Portugal’s role in ocean protection was stressed in New York

The UN Secretary General António Guterres stressed on Monday 18 March the role played by Portugal in protecting the oceans and thanked Prime Minister António Costa for his "leadership" on this matter.

Speaking at the ceremony to donate a Portuguese tapestry for the UN’s permanent exhibition in New York, Guterres quoted Vergílio Ferreira and praised Portugal’s relation with the oceans and their protection.

"The Portuguese writer Vergílio Ferreira once said: 'From my language we can see the sea'. Portugal has advocated global cooperation in ocean protection as host of the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon in 2022 ", stated the UN leader and former Portuguese Prime Minister.

"I would thank Prime Minister António Costa for his leadership on this matter. At times of great challenges, the United Nations are happy to count on your strong assistance to multilateralism and international solidarity", António Guterres added.

Portugal donated the tapestry Coral Vivo [Living Coral], of the textile artist Vanessa Barragão to the United to be permanently exhibited at the Head Office in New York. On this piece, António Guterres underlined the traditional craft techniques and the recycled materials used in tapestry, drawing on the vibrant and organic shapes found in the ocean.

"Just as the delicate yet resisting threads in this tapestry, all life on this plane tis intermeshed in an intricate and co-dependent network. The coral reefs are among the most stunning habitats with greatest biodiversity and among the most vital ones on our planet", he remarked in his speech, given to dozens of people.

"And yet these natural wonders are facing terrible threats. Climate change and record temperatures in oceans are causing catastrophic blanching and mortality of corals", he lamented.

 "No circumstance could make us prouder than to celebrate these 50 years with a Portuguese man at the helm of the UN"

As noted by the Portuguese Government, the aim of this donation is to appreciate Portugal’s active participation in the United Nations. At the ceremony, António Costa focused his speech precisely on the many meanings of the tapestry given to the UN, among which is the 25th of April 1974, "the date on which modern Portugal was founded", which ensured a change of Portugal’s vision in the United Nations.

"One of the most important changes brought on by the Revolution was the way in which we are in this house: 50 years ago, Portugal was almost isolated in the United Nations, fighting against the tides of History. Let us remember that between 1961 and 1974, the Security Council and the General Assembly approved 57 resolutions against Portuguese colonialism", he recalled. 

"Today, we are a peaceful and open country, committed to multilateralism. Fifty years on, the United Nations System is at the core of our foreign policy, António Costa added, noting that "no circumstance could make us prouder than to celebrate these 50 years with a Portuguese man at the helm of the UN".

"This gift is also a tribute paid by Portugal to the United Nations and its Secretary-General", António Costa underlined.