Portugal, 2013

As this is the first time

that I take the floor before the General Assembly,

at the headquarters of international legitimacy and

multilateralism, I would like to begin by reiterating

Portugal’s firm and unwavering commitment to the

United Nations, its Charter and the values and principles

that guide its action.

I congratulate the President on his election. His long

international career and vast experience in the United

Nations system have placed him in a privileged position

to preside over the central organ of the Organization.

His election reflects a recognition on the part of all

Member States of the strong commitment to the United

Nations and multilateralism of his country, Antigua

and Barbuda, the Caribbean Community and the Group

of Latin American and Caribbean States. I would also

like to convey my country’s acknowledgement of the

dynamism and dedication with which the President of

the General Assembly at its previous session, Mr. Vuk

Jeremi., performed his duties. I wish also to express

special appreciation for the Secretary-General’s

untiring work in defence of peace during an extremely

challenging period for the international community. As

always, the Secretary-General can continue to count on

Portugal’s support.

I take this opportunity to strongly condemn the

terrorist attack that occurred in Nairobi and to deliver a

message of solidarity to the authorities and the people

of Kenya. Acts such as those remind us that efforts

to combat terrorism continue to be of paramount

importance. We will not live in a world of peace and

liberty or in an environment of tolerance and mutual

respect until we eradicate terrorism.

The Organization was created to save succeeding

generations from the scourge of war, basing its action

on faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity

and worth of the human person. The United Nations has

undertaken much in its 68 years to achieve those goals

globally. Unfortunately, in many regions those goals

remain an illusion. Such is the case in Syria, where the

horrors of war and the unspeakable suffering of the

population now prevail. The devastating images that

reach us daily show a country that is being physically

destroyed. The numbers speak for themselves: more

than 100,000 dead, almost 7 million people in need of

humanitarian assistance, 4 million internally displaced

persons and 2 million refugees. A tragedy on that

scale is the result of serious and systematic violations

of human rights and international humanitarian law,

aggravated by the recent and unacceptable use of

chemical weapons, something we believed had been

universally banished forever.

The world was shocked at the use of chemical

weapons in Ghouta on 21 August. I want to be

very clear about this: the use of chemical weapons

represents a violation of international law, a heinous

crime and a regression from civilization. We cannot

stand idle in the face of such a violation of the barrier

between civilization and barbarism, a barrier that the

international community has vowed never to cross

again. We, the members of the Assembly, once again

face a serious international crisis where we are in a

position to reaffirm the centrality of the United Nations

in solving it. With the Security Council blocked and

powerless, it was the absence of the United Nations

in the period when prevention and control were still

possible that allowed the Syrian crisis to reach such

dramatic and unacceptable political and humanitarian

proportions. We would certainly have had fewer

casualties and refugees, and would surely not now be

dealing with a huge international crisis resulting from

the use of chemical weapons. Now, when an agreement

has been reached to remove the threat posed by the

chemical arsenal of the Syrian regime once and for all,

the international community has again turned to the

Security Council.

I would like to commend the enormous political

and diplomatic efforts of the United States and Russia,

with the involvement of Joint Special Envoy Lakhdar

Brahimi. The commitment and spirit of compromise

that they demonstrated in the process enabled them

to arrive at an important agreement and the adoption

yesterday of Security Council resolution 2118 (2013),

which, hopefully, will ensure its implementation.

The Security Council, in close collaboration with the

Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons,

has assumed its responsibilities under the Charter of

the United Nations, finally creating a prospect for hope

for a global political solution to the Syrian issue. It is

now essential that we seize the opportunity created by

the initiative on chemical weapons to consolidate the

political-diplomatic track and hold the “Geneva II”

conference. Nevertheless, the primary responsibility

for resolving the Syrian crisis lies with the parties to the

conflict. Without their will and commitment, no political

solution is possible. The international community must

keep up the pressure on the parties, particularly the

Damascus regime, with a view to achieving a peaceful

and sustainable democratic future in which every sector

of Syrian society feels represented.

