🇧🇷 Brazil - President Addresses United Nations General Debate, 79th Session | #UNGA

Summary

In his address to the UN General Assembly, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva highlighted global challenges such as climate change, geopolitical conflicts, and economic inequality. He condemned the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, urging peaceful dialogue and condemning excessive military spending. Lula emphasized Brazil's commitment to environmental sustainability, reducing deforestation, and addressing the climate crisis. He also called for reforming the United Nations to reflect modern realities, advocating for greater representation for developing countries in global decision-making. Lastly, he stressed the need for collective action to combat hunger and poverty.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Brazil emphasizes the importance of multilateralism and urges the UN to strengthen its capacity for addressing global crises.
• 🕊️ President Lula condemned the Ukraine war, highlighting the need for peace and dialogue, while acknowledging that neither side will achieve all objectives militarily.
• 💔 Brazil expressed concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank, condemning terrorism while also calling for an end to collective punishment of Palestinians.
• 💸 Lula criticized global military spending, noting the increase of $2.4 trillion and arguing that these funds should be redirected to fight hunger and climate change.
• 🌡️ The climate emergency is a key focus, with Brazil vowing to reduce deforestation in the Amazon by 50% and eliminate it by 2030, while advocating for better global action against climate change.
• 💡 Brazil is a leader in clean energy, with 90% of its electricity coming from renewable sources, and aims to advance the global energy transition through green hydrogen and bioeconomy.
• 📉 Lula highlighted the economic struggles in Latin America, criticizing economic inequality and urging for a sustainable and inclusive economic model.
• 🤖 Concerns were raised about the global inequality in the digital and artificial intelligence sectors, with a small number of countries controlling most AI advancements.
• 🍽️ Hunger remains a global crisis, with Lula pointing out that the world produces enough food, but political choices prevent its fair distribution. Brazil plans to launch a global alliance against hunger.
• 🔄 Lula called for comprehensive UN reform, particularly the Security Council, to make it more representative of the current global realities, advocating for inclusion of Latin America and Africa in permanent seats.

Q & A

What was the primary message of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in his address to the United Nations?

President Lula's primary message emphasized the need for greater international cooperation, reforming global institutions like the UN, addressing humanitarian crises, resolving geopolitical conflicts, and tackling climate change. He called for a more equitable global order and advocated for peace and multilateralism.

What were President Lula’s views on the war in Ukraine?

President Lula condemned the invasion of Ukrainian territory and expressed regret that the conflict has extended with no prospect of peace. He emphasized that neither side will achieve their objectives militarily and called for resuming direct dialogue between the parties.

How did President Lula describe the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank?

President Lula described the situation in Gaza and the West Bank as one of the greatest humanitarian crises in recent history. He condemned the terrorist actions against Israeli civilians but also criticized the collective punishment of the Palestinian people, with over 40,000 fatalities, mostly women and children.

What concerns did President Lula raise about global military spending?

President Lula highlighted that global military spending has increased for the ninth consecutive year, reaching $2.4 trillion. He criticized the allocation of such resources to military capabilities rather than to fighting hunger or climate change.

What actions has Brazil taken to combat environmental degradation, according to President Lula?

President Lula stated that his government has reduced deforestation in the Amazon by 50% in the past year and aims to eradicate it by 2030. Brazil is also fighting illegal mining and organized crime to preserve the environment and promote sustainable development through the bioeconomy.

How did President Lula address the issue of climate change in his speech?

President Lula expressed frustration with the unfulfilled climate agreements and the lack of progress in reducing carbon emissions. He emphasized that 2024 is on track to be the hottest year in modern history and called for urgent action to address climate change, including transitioning to a green economy and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

What is Brazil’s position on the reform of the United Nations, according to President Lula?

President Lula advocated for a comprehensive reform of the United Nations, including the Security Council, to make it more effective and representative. He criticized the exclusion of Latin America and Africa from permanent seats on the Security Council and called for a transparent and inclusive reform process.

What were President Lula's views on the global debt burden faced by low and middle-income countries?

President Lula expressed concern about the prohibitive financial conditions low and middle-income countries face, noting that African nations borrow at rates significantly higher than developed countries. He criticized the imbalance where poorer nations finance the wealthiest through unfair financial systems.

What initiative did President Lula announce to combat global hunger and poverty?

President Lula announced the launch of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, which will take place in Rio de Janeiro in November. This initiative is part of Brazil's G20 chairmanship and aims to unite countries in the fight against hunger, offering open participation to all willing nations.

