YouSaid · the spoken record

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa

lines on the record: 48
first: 2018-09-24
most recent: 2023-09-24
sittings or episodes: 4
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Otherwise, we will always continue to hear all the same very influential people promising and not delivering. We realize why people believe less and less in those who govern them.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“It is time to deliver on the reform of the United Nations and of international financial institutions. Without it. multilateralism is not possible. There can be no lasting cooperation nor peace throughout the world. Every day lost is another day of inequality, selfishness, conflict and war. Every day gained is another day of justice, solidarity and peace. I hope that, when we meet a year from now. it will be possible to say that there is more peace than war. and not more war than peace, more justice than injustice, more equality than inequality, more climate action than climate inaction, more reform of the United Nations than less reform and further reform of financial institutions than disregard for. or a reduction in. such reform. If that is the case, it will be worth it.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Portugal has just signed an agreement with Cabo Verde — a country home to some of the world’s 300 million Portuguese speakers — to convert State debt into an environmental and climate fund, converting the debtor’s debt into a contribution by the creditor to that State’s sustainable economic development. That should happen systematically with existing debts and financing for sustainable development. It is our goal to extend that initiative to other countries in the Portuguese-speaking community. Year after year, we lose time. But the time has come for us to deliver on respect for international law. on peace-building and on international cooperation. It is time to deliver on correcting global inequalities and on the fight against climate change.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Portugal defends the reform of institutions such as the United Nations itself and the international financial institutions. We have never ceased and will never cease in our support for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, no matter the cost, because it is easy to come here every year and make the same promises but never deliver on them — not contributing to peace with respect for international law and the United Nations Charter, not contributing to justice and sustainable development and delaying the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. It is easy to come here and promise a new global governance but postpone concrete solutions for institutional reform, talking about providing financing for those who need it without providing examples of such financing.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“The Security Council corresponds to a world that no longer exists. Portugal has long held that countries such as Brazil and India should be granted permanent membership. The Common African Position should be taken into account, and small countries cannot be ignored. Likewise, the existing financial institutions are incapable of financing sustainable development with equity and justice. They favour the richest and disfavour the poorest. The three matters of urgency are connected and remain so year after year. Portugal defends respect for the United Nations Charter as a path to peace. Portugal defends the intensification of the fight against climate change, trying to move forward with decarbonization, the promotion of clean energy and the protection of our oceans and biodiversity.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“In Ukraine, peace is the struggle of the Ukrainian people, as it is for many peoples throughout the world in regions such as the Sahel and many other parts of Africa, in the Near and Middle East and in Asia. The problem is respect for the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations. Therefore, we cannot differentiate the struggle of the Ukrainian people from the fight for respect for the United Nations Charter. It is also not possible to build peace without accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. We are behind — and continued to lag behind — in achieving the Goals. thereby prolonging inequalities among States and among peoples. We cannot achieve the Goals without reforming our international institutions, not least the Security Council.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“There is no sustainable development nor respect for the Charter of the United Nations without the reform of international institutions. There is no reform of international institutions without respect for the Charter and without achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and our climate change goals. But that is not the problem. The problem lies elsewhere. Where is the urgency in our urgency? Where is the credibility in us coming here every year to state what is urgent when it is in fact not treated with the appropriate urgency? That has been the appeal of the Secretary-General for many years. It is urgent that we respect the Charter of the United Nations because, without it. and without respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States and for human rights, there can be no peace.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“It is urgent to accelerate the fight against climate change, to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to protect our oceans and biodiversity. In order to guarantee peace, it is urgent that we reform the institutions established in the past century — some of which were established in the first half of the past century — that are so far removed from the reality of the world today. It is urgent that we reform the international financial institutions. As the Secretary-General said, it is time to approve a new Bretton Woods system. Those three matters of urgency are connected. There is no peace and sustainable development nor institutional reform without respect for the Charter of the United Nations.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Portugal supports the success of the Summit of the Future in 2024; the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Global Forum, which we will host in Lisbon next year; and the World Social Summit in 2025. which are hallmarks of the Secretary- General’s ongoing clear thinking and dynamism at this demanding juncture for the world in terms of building peace and international cooperation. The President returned to the Chair. We heard today from the Secretary-General as he presented his report (A/78/1). We then heard from President Lula da Silva and President Biden who. despite their different positions, agreed on that which is essential. It is urgent that we respect the Charter of the United Nations in order to maintain peace in the world.