Portugal, 2025

The Assembly will hear an address by His Excellency Marcelo Rebelo da Sousa, the President of the Portuguese Republic. I request protocol to escort His Excellency and invite him to address the Assembly. Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, Symbolic moment this one for United Nations, the celebration of 80 years, and for us, Portuguese, 70 years of membership. The time of judgment, of compromise, of renewal, multilateral ambition. Portugal is today what always aspired to be, a noble country to the world, listening, dialoguing, building bridges, deeply multilateralist and guided by the Charter of United Nations. A world with more cooperation and respect for international law, is safer, more predictable, stable, peaceful, prosperous, plural, representative, and able to respond collectively to global challenges. Seventy years ago we were living still in dictatorship. And we found in this community the space to rediscover the real values and contributing to global solutions. And even now in a changed world, fragmented, polarized, unpredictable, this community is a key community to defend basic principles of a coexistence between nations, cultures, civilizations. And it is with this coherence and the sense of responsibility, with the conscience of the need of contributing, acting, and deciding, guided by values and principles, that we'll be candidates to the Security Council in 27-28, a decision we formalized in 2013. Excellencies, let me pay tribute to the former President of the General Assembly for his support to the adoption of the Pact for the Future. Let me congratulate the present President of this session, wishing the success in her term. But I would very specifically, and in Portuguese this time, say a word about the remarkable work of the Secretary General António Guterres. His humanism, devotion to international law, the reforms he has championed, now including UN-80 and the Pact for the Future, are testaments to his work and will be his legacy. It is an honor for me, having a Portuguese as Secretary General of the United Nations, someone that is projecting a Portuguese way of acting in international relations, a Portuguese that is in international relations, he will always be supported by Portugal. And I must congratulate him for his speech, because he said, I will never give up. I know him ever since we were teenagers. He never gave up, ever. And he's right. It's true we live at a time of multiple crises and persistent crises. Division, polarization, violations of international law, cleavage between power exercise and responsibility, technology and ethics, urgency of crisis and capacity of response and action. The United Nations faces an existential moment. Without change, without renewal, the United Nations will be marginalized and we could be left to the law of force. No G1, no G2, no G3, no G1 plus 1, 1 plus 2 or 2 plus 1 will be an alternative. No absence of multilateralism will avoid the need of multilateralism. The world is multipolar, will be multipolar. Just think of the situation in Ukraine or the situation in Middle East. In Ukraine, for years and now for months, for eight months, one is waiting the mediation of the most powerful in the world. Do we have a ceasefire? No, we don't. In the case of Middle East, we waited and waited, waited for the intervention of the most powerful in the world. Did we have a ceasefire? We doubt the multipolar, multilateral intervention of so many countries. Here in New York, with the recognition of the existence of the state of Palestine, some Europeans, others non-Europeans, we won't change soon. This means we need United Nations, we need multilateralism, we need dialogue between countries from every continent. And the same for international law. We need international law. We need international law for the reform of United Nations. We need international law as a foundation of peace and justice. A world governed by rules is a safer, more predictable and equitable world. We need a chart of United Nations as a common compass. Of course, we must adjust United Nations, but we must never forget the lesson of the League of Nations. When one forgets the principles, when one abandons the principles on account of pure realpolitik, I mean the power, or the powers of the moment, one forgets that no power is eternal. No personality is eternal. Empires went up and went down. We know by experience. Colonial empires, European empires inside Europe, all kinds of empires went up and went down. We believe that in the reform of United Nations, we have three pillars. Prevention, partnership and protection. Preemptive action before the conflict, not just afterwards. Mediation, preventive diplomacy, intervention of the Secretary General and of the BBC. Avoiding distraction and institution collapse. Building peace, fighting against the deep causes of violence, promoting resilient and peaceful societies. But development, peace building without development, preventive action without development does work. We co-presided together with an African partner, Burundi, the preparation of the fourth conference on financing of development. Ideas, dialogue, determination, results. Without sustainable development, no lasting peace is possible. Never forget to implement the 2030 agenda and the reform of the international financial architecture. It's a priority. Involving the digital, the space, the artificial intelligence technologies as force for peace, not tools for domination. Bridging the digital and technological divides as central to build resilient societies. And with great pride, we share in the priority of prioritizing oceans, addressing climate change. We can talk about combating climate change, but we must first and foremost admit that there is this change. That's why we prepared for UNOCT 2 in Lisbon and we were at UNOCT in Nice. We were one of the first European states to ratify the BBNJ Treaty. We project 27% of our marine surface area. That is 3% of