Portugal Calls for Reinvigorated Multilateralism at UN’s 80th General Assembly High-Level Week
Portugal reaffirmed its commitment to multilateralism with the United Nations at its centre during the High-Level Week of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), held from 22 to 30 September 2025 under the theme “Better Together: 80 Years and More for Peace, Development and Human Rights.”
The 80th UNGA High-Level Week marked a historic moment, commemorating eight decades of the UN system and accelerating UN reform to address urgent global challenges – from armed conflict to climate change, from digital transformation to financing gaps.
From Gaza to Ukraine, Portugal reiterated its principled position in defence of international law and the protection of civilians. In a cross-cutting way, Portugal further highlighted the importance of advancing the rights and participation of women and youth, ensuring the safe and ethical development of artificial intelligence, and accelerating progress in areas such as global health, ocean governance and climate action.
On peace and security, Portugal underscored the need to reinforce early action and conflict prevention mechanisms, deepen partnerships across the UN system and with regional organisations, and strengthen the protection of civilians and fundamental rights in all circumstances.
Throughout High-Level Week, Portugal reaffirmed that multilateralism remains indispensable, particularly at a time marked by rising geopolitical tensions and the erosion of trust among States. Strengthening the United Nations, the country emphasised, is essential to safeguarding global stability and delivering concrete results for people and the planet.In this context, Portugal stressed the need for fairer financing mechanisms, ethical digital governance, and climate justice – ensuring that global rules serve all nations, including Least Developed Countries, Small Island Developing States and Landlocked Developing Countries.