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“I would like to begin by saying that Portugal fully supports the priorities outlined by President Dennis Francis for his term. Allow me also to say a word of gratitude to former President Csaba Korosi. whose term has ended. I applaud Mr. Antonio Guterres. Secretary-General of the United Nations, on behalf of Portugal, for his inexhaustible dedication to the values of the Charter of the United Nations. I support Our Common Agenda (A/75/982) and the reform proposals contained therein for global governance, including those of a financial nature, as well as the priorities that we have never abandoned on climate change, human rights, migrants, refugees and gender equality.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“We need actions, not speeches. There really is no more time to waste.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“We believe that the most pressing concerns of our time, like climate change, pandemics, economic and social crises, wars and insecurity, as well as migration and refugees, only confirm that isolationism, protectionism, unilateralism, intolerance, populism and xenophobia inevitably lead to dead ends. The Secretary-General’s message is clear, insightful and forward-looking. It is an appeal not only to Member States but to all the citizens of the world. There is no planet B — for climate or anything else. Either we, throughout the world, are all aware of that or political leaders will be tempted to forget, delay, stall and waste time. Twenty years after 9/11, six years after the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and a year and a half after the beginning of the pandemic, we need effective multilateralism more than ever.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“That was demonstrated during our presidency of the Council of the European Union, in our participation in the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries, which is now celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary, and in the global projection of the Portuguese language, spoken by almost 300 million persons. We also demonstrated it through the bold initiative of President Jorge Sampaio, who passed away a few days ago, of the Global Platform for Syrian Students, now extended to Afghan refugees. We do not change our principles, and we will hold this course if we are entrusted with a term in the Security Council five years from now.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Portugal is also committed to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the relief of external debt of the most vulnerable countries and, as a Champion country, the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. In Lisbon in 2022, Portugal and Kenya will host the second United Nations Ocean Conference, an essential dimension of climate action, and Portugal supports the international recognition of the right to a healthy environment. Portugal participates in peacekeeping operations. My country supports the European Union-Africa dialogue and international action for the stabilization of the Sahel, maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and the cooperation with Mozambique in its fight against terrorism. Portugal has never changed course.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“But these reforms require additional financial means. Affirming the role of the United Nations while struggling with reforms and denying resources implies, in practice, weakening multilateralism and fostering crisis situations, with negative effects for everyone. Portugal has always been and will always be on the side of consensus that solves crises. Portugal and the European Union stand with multilateralism, the United Nations, a rules-based international order and human rights. Portugal is committed to reforming the World Health Organization, supporting an international treaty on pandemics and guaranteeing that vaccines are a global public good.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Fourthly, whenever we hesitate on multilateralism, whenever we question international law and the role of international organizations, we fail. We witnessed it in the response to the pandemic and to emerging crises and in the promotion of peace and security. Our common agenda and the innovative ideas put forward in the Secretary-General’s recent report (A/75/1) are our best road map. Fifthly, we need to enlarge, deepen and accelerate reforms at the United Nations — in the areas of management, peace and security and the development system. We also need to move forward on the reform of the Security Council in order for it to reflect the realities of the twenty-first century, at the very least with African representation among the permanent members, as well as representation from Brazil and India.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“No country, no matter how powerful, can face, on its own or with only a few partners, climate change, pandemics, economic and social crises, terrorism and misinformation and also promote the safe and orderly movement of persons, the protection of the most vulnerable and human rights. Secondly, the governance of a multipolar world requires commitment and agreement among nations, and that means multilateralism. Thirdly, multilateralism, faced with challenges that go beyond borders and require joint responses, must be based on international law, the values of the Charter of the United Nations and the strengthening of international organizations, starting with the United Nations and its specialized agencies.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“I equally support the priorities chosen — a United Nations 2.0 and an agenda focused on persons — to respond to the pandemic, seek international peace and security, galvanize climate action, achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in the Decade of Action, ensure the centrality of human rights, promote gender equality and address the challenges of digital transformation. The pandemic, the resulting economic and social crises and the recent developments in Afghanistan provide us with pieces of evidence that we cannot and must not ignore. First, the world is multipolar.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“I congratulate you on your election, Mr. President, and extend our full support for your priorities — to recover sustainably from the pandemic, uphold human rights and revitalize multilateral organizations, namely, the United Nations. I thank the outgoing President, Mr. Volkan Bozkir, for a historic General Assembly session. As I said here in June, I congratulate the Secretary- General for his exemplary first term. I thank the General Assembly for the confidence it placed in the right person at the right time. I fully support the call for a global ceasefire, the reform process of the United Nations and the Call to Action for Human Rights.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“One hundred years after its founding, let us not repeat the same mistakes of the League of Nations.