the objective for 2030. Speaking of the appeal of partnership, United Nations must deepen partnerships, strategic partnerships with regional organizations. Portugal has experience that is very specific. We have the experience of the community of Portuguese-speaking countries. Portuguese-speaking community present in nine countries, four continents, one language. A language, a short platform with its own voice at the UN. We hosted the 10th Global Forum for the Alliance of Civilizations. Also, the UN Conference on Racism. Portugal hosted the first UN Conference on Racism. And we promoted the implementation of the Durban Declaration. We are part of the Ibero-American community. Indeed, Portugal feels like a kindred spirit of Latin America. We share common priorities, such as inclusive multilateralism, sustainable development and social cohesion. Our full self is made of respect and solidarity. We launched the first EU-African Union summits. Initiative of the first and second summits between European Union and African Union. We cooperate actively with PMA, CITS and LLDC. At the same time, we think that protecting means also protecting the role of women, youth as agents of change, the access to education, leadership, political participation. The world needs more women and more youngsters as leaders in the procedures of decision. Third pillar, protecting. Protection. We participate for 65 years in peacekeeping. Thousands of armed forces and security forces participated in 25 missions in four continents. Mostly in Africa. Peacekeeping now with four peace operations. A quick reaction force. Punctual payment. Example of intervention in every continent. Defense of predictable and stable financing. Including for the missions that are promoted by Security Council or accepted by Security Council. But initiative of African Union. This year, we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the additional protocol to the Convention of Rights of Children involved in armed conflicts. It's a drama. It's a drama. Children going on being victims in every war scenario. We have the legal duty, the political and the moral duty of protecting them. And then, of course, humanitarian, international law. About the situation in areas of conflict. Geneva Conventions are not suggestions. They involve duties. We participated in the 6th Commission preparing the Convention on Crimes against Humanity. Human rights. Human rights. Human rights mean personal rights, political rights, freedom of expression, economic rights, social, cultural rights. Universal, interdependent and inseparable. We cannot remain indifferent concerning major crises. We just declared our decision of recognizing the State of Palestine. In the Middle East, now we think that the following step is creating conditions for ceasefire. Immediately, releasing the hostages. Humanitarian assistance. But also creating political, economic and social conditions to strengthen the solution to sovereign states. Rebuilding economies and societies. Giving an opportunity to peace. To the daily life of Israelis and Palestinians. So that they can live, not die. Live, not die. In Ukraine, sovereignty, independence and integrity. With global, total ceasefire. Immediate and unconditional. First step for a fair peace. Respecting international law. And respecting the Charter of the United Nations. In Sudan, intervening to react much more quickly to perhaps the greatest humanitarian catastrophe in Africa. In Haiti, where the suffering of the population is no longer tenable. In the Middle East, in light of the barbaric atrocities committed by criminal gangs and the recruitment of child soldiers. Decisive UN assistance to the multinational security support mission is required before it is too late. Excellencies. At a time when we are witnessing the largest number of armed conflicts since the creation of the United Nations. Portugal is ready to take on greater responsibilities and represent a global voice in the Security Council. Bringing the experience of almost lessons learned in recent decades. And proximity to all the states here represented. Without discrimination. And for that, our vision for the Security Council will act to prevent and creating partnership and protection. And with the reform of the Security Council to make it more representative and effective. To reflect the geopolitics of the 21st century and doesn't remain stuck in 1945. With representation of the African continent. With seeds represented. And recognition of major emerging powers such as Brazil and India. With more transparent. A Council that is more plural and consistent with the content and the spirit of the Charter. A Security Council which in 2024 met frequently. Since 1989. But it met frequently with less resolutions adopted. And the highest number of vetoes casted. It's unacceptable that the use of veto continues to paralyze essential decisions. It is therefore unacceptable. In the face of human suffering. The Charter is clear. A party to a conflict shall not be the judge of its own case. Portugal supports the Act, Groups of Conduct. Measures to restrict the use of veto. And all initiatives that strengthen transparency and accountability within the Council. A last word. 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. Contributing to a Council that is more effective, representative and close to those who expect protection from it. We are a predictable country. A bridge builder. A reliable partner. An uncompromising defender of the UN Charter. It is in this spirit that we want to serve. That we reaffirm our commitment to be United Nations today. And that we hope we'll earn your trust. For the future of the United Nations. But mostly for the future of the world. More peaceful. More just. More respectful of dignity. Human dignity. In so many conflicts that represent a shame for all of us. Thank you. APPLAUSE On behalf of the Assembly, I wish to thank His Excellency, the President of the Portuguese Republic.