How did President Lula address the topic of inequality and the need for fair taxation?

President Lula highlighted the growing wealth disparity, noting that the fortunes of the top five billionaires have more than doubled while 60% of humanity has become poorer. He called for international cooperation to develop minimum global taxation standards and ensure the super-rich pay their fair share.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Global Cooperation & Geopolitical Challenges

President Lula of Brazil begins by addressing the United Nations Assembly, acknowledging the Secretary-General and specific delegations, including the Palestinian observer delegation. He reflects on the recently adopted 'Pact for the Future,' noting the challenges in global cooperation. Lula highlights the rising geopolitical tensions, military spending, and the inability of international bodies to unite on critical issues like pandemics and peace. He stresses the importance of dialogue to resolve conflicts, especially in Ukraine and the Middle East, where humanitarian crises are worsening.

05:01

🌿 Climate Crisis & Brazil's Leadership

Lula shifts focus to climate change, describing the devastating impact of global warming, including natural disasters in various parts of the world and the Amazon. He emphasizes Brazil’s commitment to combating environmental degradation and illegal activities, proudly announcing a reduction in deforestation and plans to eliminate it by 2030. Lula positions Brazil as a leader in renewable energy, citing its clean energy mix and green hydrogen production, and calls for a global shift away from fossil fuels. He asserts Brazil's readiness to host COP 30 in 2025 and its dedication to multilateral solutions for climate challenges.

10:02

💼 Social Inequality & Economic Reform

In this section, Lula addresses economic and social inequality, particularly in Latin America. He criticizes the isolation of Cuba and highlights the urgent need for public order in Haiti. Lula emphasizes the importance of defending democracy against extremist threats, ensuring that governance responds to issues like hunger, unemployment, and inequality. He argues that neither ultra-liberal economic experiments nor isolationism offer solutions to these problems, calling for a more inclusive and sustainable state to address regional challenges.

15:04

📜 Sovereignty & Global Governance

Lula discusses the importance of sovereignty, highlighting the need for states to enforce laws, including in the digital realm. He critiques the growing influence of a small group of companies and countries over global resources and knowledge, particularly in artificial intelligence. Lula advocates for AI development that respects cultural diversity and human rights. He also calls for reform in global financial systems, noting the prohibitive costs for low- and middle-income countries to access financial resources, and pushes for greater participation from developing countries in institutions like the IMF and World Bank.

Keywords

💡Geopolitical disputes

Geopolitical disputes refer to conflicts or tensions between countries over political and territorial issues. In the speech, Lula highlights growing global tensions, particularly mentioning strategic rivalries and conflicts like the war in Ukraine. These disputes are central to his message of needing stronger international dialogue and cooperation to prevent escalation.

💡Climate change

Climate change refers to the long-term alteration of temperature and typical weather patterns. Lula discusses the urgent need for global action on climate change, pointing to Brazil's efforts to reduce deforestation and mitigate environmental crises. He emphasizes the responsibility of wealthier nations to meet their commitments and mentions Brazil's hosting of COP 30 to address these issues.

💡Multilateralism

Multilateralism is the practice of multiple countries working together on a given issue. Lula advocates for this approach as the only way to solve global problems such as climate change, international security, and economic inequality. He argues that stronger multilateral institutions, like the UN, are needed to deal with these complex challenges.

💡Humanitarian crisis

A humanitarian crisis refers to a situation in which large numbers of people are in danger due to conflict, disaster, or other emergencies. In the speech, Lula refers to the humanitarian crises in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Sudan, and Yemen, emphasizing the immense suffering and the need for international humanitarian intervention to provide relief.

💡Sustainable development

Sustainable development involves economic growth that meets present needs without compromising future generations' ability to meet theirs. Lula discusses Brazil’s commitment to sustainable development, particularly through reducing deforestation and promoting a bioeconomy. He stresses the need for development that balances economic growth with environmental conservation.

💡Global military spending

Global military spending refers to the total amount of money spent by countries around the world on their military forces. Lula expresses concern over the rise in military expenditures, which reached $2.4 trillion in 2023. He contrasts this with the resources needed to fight hunger and climate change, arguing that these funds could be better utilized for global development.

💡UN reform

UN reform involves changes to the structure and functioning of the United Nations to make it more effective. Lula calls for comprehensive reform of the UN, particularly the Security Council, to reflect modern realities. He emphasizes that the current system is outdated and does not represent the interests of all member countries, especially those in Latin America and Africa.