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“To be a patriot is to be proud of the past, one’s roots and one’s history, while also understanding the world as it is and that others are also entitled to be proud of their countries. If we no longer act as islands then dialogue and a common patriotic spirit will be able to govern the world. After 75 years we continue to believe in the United Nations. Only those who disregard history and therefore do not mind repeating the mistakes of the past minimize the role of the United Nations. In this Hall, fortunately we are all patriots, because we love our motherlands, our roots and our history and only want the best for our present and future. The best does not mean ignoring the world we live in; we all depend on so many others. We, as patriots, know that we need more and not less United Nations.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“In addition, we support a stable transition in the Democratic Republic of Congo and further promising developments in Eastern Africa. Equally important is the vision for a closer cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union and between the European Union and the African Union. Portugal, which was directly involved in the first Europe-Africa summits, is willing to organize the next meeting of the European Union and African Union leaders during its upcoming presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2021. In short, we have positive hopes for the future. We must stay on this path, which will enable us to not only harness multilateralism but also practice patriotism in our own countries.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“In the international arena, we are seeing the emergence of a trade, economic, financial and currency war, an open arms race, a cyberpresence used as a fairly common means of external intervention, and disinvestment in international law and international organizations. Examples of the most acute situations in the world include Yemen and Libya and, despite the steps taken to resolve the situation, Syria, as well as the Sahel, where the situation is increasingly critical. We advocate progress in maternal and child health and the agreement between the European Union and MERCOSUR, which we hope will go hand in hand with a shared sensitivity to environmental challenges. We also have fresh hope for the Republic of North Macedonia and hope the window of opportunity regarding the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula will remain open.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Ever since our nation was founded nine centuries ago, we have been a country of migrants and there are millions of Portuguese citizens scattered around the world. We combat xenophobia and intolerance and view education as a priority, as shown by the global support platform for Syrian students, an initiative of President Jorge Sampaio. Moreover, we advocate for inclusive and sustainable development in migrants’ and refugees’ countries of origin in order to prevent and eradicate terrorism, radicalization and human trafficking, while also safeguarding peace and the rights of peoples and communities. This autumn we have seen global and regional indicators that point in opposite directions, some of them troubling and others — regrettably fewer in number — favourable and even promising.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We recall the success of the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth and Youth Forum Lisbon+21 and, in that regard, we presented the traditional draft resolution on policies and programmes involving youth (E/CN.5/2019/L.3). We also draw attention to the measures we have adopted for the promotion of women’s rights in the 40 years since the adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and in the 25 years since the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action. We not only support the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and the global compact on refugees, but we have also approved a national implementation plan on the issue.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We are also involved in European Union training and capacity-building missions in Africa, especially in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic, where Portugal has a quick reaction force that is truly essential for the protection of civilians. We are also proud to be organizing, together with Kenya, the United Nations Ocean Conference, which is to be held in Lisbon in June 2020 in synergy with the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. We take pride in the launch of the national road map for carbon neutrality 2050, an instrument for economic competitiveness, employment, wealth and social justice.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We continue to believe that it is important to alter the composition of the Security Council to include the membership of one or more countries from Africa and of Brazil and India at the very least. We also advocate for participation in peacekeeping operations; the adoption of a resolution on a moratorium on the death penalty; engagement in the twenty-fifth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in Chile; the conclusion of the treaty on marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction; and the implementation of the Paris Agreement. At the same time, Portugal is proud of its participation in eight peacekeeping operations, six of them in Africa.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The world has indeed changed a great deal. It is all the more essential that we use dialogue to prevent conflict and agree initiatives in areas of common interest. We must resist the temptation to fixate on our own power, our upcoming elections and the immediate demands of difficult times or of rapid change, which may lead us to ignore, fail to accept and reject others and pretend that the rest of the world does not exist and can only exist if it resembles us. In line with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ guidance, Portugal calls for multilateralism, investment in international organizations, the alignment of the 2030 Agenda, the payment on time and in full of assessed contributions and United Nations reform of its management, development system and peace and security architecture.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We believe that it is worth fighting for stronger international laws to help steer relations among States and peoples; for international organizations to help solve problems that affect everyone, not just a few; for a political and not merely a technical role for those organizations; and for a multilateral vision that is shared by all, including those deemed most powerful, because nobody is an island and nobody, alone or with a few allies, can address the increasingly complex problems that affect us all. It is important to bear in mind the lessons that history has taught us and not to mistake transitory power or leadership for eternity. Over the last 40 to 50 years we have seen many changes. The world used to have two super Powers and now has one — an absolute super Power, meaning that multilateralism is now even more important.