YouSaid · the spoken record

Rui Machete

lines on the record: 42
first: 2013-09-24
most recent: 2014-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
sources: un-general-debate

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“As we mark the centenary of the First World War and prepare the celebration of the seventieth anniversary of our Organization, we must bear in mind and reflect carefully on those words of the Charter. The President can count on Portugal’s commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter in the pursuit of peace, development and respect for all human rights.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We will engage with all States and other stakeholders in order to build bridges for the full implementation of human rights norms and standards. If we garner the trust of the Assembly, it will be a privilege to work, as a Council member, with the new United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, to whom I reiterate our full support. I also wish to pay a special tribute to the former High Commissioner, Ms. Navi Pillay, for her outstanding job, often accomplished in particularly difficult circumstances. I conclude with a reference to the First World War, a tragic event mentioned at the very beginning of the United Nations Charter when it affirms the determination “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind”.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“I would be remiss not to refer to the fact that on 20 November we will be celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Portugal is a party to that instrument without reservations, as well as to its three Optional Protocols. I take this opportunity to call for the universal ratification of the Convention and its Optional Protocols. During this sixty-ninth session we will also have before us a new draft resolution on establishing a moratorium on the use of the death penalty. We hope the draft resolution continues to enjoy significant and increased support this year. If we become a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council as we hope, we will act in accordance with the principles of cooperation and dialogue.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The Portuguese language is the principal link that brings together the States belonging to the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries. It is a vehicle for global communication spoken by about 250 million people in their everyday lives, in commerce, trade, business, culture and social networks. It is also an official or working language in various international organizations, including specialized agencies of the United Nations. The CPLP has the ambition of having Portuguese as an official language of the United Nations. The summit in Dili last July confirmed the vitality of the CPLP. On that occasion Timor-Leste assumed the presidency of the Community, thus lending a whole new dimension and scope to the CPLP by having its presidency located for the first time in Asia.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Portugal is by tradition a seafaring nation and has recently adopted a new national maritime strategy focusing on blue growth. We actively support United Nations efforts for the sustainable management of the oceans and their resources, and we co-chair the working group that will complete the first global report of the marine environment. We advocate the adoption of an international instrument, in the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. In June 2015 Portugal will organize a major international event on oceans, the “Blue Week”, to promote debate on maritime issues in all their dimensions. We look forward to broad participation in that event.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The outbreak of Ebola in Western African countries demands strong, combined efforts by the international community to contain and eradicate that plague. Portugal is participating in the current urgent global effort, notably in Guinea and in the framework of the United Nations operation. Despite the efforts of previous Presidents, the reform of the Security Council has not yet happened. Portugal’s position on that subject is well known. In spite of persistent differences of approach among the membership, we must not give up. Together we must find a solution, making the Security Council a body more representative of today’s world. The seventieth anniversary of the United Nations is an opportunity to bring about Security Council reform.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We now have the responsibility to accelerate the achievement of those Goals while at the same time preparing a new development agenda. Portugal is strongly committed to the definition of that new agenda. We need a transformative new global partnership that mainstreams human rights and combats inequalities. It should also promote peaceful, stable and just societies, advancing also the important issues of population and development. Universality and shared responsibility are key concepts in that regard. But the universality of the post-2015 agenda should not be synonymous with insensitivity to the specificities of the least developed and most vulnerable countries, such as small island developing States. New challenges such as climate change, illicit trafficking, piracy and pandemics are major threats in today’s world.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“International partners can and must play a decisive role in areas such as financial assistance and building technical capacity, underpinning the priorities identified by Guinea-Bissau. Further, we believe that a stabilization force based on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Mission in Guinea- Bissau, possibly enlarged to incorporate new African partners and mandated by the United Nations, would be appropriate. Therefore we welcome the initiatives supporting Guinea-Bissau undertaken by the United Nations, together with, in particular, the African Union, the CPLP, ECOWAS and the European Union. At the Millennium Summit, Heads of State and Government made the historic and inspiring decision to adopt the Millennium Development Goals.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The restoration of constitutional order, the holding of free elections and the inauguration of legitimate democratic institutions, two years after the April 2012 coup d’état, are surely praiseworthy signs of hope. The enormous socioeconomic difficulties and the recurrent and severe political instability that Guinea- Bissau has been suffering for a decade and a half did not prevent the people from electing their new leaders through free, transparent and orderly elections. The opportunity to turn the page of history must now be seized. The people of Guinea-Bissau and the authorities are taking the right steps. Consolidating the progress achieved requires support from the international community.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“While fully respecting Africa’s ownership, we also seek to contribute to international efforts, notably those of the United Nations, aimed at stabilizing conflicts or preventing security risks in Africa. Therefore, Portugal is participating in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali. We also stand ready to engage in multinational efforts to strengthen security in the Gulf of Guinea, and we are willing to cooperate in the reinforcement of the maritime capacities of the countries of the region. In recent months we have received good news from the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, a friendly country and member of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP).”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The international community must give its assistance to the political transition process, but it is paramount that all Libyan stakeholders commit to an inclusive, genuine and fruitful national dialogue. In Europe, the Ukrainian crisis and the illegal annexation of Crimea brought back tensions that we thought were outdated. We welcome the ceasefire agreement and appeal for its full implementation. Portugal encourages the parties actively to seek a lasting political solution that respects the sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity and democracy in Ukraine. Africa is a significant partner for Portugal. African States are not only political partners but also, increasingly, business and investment partners in a relationship based on parity and mutual benefits, which drive job creation and economic development.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Portugal supports and encourages the ongoing negotiations with a view to a comprehensive agreement. The events of 2010 and 2011 in Northern Africa had an unprecedented political, economic and social impact. The countries there are now confronted with significant challenges with regard to the consolidation of political reforms, sustainable economic growth and security. Portugal is currently co-chairing the Western Mediterranean Forum, also known as the 5+5 Dialogue, which brings together 10 countries from the northern and southern shores of the Mediterranean. We wish to strengthen the contribution of that platform to the enhancement of cooperation and confidence-building among its countries. Libya is an important partner in that Forum, and it is with great concern that we see the deterioration of the situation in that country.