Brazil's Lula:“The Global South Must Be Heard”

(MENAFN- Brazil-Arab News Agency (ANBA)) São Paulo – In his opening speech at the 80^th United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday morning (23) at the UN headquarters in New York, U.S., Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva advocated for multilateralism in an increasingly multipolar world and said Brazil gives“growing importance” to bodies that exemplify multilateralism. He mentioned the European Union, African Union, G20, Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and BRICS, a group consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia.

Lula said there is an“evident parallel” between the crisis of multilateralism and the weakening of democracy, citing unilateral decisions by world leaders and a lack of dialogue on matters of common interest. He mentioned, for example, setbacks in the international trade system and said it is urgent to reform the World Trade Organization (WTO) on modern and flexible foundations. Several Brazilian products exported to the United States, such as steel and coffee, experienced a 50% increase due to decisions by U.S. President Donald Trump.

In a speech defending Brazilian democracy and sovereignty, which he called“non-negotiable,” Lula also addressed the environment. He said that during the COP30 talks to be held in Belém, Pará state, in November, the world will have the opportunity to learn about the reality of the Amazon, and he said that the climate emergency requires moving from the negotiation phase on what to do to curb global warming to the implementation phase.

Lula advocated for reforming the UN and the Security Council, a demand he has raised in previous General Assembly speeches, and spoke in favor of developing countries by saying,“The voice of the Global South must be heard.”

He condemned Hamas's attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and said what is happening in Gaza today is a“massacre,” with hunger being used as a“weapon of war.”

“No situation is more emblematic than the disproportionate use of force in Palestine. The attacks carried out by Hamas are indefensible from any angle, but nothing, absolutely nothing, justifies the ongoing genocide in Gaza,” he said. In recent days, countries such as Australia, France, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Portugal have recognized the Palestinian State.

Lula regretted that, at such an important moment for the Palestinians, the President of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), Mahmoud Abbas, and his delegation had their visas to enter the U.S. revoked. The UN General Assembly is held at the organization's headquarters in New York.

Read more:
Brazil's Lula backs Palestinian statehood
Four more countries recognize state of Palestine

Translated by Guilherme Miranda

Ricardo Stuckert/Brazil Presidency

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