💡Food insecurity

Food insecurity refers to the lack of reliable access to sufficient quantities of affordable, nutritious food. Lula highlights the alarming increase in global hunger, with 733 million people affected, many of whom are women and children. He stresses that hunger is a result of political choices and calls for global cooperation to address this issue.

💡Economic inequality

Economic inequality refers to the unequal distribution of wealth and resources among individuals or countries. Lula points out the growing disparity between the richest individuals and the rest of the world’s population, noting that the wealth of a few billionaires has dramatically increased while many people continue to suffer from poverty. He calls for fairer taxation and economic policies that address these inequalities.

💡Energy transition

Energy transition refers to the shift from fossil fuel-based energy systems to renewable energy sources. Lula discusses Brazil’s leadership in the energy transition, with 90% of its electricity coming from renewable sources like biomass, hydropower, solar, and wind. He emphasizes the importance of moving toward a less fossil fuel-dependent global economy to address climate change.

Highlights

Brazil condemns the invasion of Ukraine and calls for dialogue between parties, emphasizing that neither side will achieve their objectives militarily.

President Lula condemns collective punishment of Palestinians and calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, highlighting over 40,000 fatalities, mostly women and children.

Brazil has reduced deforestation in the Amazon by 50% in the last year and aims to eradicate it by 2030.

Global military spending has grown for the ninth consecutive year, reaching $2.4 trillion, while hunger and climate change remain underfunded.

Lula stresses that the UN needs to be empowered to deal with rapid changes in the global landscape, calling for reforms in its structure, including the Security Council.

Brazil will host COP30 in 2025, reinforcing its commitment to multilateralism and the global climate emergency.

Lula criticizes the current global economic system, calling for greater participation of developing nations in the governance of the IMF and World Bank.

He emphasizes that the poorest countries are financing the richest due to high borrowing costs, describing it as a 'Marshall Plan in Reverse'.

Brazil seeks to eradicate hunger domestically by 2024, having lifted over 24 million people out of severe food insecurity in 2023 alone.

Lula calls for international cooperation to develop global minimum taxation standards, emphasizing the growing inequality between the super-rich and the working class.

The right to self-defense must not be confused with vengeance, which Lula argues has fueled the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Brazil aims to become a global leader in renewable energy, with 90% of its electricity coming from renewable sources, and is at the forefront of green hydrogen production.

Lula criticizes the persistent colonial practices in global governance, specifically excluding Latin America and Africa from permanent seats in the UN Security Council.

He calls for a comprehensive reform of the United Nations Charter, which has not been substantially updated since 1973, to address contemporary challenges.

Lula highlights Brazil's leadership in the bioeconomy and sustainable development, ensuring indigenous communities are part of decision-making processes.