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Without the United States and, for a long time, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the League of Nations — itself conceived for a waning imperial and colonial world — never recovered from the lack of commitment of one of the world Powers and the late entry of another, which coincided with the growth of ever more hypernationalist, isolationist and unilateralist leadership. It was a failed attempt to embrace multilateralism. The Second World War began exactly 80 years ago. What had appeared in 1919 to be a promise, however precarious, had become a hecatomb by 1939. Notwithstanding the differences in time frame and style, it is worth stopping and reflecting for a moment on the lessons of that still recent past now that we are entering the seventy-fifth year of existence of the United Nations.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Yesterday’s successful Climate Action Summit is an example of such work, as well as the Sustainable Development Goals Summit, the Ocean Conference, the digital cooperation initiative and the Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious Sites. We recall the creation — 100 years ago — of the League of Nations, an initiative of United States President Woodrow Wilson, who signed its establishing treaty but saw an isolationist Congress reject its ratification upon his return home. The United States of America, which had been the starting point of what might have been a new international order, shunned the new organization and never became a permanent member of its deliberative body. For ideological reasons, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics did not wish to join the founders of the League of Nations either and went on to join too late.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Portugal welcomes and reaffirms its support for all the priorities that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has pursued in his coherent, dynamic and resolute mandate, including by defending effective multilateralism, based on international law and the Charter of the United Nations, and its legal extension to new global realities, such as the oceans, combating terrorism and artificial intelligence. We also support his reform of the United Nations system in the areas of conflict prevention; development cooperation; peacekeeping; human rights, in particular those of children, young people and women; migration and refugees; and, as always, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“What a happy coincidence it is to follow, at this rostrum, President Joao Lourenço from the brotherly country of Angola, 20 years after the referendum that opened the door to the independence of Timor-Leste. That confirmed the strength of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries, which is taking steps towards greater internal mobility. I would ask you, Sir, to convey our congratulations to President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande on his election, which symbolizes the presence of the African continent to which we are bound by ties of affection, deep friendship and respect. I would also like to thank his predecessor, Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, for her always tireless and warm-hearted performance of her duties.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“As Nelson Mandela said, “A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we so passionately dreamt of.” That is the Organization’s noble mission; it is also the reason for Portugal’s deep commitment to the United Nations. The United Nations represents neither a luxury nor a short-sighted trend, but rather a long- lasting universal need.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Common sense demands the resumption of a credible negotiation process that addresses all the final-status issues, including the question of Jerusalem, and can lead to a viable two-State solution based on the coexistence of Israel and Palestine in peace and security. As the Secretary-General suggested yesterday, true patriotism and cosmopolitanism are complementary. Portugal believes that multilateral action, political dialogue and diplomatic wisdom are the only possible path to harmonious coexistence among nations and peoples, and that very short-term perspectives, however appealing they may seem, are just a flash in the pan that will not last and will not solve the world’s true problems.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Only through a negotiated political solution mediated by the United Nations and with respect for international humanitarian law can we reverse that increasingly tragic situation. Equally tragic is the humanitarian crisis in Syria, with one of the largest refugee flows ever seen in the region or beyond. In that case, too, only a substantive, inclusive political solution mediated by the United Nations can ensure effective and broad-based international support for reconstruction. The fact is that stability and peace in the Middle East will be possible only through the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We note the signing of the maritime-boundary treaty between Australia and Timor-Leste under the auspices of the Secretary-General, confirming the effectiveness of the peaceful settlement of disputes through conciliation under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Unfortunately, some parts of the Middle East and the Maghreb continue to show signs of long-term political, social and economic instability. In Libya, the international community must come together to assist with the humanitarian and security situation and in establishing a robust State. Yemen remains the scene of one of the worst humanitarian crises today, where the most vulnerable — women and children — are especially badly affected.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We would like to highlight the increasing importance of the African Union and its key uniting role for peace and sustainable development, its growing partnership with the United Nations and the historic step of the signing of the Joint Declaration of Peace and Friendship between Ethiopia and Eritrea. It is our hope that the elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo will be held in a safe, free and fair manner and that the results be respected by all. The important developments on the Korean peninsula are opening up the prospects for its complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization, demonstrating the commitment and courage of the parties involved, the contributions of regional partners of the United Nations and, above all, the role of diplomacy in bringing about world peace and security.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We salute the strengthening of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP) — currently chaired by Cabo Verde, to be followed by Angola—whose contributions to stability and development I want to highlight. The CPLP enjoys an excellent cooperative relationship with the United Nations and pursues the goal of seeing the Portuguese language, one of the most widely spoken in the world, adopted as an official language of the United Nations. We also commend the steps that have been taken in Guinea-Bissau in preparation for elections in November.