The Middle East has also seen some positive recent

developments with the resumption of the peace process

between Israel and Palestine. I would like to reaffirm

before the Assembly Portugal’s full support for that

process. I congratulate the United States of America

on its initiative and applaud the Palestinian and Israeli

authorities for the courage and leadership shown in their

decision to resume negotiations. There can be no lasting

peace, stability or security in the Middle East unless the

question of Palestine is settled. The present opportunity

to ensure security for all and justice, finally, for the

Palestinians must not be missed. We have a unique

opportunity to find a peaceful solution on the basis of

United Nations resolutions and internationally agreed

parameters that establishes a sovereign, independent

and viable Palestinian State and addresses Israel’s

security concerns.

Also in the Middle East, we have been following

with great concern the prolonged deadlock in the

search for a solution to the Iranian nuclear issue. It is

regrettable that, despite all the diplomatic efforts and

pressure on the part of the international community,

no solid progress has been made so far. Nevertheless,

we view as positive signs the recent statements made

by high-ranking Iranian officials, in particular by

President Hassan Rouhani here in the General Assembly

(see A/68/PV.6). I appeal to the Iranian authorities

to translate those encouraging political signals into

concrete steps conducive to a negotiated solution that

can restore the international community’s confidence

in a peaceful and civilian Iranian nuclear programme.

Another issue of concern is the situation in the

Republic of Guinea-Bissau, where the constitutional

order has been subverted since the coup d’état of

12 April 2012. As a member of the European Union, the

Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP)

and the United Nations, and in close coordination with

the Economic Community of West African States,

as well as through bilateral measures, Portugal is

continuing with its efforts to help the people of Guinea-

Bissau overcome the current crisis. We acknowledge

the work done by Special Representative of the

Secretary-General Ramos-Horta to promote a dialogue

among the main political actors with a view to restoring

the constitutional order. The formation of an inclusive

Government was, in that sense, a step forward.

However, restoring constitutional order and

normalizing Guinea-Bissau’s relations with the

international community require that presidential

and legislative elections be held, in accordance with

the commitments undertaken by the current Guinean

authorities and as reiterated in the press statement

issued by the President of the Security Council on

11 September. We are, however, very concerned about

the possibility that has been raised of a new extension

of the transitional period. The international community

should also emphasize that for the elections to be

free, fair and transparent, the current authorities must

guarantee that all Guinean citizens, without exception,

can participate in those elections, in full enjoyment

of their rights, including the rights of the freedoms of

speech and association. Only a new Government that

enjoys the legitimacy conferred by a free popular vote

and is appointed in accordance with the Constitution

can promote long-overdue reforms in the security,

administration and justice sectors.

The crisis in Guinea-Bissau also has clear and

worrying connections with the Sahel region through

drug-trafficking routes. Europe, and especially its

southern countries, is following the situation in

the Sahel with particular concern. I can assure the

Assembly that we will continue to make every effort

to help stabilize the region. In that context, the United

Nations integrated strategy for the Sahel represents a

major contribution.

Portugal is currently co-President of the Western

Mediterranean forum known as the 5+5 initiative,

which brings together 10 countries on the northern

and southern Mediterranean coasts. The dialogue and

confidence-building that that informal instrument

provides represents important added value for its

members and the region. We are therefore engaged in

exploring all of its potential for cooperation.

The Charter of the United Nations defends the

importance of using international mechanisms to

promote the economic and social advancement of all

peoples. In the noble spirit of the United Nations and

following the historic and inspiring launch in 2000

of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the

current session of the General Assembly will be a

critical launching pad for defining our priorities and the

path we will follow in our common efforts towards the

2015 summit at which we will adopt our development

principles and goals for the coming years.

