Statement of Portugal at the UNGA72
Conflict Prevention: “Reforming the architecture of peace and security is an absolute priority. Consolidating a culture of conflict prevention requires action across the board and an integrated vision of the three pillars of the United Nations system - peace, human rights and sustainable development - as well as closer institutional cooperation between the organs of the Charter, namely the Security Council and the General Assembly.”
Conflict Prevention/Peacekeeping: “Promoting peace and security goes hand in hand with promoting development. The two dimensions are complementary and strengthen each other. For this reason, diplomatic mediation efforts and peace operations in conflict zones also require humanitarian support, development cooperation and institutional capacity building for affected populations and States.”
Peacekeeping: “One of the clearest priorities of Portuguese foreign policy Is the participation in Peacekeeping Operations and Institution building within the framework of the United Nations.”
Peacekeeping: “ However, numerous disturbances still need to be overcome. Portugal strives to do its part. First, through participation in various Peacekeeping and Stabilization Operations, within the framework of the United Nations and the European Union. We have reinforced our presence, without ever restricting the use of our troops. In the multilateral missions in the Sahel and Central Africa region, namely MINUSMA in Mali and MINUSCA in the Central African Republic. Secondly, through cooperation with many African partners in promoting maritime security. In particular in the Gulf of Guinea, to combat piracy and trafficking in people, drugs and weapons, to protect international trade, as well as from a strategic point of view, both for Africa and Europe.”
Syria/Libya: “The unity and firmness of the international community, embodied in the United Nations, in defense of the law and in the promotion of security and stability, is what enables us to move towards a fairer international order, and to find the best answers to the serious crises we face today, from North Korean threats to the situation In Syria, from the instability in Libya to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and so many other sources of confrontation, security risk or humanitarian drama.”
Iraq: “We welcome the military successes achieved in Iraq over the past year.”
Syria: “I underline, in this context, the work of the Global Platform for Support to Syrian Students, an initiative of the former President of Portugal, Jorge Sampaio. This is to guarantee the access to higher education for those young Syrians who, because of the conflict in their country, have been deprived of this universal right. I invite all countries that have not yet done so to join the Platform and support the Rapid Response Mechanism for Higher Education.”