international financial architecture should be a priority for the next five years.

At the same time we are ensuring that digital, space and AI technologies are a force for peace, not tools of domination. Bridging the digital and technological divides is central to build resilient societies.

Aware of the risks posed by climate change to international peace and security, we are also, with pride, one of the strongest voices in defense of the ocean agenda. After UNOC2 in Lisbon and with UNOC3 in Nice, we have renewed our commitment to the protection of the oceans; we were among the first European States to ratify the BBNJ Treaty, and we already protect 27% of our maritime area — just 3% short of the 30% target for 2030. Sea-level rise and plastic pollution are dramatic threats for several Member States and priorities for Portugal.

Excellencies,

In the dimension of Partnership, we consider that the United Nations can only respond effectively to the challenges of our time if it deepens strategic partnerships, particularly with regional organizations, which are essential to promoting sustainable and inclusive solutions.

Portugal contributes, in concrete terms, to the building of partnerships and consensus. Listening, engaging in dialogue and being present on every continent with the same humility and the same ambition. The Community of Portuguese Language Countries is an example of this: nine countries, four continents, one language and shared values, in a platform with its own voice at the UN.

We are also committed to dialogue among civilizations, as we demonstrated by hosting in Lisbon the 10th Global Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations, and to combating racism, having hosted the UN's 1st Conference on Racism at the Organization, following up on the commitments we have also promoted for the implementation of the Durban Declaration around the world.

We form part of the Ibero-American community. Portugal feels itself a sibling of Latin America, sharing common priorities, such as inclusive multilateralism, sustainable development and social cohesion.

Our partnership with the Global South is built on respect and solidarity. We launched the EU-AU Summits. We have active cooperation with the LDCs (Least Developed Countries), SIDS (Small Island Developing States) and LLDCs (Landlocked Developing Countries).

Partnerships also concerning women, youth, agents of change, access to education, leadership, political participation and the protection of rights. The world needs more women and young leaders in decision-making processes.

Madam President,

The third pillar on which we must concentrate our action to transform the system is Protection — the protection of people and of rights.

We have more than 65 years in peacekeeping. More than 20,000 military and security personnel have taken part in more than 25 missions on 4 continents. A significant participation, especially in Africa, where much of the future of stability is at stake.

And a commitment to peacekeeping at a time when this support is decisive. Four peace operations, including a rapid reaction force, timely payment, integration into the framework of honor, and support for predictable and stable financing, including for missions authorized by the Security Council and led by the African Union.

The protection of civilians is central. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict. Children continue to be victims in almost every scenario. We have a legal, political and moral duty to protect them.

We advocate the strengthening of International Humanitarian Law, which must be respected by all, without exception or conditions. The Geneva Conventions are not suggestions, they are obligations. Portugal contributed, as President of the Sixth Committee at the 79th General Assembly, to laying the groundwork for a Convention on Crimes against Humanity — an essential step, negotiated by consensus, so that the law is not held hostage to politics.

We maintain a deep commitment to human rights. Civil and political rights, including freedom of expression, as well as economic, social and cultural rights — all of them — are universal, interdependent and indivisible.

Excellencies,

We cannot remain indifferent to the most pressing conflicts and crises of today, which we must confront in light of the Charter of the United Nations and of International Law, including humanitarian law. We defend the same principles — sovereignty, territorial integrity, self-determination — across every geography, from Europe to Africa, through the Middle East.

In the Middle East — an essential topic at this General Assembly — the challenge is to create the political, economic and social conditions to give strength to the two-state solution. Rebuilding economies and societies, giving a chance for peace in the daily lives of Israelis and Palestinians. So that they may live, and not die.

In Ukraine, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, with a total, immediate and unconditional ceasefire, are the first step toward a just, comprehensive and sustainable peace. To spare lives and stabilize Europe and the world.

In Sudan, to halt the greatest humanitarian catastrophe in Africa.

In Haiti, where the suffering of the population is no longer bearable, in the face of the fear caused by the barbaric atrocities of criminal gangs and the recruitment of child soldiers, decisive UN assistance to the Multinational Security Support Mission is needed before it is too late.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

At a moment when we are witnessing the largest number of armed conflicts since the founding of the United Nations, Portugal stands ready to assume greater responsibilities and to represent a global voice on the Security Council, bringing the experience of nearly nine centuries of history, the lessons learned in recent decades, and closeness to all the States represented here. Our vision for the Security Council is therefore based on the three pillars I mentioned as essential for the UN — Prevention, Partnership and Protection.

And on reform of the Security Council, to make it more representative and effective. A Council that reflects the geopolitical reality of the 21st century — not one stuck in 1945. A Council with permanent African presence, SIDS represented, and recognition of major emerging powers, such as Brazil and India. A more transparent, plural Council, consistent with the letter and spirit of the Charter.

A Security Council that, in 2024, met a great deal, approved little, and used the veto more than at any time since 1989.

It is incomprehensible that the use of the veto continues to paralyze essential decisions in the face of human suffering. Article 27(3) of the Charter is clear: a party to a conflict cannot be judge in its own case. Portugal supports the ACT Group's Code of Conduct, measures restricting the use of the veto, and all initiatives that strengthen transparency and accountability within the Council.

Your Excellencies, Portugal is presenting itself to the Security Council without hidden agendas, but rather with an agenda aligned with the values and objectives of the UN. With humility, but with confidence, we propose to contribute to a Council that is more effective, representative and close to those who expect protection from it.

Portugal is a predictable country, a bridge-builder, a reliable partner and, above all, an uncompromising defender of the UN Charter. It is in this spirit that we want to serve, that we reaffirm our commitment to the United Nations today and that we hope will earn your trust.

Thank you.