I commend the President for the timeliness of his

choice of theme for this general debate, “The post-

2015 development agenda: setting the stage”. On

25 September, I had an opportunity to participate in the

special event on the Millennium Development Goals,

which enabled us to thoroughly discuss the progress

achieved to date on the MDGs and provide important

guidance for our future work. It is our conviction that

the set of MDGs should serve as the reference point for

establishing the new development agenda, which should

maintain a focus on poverty reduction and sustainable

development in all its dimensions, while giving special

attention to the needs of least developed countries.

But we need a broader, more inclusive and strategic

vision. We must go beyond the traditional relationship

between donors and recipients to create partnerships that

involve new international actors. For Portugal, different

modalities of assistance, new sources of financing

and a strengthened principle of shared responsibility,

leadership and ownership on the part of developing

countries are the main guiding principles for the post-

2015 development agenda. The inaugural meeting of the

High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development

was politically highly significant. Portugal remains

committed to ensuring that the Forum acts as a catalyst

for international efforts, ensuring a more efficient and

coherent link between the various processes in the area

of sustainable development and poverty eradication.

In the context of the outcome of the 2012 United

Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, I

would like to stress the importance of progress on the

issue of oceans, which is a crucial matter for a maritime

country like Portugal. We welcome Member States’

commitment to discussing the issue of the conservation

and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond

areas of national jurisdiction. In this context, Portugal

is strongly in favour of the negotiation and adoption

of an international instrument in the framework of the

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Reforms and institutional innovations such as those

I have just mentioned represent important changes

in the architecture of the United Nations, adapting

and preparing it for new times and new challenges.

However, the reform of our Organization will never be

complete without Security Council reform, including of

its working methods and, above all, of its composition.

It is increasingly difficult to justify why countries such

as Brazil and India are not permanent members of the

Security Council. As stated on previous occasions,

Portugal is of the view that Africa also deserves

permanent representation in that body. It is imperative

that Africa be treated in a way that is just and reflects its

size, economic growth and its weight in today’s world.

I take this opportunity to congratulate the African

Union and its member States on the fiftieth anniversary

of the continent’s regional organization.

Portugal firmly believes in multilateralism and in

the United Nations as the centre for harmonizing the

actions of nations in the attainment of common ends.

We contribute actively to the work of our Organization

through a committed participation in its bodies, but we

have not yet had a chance to serve on the Human Rights

Council. We therefore hope to be able to count on the

support of the Assembly in the elections for that body

to take place in 2014. We accept and have implemented

virtually all of the 86 recommendations that resulted

from our experience in the Council’s universal periodic

review (UPR) of 2009. We will submit to a new UPR

in 2014.

If the Assembly invests its trust in us to elect us to

serve for the 2015-2017 triennium, we will fulfil our

mandate in the deep conviction that the United Nations

human-rights-protection system should remain strong,

independent, impartial and demanding, and that, in

this regard, we should always resolve to aim higher.

We will continue in the same vein as we approached

our membership of the Security Council in 2011-

2012, characterized by openness to dialogue and by a

constructive and balanced attitude, and seeking to build

bridges and generate consensus, without relinquishing

values and fundamental principles.

The Portuguese language is the common element of

unity that brings together the diversity of States of the

Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries. We are

a Community of eight countries, with about 250 million

speakers spread across four continents. Portuguese is

the third most widely spoken European language in the

world, with a growing role and status on the international

scene, both as a vehicle of communication and as an

economic language used in trade and business, culture

and social networks.

In October, Lisbon will host the second conference

on the status of the Portuguese language in the

international system, at which participants will consider

the challenges faced by their common language.

Portuguese is currently the official or working language

of several international organizations, including some

specialized agencies of the United Nations. The CPLP

has the ambition and goal of seeing Portuguese adopted

as an official language of the United Nations. I take

this opportunity to salute the Mozambican presidency

of the CPLP and its efforts to strengthen and deepen

our Community.

I conclude by wishing the greatest success for the

General Assembly at this session. The Assembly can

count on Portugal’s active contribution and support in

upholding international law, promoting the peaceful

settlement of disputes, defending and promoting human

rights, and working towards greater prosperity for all of

humankind.