New York 23.09.202“With such a dangerous precedent, no regional, continental or global institution will henceforth have the moral authority to call to order any State when it breaches the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter and in international law” — João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola.

He recalled that world Powers previously played a crucial role in liberating Europe and Europeans from the clutches of Nazism and fascism, and liberating Africa and Africans from South Africa’s Apartheid regime.

He stressed that, now, they cannot act differently “by attacking other countries, invading and annexing foreign territories or even financing and organizing upheavals that can lead to the overthrow of legitimate Governments — as we currently witness on our own continent”.

#UNGA80 H.E. João Lourenço, President of Angola & Chair of the #AU, called for a revitalised multilateralism, urgent UNSC reform, climate justice; and urges the global leaders to choose dialogue over war and build a future of peace and development. 🌍✊🏿 #UN80 pic.twitter.com/Ndvczgd1a5

— Amb. Prof. Miguel Bembe (@AmbMiguelBembe) September 24, 2025

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Africans from countries colonized for centuries, he said, understand better than anyone the importance of peace — as they face daily struggles for food, drinking water, health, education and other essential goods. Knowing the harmful impact of insecurity and instability on development objectives, Angola has worked to resolve conflicts in the Sahel region, Sudan and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

This latter conflict — and many others, he emphasized — are largely the consequence of Member States’ passivity “in the face of invasions of third-party territories and interference in the internal order of sovereign countries”.

In its current form, the United Nations is the only organization with the capacity to act on behalf of all countries seeking a global consensus for peace and “with the legitimacy to call to order Member States that distort its founding principles through their conduct in the international arena”, he underscored.