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We are confident that, in the medium to long term, that view will prevail, as it has in the European Union, which has given Europe its longest period of peace in living memory and high levels of welfare and social protection. As we celebrate the seventieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Law Commission, it is an appropriate time to call for consensus on the adoption of the biennial resolution on the moratorium on the death penalty, which is to be submitted to the General Assembly. Our view of the global situation and the role of the United Nations, which, as I said, is in complete agreement with the view of the Secretary-General, is based on our positions on those so-called regional questions that are global in scope. Let me now comment on some that are of particular relevance to Portugal.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“It minimizes the importance of multilateralism in anything to do with sustainable development, is prone to climate change denial, opposes global compacts on migration and refugees and is interested in conflict prevention and peacekeeping on the rare occasions when and where they suit it, and they are more likely to suit it when the emphasis is on economic rather than political power. The opposing view, which we share, is multilateral, open, favourable to the quest for global governance, committed to sustainable development and respectful of international law, the Charter of the United Nations and human rights as values and principles, not as means or conveniences.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Global governance of the oceans, supported by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, is a just cause. For us, those are structural issues that we do not change to suit short-term trends and actors. We regard a healthy environment as a fundamental right; we support carbon neutrality by 2050 and, with Lebanon, we are jointly chairing the ad hoc open-ended working group with a view to drafting a global pact for the environment. There are basically two different views of the world. One is short-term. It is unilateral or minilateral, protectionist and focused on populist domestic discourse.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“With the support of more Member States, the Rome Statute, which created the Court, is expected to move towards universal adoption. With regard to multilateralism and international law in the area of oceans and maritime security, Portugal is actively involved in preparations for the second United Nations Ocean Conference, in 2020, and stands ready to assume all responsibilities related to that. Maritime security is needed in places such as the coast of Somalia or the Gulf of Guinea, where Portugal is part of the European Union Naval Force Operation Atalanta within the framework of the European Union, and also in the Yaoundé process, together with the African Union and the countries of the region. And we are going further, creating a centre in the Azores as a platform for various international organizations working to protect the oceans.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Under our former President Jorge Sampaio, my country launched the Global Platform for Syrian Students and calls for the broadest possible participation in the Rapid Response Mechanism for Higher Education in Emergencies. The fight against terrorism has led to the creation of the Office of Counter-Terrorism, the first United Nations High-level Conference of Heads of Counter- Terrorism Agencies of Member States and a sixth United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy Review (resolution 72/284). The guarantee of justice for victims of serious international crimes is now one of the tasks of the International Criminal Court, which began to consider the crime of aggression in 2017, following a decision in which Portugal played an active role.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“I would particularly like to highlight our presence in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic and in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali. With respect to migration and refugees, we need to understand the causes of the growth in mass movements of people, and we need dialogue among societies of origin, transit and destination. Portugal unreservedly supports the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration, the global compact on refugees and the promotion of the right to education in emergency situations. We have welcomed and will continue to welcome migrants, refugees and other displaced persons.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Maintaining the status quo is a way of gutting multilateralism and, in the absence of prevention, multiplying risks and conflicts, resulting in underdevelopment and the violation of human rights. And if we fail to reform the Security Council through a broad-based consensus we ignore the geopolitics of the twenty-first century, which at the very least requires the inclusion of representatives of the continent of Africa, Brazil and India. Portugal is a participant in conflict-prevention, peacebuilding, peacekeeping and institutional capacity- building operations in nine United Nations missions, six of which are in Africa.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Multilateralism, based on international law and the Charter of the United Nations, the reform of the Organization, conflict prevention, peacekeeping and the maintenance of peace, concern for migration and refugees, combating terrorism and international crime, the oceans and maritime security, climate change, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, gender equality and support for our young people are all aimed at the permanent upholding of human rights. The key is always strengthened multilateralism. That is why we do not understand — and in fact deplore — the use of unilateralism as a way to disinvest in international organizations. It represents political short-sightedness that runs the risk of making us repeat the mistakes that were made almost a century ago. United Nations reform requires the commitment of all Member States.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“I convey very special congratulations to Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés on her election to preside over the General Assembly. I congratulate her on her personality and career, on the priorities she has defined, on the progress she represents in gender equality at the United Nations and on the informal interactive dialogue, which is a sign of the increased transparency of the General Assembly. Portugal welcomes and reaffirms its full support for the priorities the Secretary-General has set and the actions he has pursued during his lucid, dynamic and exceptional mandate.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)