Prime Minister with a full schedule for the 79th UN General Assembly

As part of his trip to the United States to attend the 79th United Nations General Assembly, the Portuguese Prime Minister actively took part in several important initiatives. While in New York, he reiterated Portugal’s commitments in crucial areas on the international agenda.

Commitment to ocean protection

In a high-level panel focusing on ocean sustainability, the Prime Minister noted the global responsibility to protect the oceans, which account for over 80% of the world’s biodiversity. Luís Montenegro stressed that Portugal is fully committed to meeting the targets set in the 2030 Agenda through initiatives such as the transition to a sustainable blue economy and the National Action Plan for Marine Waste, in addition to the commitment to protect 30% of the marine areas by 2030. "Our common future also depends on our blue continent, and together we will be able to make a difference", claimed the Prime Minister, noting the importance of international cooperation in this area.

Mobility agreement in the CPLP and Portuguese as an official UN language

In an interview to UN News, Luís Montenegro praised the progress made in the mobility agreement in the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP), highlighting the benefits for Portugal and the Portuguese-speaking world. He also expressed his expectation that, with Brazil’s support, the ambition of making Portuguese an official language in the United Nations will move forward. Luís Montenegro also addressed the positive impact of the training initiatives in Cape Verde and Angola, which have made it easier to integrate Portuguese-speaking workers in the Portuguese market, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to boosting consulate activity to speed up visa requests.

Request to restrict veto use in the Security Council

In a speech during the open Security Council discussion on "Leadership for Peace", Luís Montenegro called for a greater intervention by the Security Council in preventing conflicts, namely in Lebanon, noting the need to contain the rising violence in the region. The Prime Minister also advocated limiting the use of veto rights by permanent members of the Council, mentioning that "the indiscriminate use of this power has paralysed the Council’s action". He also mentioned Portugal’s application to become a non-permanent member of the Security Council for 2027-2028, undertaking to work towards the credibility and effectiveness of this body for the sake of international peace and security.

Meeting with António Guterres

The UN Secretary-General António Guterres praised Portugal’s role in the United Nations, stressing that "today, Portugal boasts significant prestige in the organisation", following a meeting with the Portuguese Prime Minister, who assured him the Government will always be on his side. António Guterres and Luís Montenegro met for about half an hour at the UN HQ in New York. During the meeting, António Guterres noted Portugal’s contribution to peace, human rights, and sustainability in a global context. Luís Montenegro in turn reaffirmed the Portuguese Government’s full support to António Guterres’s work, underling the prestige Portugal has consolidated within the organisation.