Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Mauro Luiz Iecker Vieira, at the UNSC Open Debate on 'Upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter through effective multilateralism: maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine" - September 21st, 2023

I thank the Presidency of the Security Council for organizing this meeting.

Mister President,

The conflict in Ukraine has added enormous stress to the multilateral system, which was already subject to multiple complex challenges and increasing dissent. The current context of polarization and distrust does not create favorable conditions for the multilateral instances of international peace and security to operate effectively. The world is facing the highest number of violent conflicts since World War II, and two billion people - a quarter of humanity - are living in areas affected by conflicts.

 Yet our collective institutions are not adequately responding to these challenges. As the concept note of this debate rightly points out, the inability of the Security Council to adequately fulfill its mandate is undermining its credibility and leading to renewed calls for its long overdue reform.

In these troubled times of daunting violations of core values and principles of the United Nations, Brazil has been encouraging member-states to revive the spirit of San Francisco in the search for peace for present and future generations, which is the fundamental mission of this organization.

Brazil fully respects and upholds the right to self-defence of all Member States under Article 51 of the UN Charter. At the same time, we must recognize that the recent escalation in the conflict, with the introduction of ever more sophisticated weapons and ammunition or the inadmissible threat of use of nuclear weapons, seriously undermines peace and security well beyond the battlefield, violating the core principles and the provisions of the UN Charter.

This dynamic has grave consequences, above all, for the civilian population, in particular women and children who are disproportionately affected by wars. The destruction of civilian infrastructure worsens the humanitarian crisis, especially as winter approaches. Moreover, the persistent threat to the integrity of nuclear facilities risks a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions.

Mister President,

As we have consistently noted, the war in Ukraine also affects other regions, especially as developing countries bear the burden of food and energy insecurity.

We welcome the Secretary General’s efforts to explore alternatives to alleviate the suffering of millions of people, who once again face hunger or the threat of it. Brazil strongly supports a resumption of the Black Sea Grain Initiative under terms that would be acceptable to all concerned parties. Brazil also underscores the need for addressing the root causes of food and energy insecurity, such as excessively high interest rates and external debt that severely impact prices and the ability of developing countries to invest in sustainable food and energy production. The current international financial structure is not well-equipped to assist these countries address their major challenges.

As recently announced by President Lula, Brazil will launch, during our G20 presidency, a global alliance against hunger. This is a top priority for Brazil and should be for all of us.

Mister President,

It is worrisome that we are witnessing a conflict with such geopolitical reverberations well into the 21st century. We must reverse this course. Brazil, along with many others, continues to call for the de-escalation of hostilities, the resumption of dialogue and a peaceful solution to the conflict. This is an obligation of all Member States under Article 33 of the UN Charter.

There is no military solution to this conflict. Only a political solution that takes into account the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the legitimate security concerns of all parties, will bring lasting peace.

The international community will have to assist the parties to come to a negotiated and lasting solution. Brazil is prepared to do its part.

Mister President,

The space for diplomacy and peaceful solutions is narrowing. We must set aside practices that only deepen divisions instead of contributing to a more peaceful world and work together for a renewed multilateralism. Brazil firmly advocates for mediation and preventive diplomacy as indispensable tools to prevent the escalation of crises.

With this view, Brazil has been engaged in several fora to deal with the Ukrainian crisis. We have sent high-representatives to Copenhagen and Jeddah. We have also spoken bilaterally to the concerned parties.

We strongly encourage that in these conversations both parties should be heard and their views carefully taken inti consideration. Talking to only one party or the other will not help advancing the cause of durable peace. A comprehensive approach as suggested will be the only way forward  to enable peaceful negotiations.

With that in mind we will organize next month during our presidency of the UNSC a high-level open debate on the contributions of regional, sub-regional and bilateral arrangements to the prevention and peaceful resolution of disputes. I count on your participation in October.

Thank you.