Activities of Secretary-General in Portugal, 23 November – 3 December

The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, arrived in Lisbon from Baku on Saturday morning, 23 November.

After spending private time in Lisbon, the Secretary-General began his activities at the tenth Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations, which took place in Cascais.

On Tuesday morning, 26 November, soon after his arrival at the Forum venue, the Secretary-General took part in the family photo. He then addressed the official opening ceremony of the tenth Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations.

The Secretary-General warned that we see cynical strategies to sow divisions and widen fault lines in societies. He said that we see a groundswell of xenophobia, racism and intolerance, adding that social media is being exploited as a powerful weapon.

The Secretary-General stressed that, in these times, we need peace - peace in Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon and Sudan. Mr. Guterres emphasized that rebuilding trust is our essential task, and this makes the work of the Alliance of Civilizations more important than ever. (See Press Release SG/SM/22478.)

Following the opening ceremony, the Secretary-General attended a closed session on special reflections on Two Decades of Dialogue for Humanity, and then, a session in memory of Jorge Sampaio, the President of Portugal from 1996 to 2006, who was the first High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations.

In the early afternoon, the Secretary-General attended an official lunch hosted for Heads of Official Delegations by the Minister for State and Foreign Affairs of Portugal, Paulo Rangel. He then attended a UN Alliance of Civilizations Ministerial Group of Friends High-Level meeting.

The Secretary-General emphasized that a strong Alliance is more crucial than ever and thanked all for the support to help strengthen foundations for more inclusive, just and equal societies.

As the tide of hatred and intolerance becomes a tsunami, the Secretary-General said, we need even more bold voices and bolder action, adding that this is why he is asking countries to dig deeper to help replenish the Alliance's Voluntary Trust Fund. (See Press Release SG/SM/22479.)

During the day, the Secretary-General held bilateral meetings with heads of delegations who were attending the Forum, and he also met members of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center.

In the evening, the Secretary-General held a bilateral meeting with the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. They discussed international peace and security issues, including the war in Ukraine and the Middle East. The Secretary-General and the President exchanged views on climate action following the twenty-ninth UN Climate Change Conference and discussed Portugal's cooperation with the United Nations.

The Secretary-General expressed gratitude for Portugal's contribution to UN Peacekeeping and for hosting the tenth Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations.

The meeting was followed by an official dinner hosted by Mr. Rebelo de Sousa.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Secretary-General met with the Prime Minister of the Portugal, Luís Montenegro. The meeting was followed by a joint press encounter, in which the Secretary-General warned that we are living in a paradoxical situation, and the challenges faced by humanity have never been so serious.

He noted the profound inequalities and injustices that we are witnessing throughout the world and the multiplication of conflicts, adding that all of this shows that the institutions that we have at a global level are now profoundly outdated due to their inability to respond to these challenges.

The Secretary-General also mentioned the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, which had been announced on the night before. Describing it as the first ray of hope for peace that he had received amidst the darkness of the last few months, the Secretary-General stressed that it was essential that those who signed the ceasefire agreement fully respect it, and it was essential that the agreement paved the way for a political solution to the Lebanese crisis.