Transcripts

the assembly will hear an

address by his Excellency Luis inao Lula

da

Silva president of the federative

Republic of

Brazil I request protocol to escort his

Excellency and invite him to address the

assembly m

my greetings to the president of the

general assembly Mr Yang I would like to

greet the Secretary

General Antonio GIS and each of the

heads of state and government and

delegates

present I'd like to address it

specifically to the Palestinian

delegation who is taking part in this

opening session for the first time a bit

as an observer

member I'd like to

also um mention president abas attending

this meeting ladies and gentlemen the

day before yesterday here in this very

plenary we adopted the pact of the for

the future it's difficult approval show

shows the weakening of our Collective

capacity for negotiation and dialogue

its limited scope is also an expression

of the Paradox of our time we walk

around in circles between possible

commitments that lead to insufficient

results not even with the tragedy of

covid-19 were we able tonight around a

treaty on pandemics at the World Health

Organization

we need to go much further and provide

the UN with the necessary means to face

the dizzying changes in the

international Panorama we are living in

a time of growing anguish frustration

tension and fear we are witnessing an

alarmy escalation of geopolitical

disputes and strategic rivalries

2023 holds the sad record of the highest

number of conference since World War II

Global military spending grew for the

ninth consecutive year and reached

$2.4

trillion over 90 billion doar have been

mobilized with nuclear

arsenals these resources could have been

used to finance the right the fight

against hunger and climate change what

we are seeing is an increase in military

capability ities the use of force not

supported by international law is

becoming the rule we are witnessing two

simultaneous conflicts with the

potential to become widespread

configurations in Ukraine with regret we

are seeing the war extending without any

Prospect of Peace Brazil has firmly

condemned the invasion of the Ukrainian

territory it is already clear that

neither side will be able to achieve all

their objectives through military means

the use of increasingly destructive

weapons brings to the mind the darkest

days of this star Cold War confrontation

creating conditions for resuming direct

dialogue between the parties is crucial

at this time this is a message of the

six points of understanding that China

and Brazil offer for a process of

dialogue to be established and the and

for the hostilities to end in Gaza and

the West Bank we are witnessing one of

the greatest humanitarian crisis in

recent history which is now spreading

dangerously to

Lebanon what began as a terrorist action

by Fanatics against innocent Israeli

civilians has become a collective

punishment for the entire Palestinian

people they have been over 40,000 fatal

victims mostly women and children the

right to defense has become the right to

Vengeance which prevents an agreement

for the release of hostages and

postpones the

ceasefire forgotten conflicts in Sudan

and Yemen are causing excruciating

suffering to nearly 30 million people

this year the number of people in need

of humanitarian Aid in the world will

reach 300

million in times of increasing

polarization Expressions such as Del

global ization and decoupling have

become commonplace but it is impossible

to detie our life together we're doomed

to climate change

interdependence the planet is no longer

waiting to demand payment for the next

generation and is fed up with

unfulfilled climate agreements it it's

tired of neglected carbon reduction

targets and financial aid to poor

country that does not arrive Den

ISM succumbs to evidence of global

warming

2024 is on track to be the hottest year

in modern history hurricanes in the

Caribbean tyoon in Asia droughts and

floods in Africa torrential rains in

Europe leave a trail of death and

destruction in the south of Brazil we

had the biggest flood since

1941 the Amazon

is experiencing the worst drought in 45

years the forest fires have spread

across the country and have already

devoured 5 million hectars in August

alone my government does not Outsource

responsibilities nor does it abdicate

its sovereignty we have done already a

lot but we know that much more needs to

be done in addition to facing the

challenge of climate crisis we're

fighting against those who profit with

environmental degradation we will not

tolerate environmental crimes illegal

Mining and organized crime we reduce the

deforestation the Amazon by 50% in the

last year and we will eradicate it by

2030 it is no longer acceptable to think

about solutions for tropical forests

without listening to the indigenous

peoples traditional communities and all

those that live in them our sustainable

development vision is based on the

potential of the

bioeconomy Brazil will host cope 30 in

2025 convinced that

multilateralism is the only way to

overcome the climate

emergency our nationally determined

contribution NDC will be presented later

this year in line with the goal of

limiting the increase of the planet's

temperature temperature to

1.5° Brazil stands out as a source of

opportunities in this world

revolutionalized by energy transition

today we are one of the countries with

the cleanest Energy Mix 90% of our

electricity comes from renewable sources

such as biomass hydroelectrical power

solo power and wind power we made the

choice for bofu 50 years ago long before

the discussion about alternative

energies gain traction we are the

Forefront of other important niches such

as green hydrogen production it is time

to face the debate about the slow pace

of the planet's

decarbonization and work for an economy

less reliant on fossil fuels Mr

President Latin

American has been experienced since a

sec a second last decade since 2014 the

Region's average growth during this

period was only just 9% less than half

of what was seen in the last decade of

the 80s this combination of low growth

and high levels of inequality results in

harmful effects on the political

landscape engulfed by disputes often

unrelated to the region our vocation for

cooperation and understanding has been

weakened it is unjust ified keeping Cuba

on a unilateral list of states that

allegedly promote

terrorism and also that this is undo

this in this he reaches the most

vulnerable uh countries in Haiti it's

urgent to combine actions to restore

public order and promote development in

Brazil defending democracy implies

impermanent action against extremist

Miss IC and totalitarian attacks which

spread hatred intolerance and

resentment it was on its behalf that

Brazilians defeated dictators and

tyrants who tried to undermine

institution and put them at the service

of reactionary interests democracy needs