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate Egypt for brokering the ceasefire and to recognize the efforts of other regional and international partners, including the Secretary-General and United States Secretary of State John Kerry. There will be no lasting peace or stability in the Middle East without a solution to that issue. I reiterate my country’s support for a solution based on United Nations resolutions, establishing a sovereign, independent and viable Palestinian State, living side by side with the State of Israel, whose legitimate security concerns must be guaranteed. The positive signs that we saw a year ago regarding the Iranian nuclear programme were confirmed with the signing of the Joint Plan of Action in Geneva. A new political impetus is now needed.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“In Iraq we have been witnessing inhumane terrorist actions targeting defenceless populations, victimizing mainly women, children and persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities. The situation in Iraq cannot be disconnected from the prolonged conflict in Syria, where the levels of violence and suffering are, by their dimension and duration, beyond words. All parties must assume responsibility for finding a political transition to a democratic and pluralistic society. Once again we come to the Assembly without progress in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The expectations that we all shared here a year ago have been dashed. The recurring cycle of hostilities must come to an end. The conflict we saw in Gaza this summer must not happen again.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“They constitute, in the first instance, a threat to States and to the populations of the territories in which they are based. They also present a risk to regional and global peace, security and stability. That menace requires concerted and firm responses from the international community. The self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is a sinister example of that kind of criminal and barbaric action. It must be fought and neutralized. The Security Council summit and resolution 2178 (2014), which it adopted on the worrying phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters, were important steps in that direction. The Middle East continues to require special attention.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We continue to witness events that we expected to see eradicated in the twenty-first century — large-scale human rights violations, the deprivation of vast populations of their most elementary dignity, and a disregard for basic international principles such as the territorial integrity and sovereignty of States. Today the Charter of the United Nations remains as relevant as it was 69 years ago. In order to deal with the crises we face today we must base our search for fair, legal and lasting solutions on the generous and ambitious principles and norms of the Charter. The Charter offers the necessary institutional mechanisms, but their functioning and effectiveness depend on the political will of all Members of the Organization. Terrorist, extremist and radical groups deserve our most vehement repudiation and condemnation.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“In that context, Portugal has submitted a bold set of pledges and commitments that will guide the discharge of our mandate with the purpose of promoting and protecting the universality, indivisibility, inalienability and interdependence of all human rights — civil, cultural, economic, political and social. Through our actions during our last mandate in the Security Council, in 2011 and 2012, we demonstrated that consistently promoting and upholding human rights was a priority for us. If elected to the Human Rights Council, Portugal will engage in its work, fully committed to a strong, independent and effective multilateral human rights system. Portugal is in fact a party without reservations to eight core United Nations human rights treaties and all their optional protocols.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Last April Portugal underwent its second Universal Periodic Review by the Human Rights Council. Our positive national human rights record was widely acknowledged. Portugal has actively participated in multilateral human rights forums, in particular in the Human Rights Council, submitting annual resolutions on the right to education and on economic, social and cultural rights. We hope to be able to make an even greater contribution to the Human Rights Council over the coming three years, as we deeply believe in the Council’s ability to strengthen the capacity of States to comply with their human rights obligations.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“During this session, we face the enormous challenge of renewing and building upon the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), with a view to adopting the post-2015 development agenda. The President may count on the support and commitment of Portugal on that and other issues and in the ongoing work of the General Assembly, which is the first home of multilateralism and of legitimate international collective action. The commitment of Portugal to the United Nations, to the Charter and to its principles and values is firm, resolute and enduring. At this Assembly session, Portugal is a candidate for the Human Rights Council for the 2015-2017 term. We hope to have the support of all members in the upcoming election. If elected, Portugal will be serving for the first time as a member of such an important body.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“At the outset, I should like to congratulate the President on his election, which testifies to the strong commitment of Africa to the United Nations and to multilateralism. I also wish to express my appreciation for the dedication to the Assembly of his predecessor Ambassador John Ashe. I reiterate my gratitude to the Secretary-General for his leadership at the helm of our Organization and for his relentless efforts in favour of peace in such a difficult and complex time in international life. I commend him also for convening the Climate Summit, which has renewed political support for the achievement in 2015 of a fair, universal and legally binding climate agreement. Portugal, and the European Union as a whole, will continue to work tirelessly and in an inclusive manner towards the achievement of that goal.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“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.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“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.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“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.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“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.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“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.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“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.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“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.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“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.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“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.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“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.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“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.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“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.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“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.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“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.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“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.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“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.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“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.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“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.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“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.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“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.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“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.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (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.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)