Diplomacy, way to address global challenges — Brazil President

Diplomacy, way to address global challenges — Brazil President

Brazil’s  President Luiz da Silva says the UN needs to become a “temple of peace” once again, as it confronts one of the most critical periods in its 80-year history.

Addressing the General Assembly at the opening of the 2026  General Debate, the President – known to all as Lula – expressed his indignation at the widespread attacks taking place on multilateralism worldwide.

According to the Brazilian president, more effective diplomacy is the only way for collective challenges to be successfully addressed.

He said the organisation’s credibility had been weakened due to paralysis of the Security Council , the use of veto powers and growing geopolitical tensions.

“We are all held hostage by the inaction of the Security Council” he said, stressing that Brazil had spoken out against the use of veto power by permanent members in the chamber since the first general assembly meeting in 1946.

The Brazilian President recalled that the previous year had seen the highest number of armed conflicts registered since the Second World War.

He called for regional conflicts to be contained before they escalated into “tragedies of global proportions”.

Turning to the conflict in the Middle East, Lula said that “generations of Palestinians” will now carry “the pain and trauma left by the genocide of women and children.

The President criticised the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, saying it made a two-state solution increasingly difficult to achieve.

Lula also addressed the war between Russia and Ukraine, saying the conflict had continued to claim lives and that there would be “no winners on the battlefield”.

He also highlighted key policies at home, noting that Brazil had once again made inroads against hunger and adopted a new law to combat corruption and organised crime.

He explained that this had led to a record level of seizures of drugs, assets and illicit funds.

“The fight against corruption shall remain relentless,” Lula said. “No matter who it hurts. No one is above the law.”

On climate change, President Lula said that, in an era of disinformation, those who reject scientific evidence are denying reality.

He said economic development should always go hand in hand with environmental protection.

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The president also called for greater regulation of large technology companies and artificial intelligence (AI), warning against a technological race without ethical safeguards.

He , however, warned that Brazil was not anybody’s backyard, especially in a context of renewed hegemonic temptations.

“Brazil does not fit in anyone’s backyard while the geographical proximity to the world’s greatest military power is inescapable in Latin America and the Caribbean,” he stressed.

The President said the UN had failed in ridding humanity of the scourge of war, adding that its credibility has never been lower.

“We are all held hostage by the inaction of the Security Council failing to fulfil its role,” he further stressed.

Lula added that this inherent flaw in the UN Charter granted the great Powers the luxury of being insensible.

Emphasising that 2025 recorded the highest number of armed conflicts since the Second World War and trillions of dollars are funding a new arms race, he urged the leaders of Security Council Member States to meet.

He went on to say that generations of Palestinians would carry the pain and trauma left by the genocide of women and children perpetrated by the Netanyahu government in Gaza.

“Threatening civilizations with extinction will not bring stability to the Middle East,” he underscored.

He noted that the Strait of Hormuz had become a battleground, when it should have remained a vital passage for international trade, and the war between Russia and Ukraine had dragged on for five years.

“We all know that there will be no winners on the battlefield.  Diplomacy is the only option,” he emphasised.

Recognising the challenge represented by organised crime, he called for cooperation to block the flow of weapons and money that feeds crime.

“That’s the spirit of the proposal that I personally handed to the U.S. President,” he added.

In his closing remarks, Lula highlighted the UN’s historic role in decolonisation, human rights, sustainable development and the protection of migrants and refugees.

He called on Member States to find the political will to once again make the UN a “temple of peace”