to respond to the legitimate aspiration

of those who no longer accept hunger

inequality unemployment and violence in

a globalized world it makes no sense to

Resort to false Patriots and

isolationists nor is there hoping

resorting to ultra liberal experiments

that only worsen the difficulties of an

impoverished continent the future of our

region depends above all on building a

sustainable efficient and inclusive

state that tackles all forms of

discrimination a a future which is is

not intimidated by individuals

corporations or digital platforms that

consider themselves Above the Law

freedom is the first victim of a world

with no rules essential elements of

sovereignty

includes the right to prescribe laws

educate disputes and enforce rules

within one's territory including the

digital environment the state we are

building is sensitive to the needs of

the most vulnerable without giving up

sound macroeconomic foundations the

false opposition between State and

Market was abandoned by developed

Nations which returned to practice

active industrial policies and strong

regulation of the domestic economy in

the area of artificial intelligence we

are experiencing the consolidation of

asymmetries that lead to a true

knowledge oligopoly the unprecedent uh

con in the hands of a small number of

people and companies based in an even

smaller number of countries is advancing

we are interested in in

emancipatory artificial intelligence

which also has the face of the global

South and which strengthens cultural

diversity that respects human rights

protects personal data and promotes

information integrity and above all that

it will be a tool for peace not for

war we need

intergovernmental intelligence in which

all states have a seat Mr

President conditions for accessing

Financial Resources remain prohibitive

for most low and middle income countries

the debt burden limits fiscal room to

invest in health and education reduce

inequalities and address climate change

African countries borrow at rate up to

eight times higher than Germany and four

times higher than the United

States it's a Marshall Plan in Reverse

in which the poorest Finance the

richest without greater participation of

the developing countries in the

management the IMF and the World Bank

there will be no effective

change while the sustainable development

goals lag behind the world's 100 50

largest companies had collectively made

up

to1 trillion dollar in profits over the

last two years the fortunes of the top

five billionaires have more than doubled

since the start of this decade while 60%

of the humanity has become poor the

super rich pay

proportionately much less tax than the

working class to remedy this anomaly

Brazil has in insisted on International

cooperation to develop minimum Global

taxation

standards the data released by FAO two

months ago on the state of food

insecurity in the world is shocking the

number of people going hungry around the

world has increased by more than 152

million since 2019 this means that 9% of

the world's population 733 million

people people are

undernourished the problem is severely

severe Africa and Asia but it also

persists in parts of Latin America women

and girls make up the

majority of people facing hunger in the

world pandemics armed conflicts climate

events and agricultural subsidies from

rich countries are increasing the scope

of this scorge but hunger is not just

the result of external factors it arises

above all from political choices today

the world produces more than enough food

to eradicate it what is missing is for

conditions to be created so that food

may be affordable this is my

government's most urgent commitment and

hunger in Brazil as we did in

2014 in 23 alone we lived at 24 m ion

and 400,000 people out of a condition of

severe food insecurity the global

alliance against hunger and poverty

which we will launch in Rio de Janeiro

in November was born from this political

will and this Spirit of

solidarity it will be one of the main

results of the Brazilian G20

chairmanship and is open to the

world anyone who wants to join this

Collective effort is

welcome Mr President ladies and

gentlemen about to turn 80 the United

Nations

Charter has never undergone

comprehensive reform only four

amendments were passed all of them

between

1965 and

1973 the Charter's current version fails

to address some of Humanity's most

pressing challenges when the UN was

founded we were 50 one countries we are

now

193 countries several countries mainly

on the African continent were under

colonial rule when the UN was founded

and had no say over its goals and

functioning there is no gender balance

in the highest positions the position of

Secretary General has never been held by

a woman

we are approaching the end of the first

quarter of the 21st century where the

United Nations increasingly empty and

paralyzed it is time to react vigorously

to this situation restoring to the

organization the prerogatives that

derive from its status as a universal

Forum one off adjustments are not enough

we need to think about review and

revising the charter comprehensively the

reform should include the following

goals transforming the economic and

social Council into the main forum for

dealing with sustainable development and

the fight against climate change with a

real capacity to inspire financial

institutions revitalizing the role of

the general assembly including in

matters of International Peace and

security strengthening of the

peacebuilding commission reform of the

security Council focusing on its

composition working methods and veto

powers in order to make it more

effective and representative of

contemporary realities excluding Latin

America and Africa from the permanent

seats of the Security Council is an

unacceptable Eco of domination practices

from the colonial past I

have let's promote this discussion in a

transparent

way let's promote this discussion in a

transparent way in consultation with the

g77 the G20 in the bricks in the Caron

at the UI at any other spaces that exist

I do have have no Illusions about the

complexity of a reform like this which

will face crystallized interests in

maintaining the status quo it will

require enormous negotiation effort but

that is our responsibility we cannot

wait for another world tragedy like the

World War II to only then build a new

governance on its

rubbles the will of the majority can

persuade those who cling to the raw

expression of the mechanisms of

power the Humanity's aspirations equal

in this plenary here we engage in the

world's big debates in this forum we

look for answers to the problems

inflicted on the

world it is on it is up to the general

assembly the biggest expression of

multilateralism the mission to pave the

way for the future thank you very much

[Applause]

on behalf of the assembly I wish to

thank the president of the federative

Republic of Brazil