Statement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, Ambassador Mauro Luiz Iecker Vieira, during the Security Council Open Debate on the Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestine Question - October 29th, 2024

Mr. President,

The post-war international order is crumbling under our watch. The foundations laid after two global conflicts are being eroded.

The unfolding events in the Middle East are not just another chapter in an old conflict. They are a stark reflection of a deeper crisis, where might makes right, and the principles meant to safeguard peace are overshadowed.

This is why President Lula has called for a vigorous response to the grave challenges of our time.  As he underscored in the opening of the 79th session of the General Assembly,  the world needs a comprehensive overhaul of the UN Charter.

A Charter review conference may seem ambitious, but it reflects the founding vision of the UN. Article 109 makes it clear that no system should remain static in an ever-changing world. 

Mr. President,

The Council’s duty is to protect all humanity, not just cater to the few.

Its failure to act decisively has allowed atrocities to continue unchecked, with entire populations paying the price. This is not mere rhetoric. It is reflected in the crimes committed against civilians in Gaza and Lebanon.

Over 43,000 Palestinians and 2,500 Lebanese lives have already been lost to the cracks in a global order increasingly failing to uphold its promises.

Brazil has been vocal in calling for an end to the escalating violence in the Middle East. Since our presidency of this Council in October last year, when Israel was struck by a terrorist atack, we have witnessed a relentless descent into violence.

Israel’s response to October 7 has gone far beyond any sense of proportion. More bombs have fallen on Gaza than on Dresden, Hamburg, and London during World War II. This is not self-defense; it’s collective punishment and obliteration.

We have all witnessed blatant and routine violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza.

Civilian areas are indiscriminately and disproportionately targeted in military operations, leading to the destruction of critical infrastructure and suffering of innocent people.

Famine and disease are spreading as the supply of basic necessities is severed.

Even those protected under the Geneva Conventions – humanitarian workers, doctors, and health personnel – are being killed. Journalists have been shot, and their news outlets silenced.

Mr. President,

The International Court of Justice has issued provisional measures directing Israel to halt actions that may violate the Genocide Convention and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Additionally, Resolution 2735 (2024) demands a full ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from densely populated areas in Gaza, and the safe return of Palestinian civilians to their homes.

These are not recommendations; they are binding obligations under international law.

When mandatory directives from the highest legal and political bodies are ignored with impunity, it signals a dangerous unraveling of the global governance.

The consequence of this disregard is more loss of life and unimaginable destruction.

When I last addressed this Council a month ago, I warned that Lebanon stood on the edge of a conflict. Today, we mourn the loss of thousands of innocent lives, including two Brazilian teenagers.

In just 30 days, the number of displaced people in Lebanon was multiplied by tenfold.

Since I last sat in this chair, I have been engaged in the urgent task of repatriating thousands of our dual-nationals from Lebanon, completing nine rescue flights by Brazilian Airforce planes amid increasing security risks, including Israeli airstrikes deep into Lebanese territory. Thousands more await repatriation.

Mr. President,

The expansion of the war from Gaza to Lebanon shows a familiar pattern of disregard for the law. Assaults against UNRWA and now UNIFIL are a brazen repudiation of the multilateral system and everything the UN Charter represents.

This is not the first time UNIFIL has come under fire. We must not forget the 1996 shelling by Israel of the UNIFIL compound in Qana, where 106 civilians who sought refuge were killed.

This tragedy serves as a critical lesson of what happens when the international community allows such violations to go unpunished.

When we fail to hold perpetrators accountable, we pave the way for history to repeat itself.

This is why Brazil condemns in the strongest terms the deliberate recent attacks against the peacekeeping mission’s personnel and infrastructure in Lebanon.

Brazil also condemns the decision in the Knesset yesterday to pass laws against UNRWA. By attempting to dismantle vital services for Palestinians, these laws deepen the suffering of an already devastated people and run counter the request of the International Court of Justice that Israel facilitates access to humanitarian assistance to Gazans.

Efforts to undermine UNRWA are not just attacks on an institution, but on the very survival and dignity of the Palestinian people. Targeting UNRWA will neither remove the refugee status of the Palestinian people nor the responsibility of the international community to protect those in need.

We must reject this law for what it is - a dangerous precedent that undermines multilateralism and paves the way for further erosion of the global order.

Mr. President,

When international law is violated, those responsible must face consequences. It is our duty, as UN member states, to ensure that justice is enforced, investigations are carried out, responsibility is attributed, and penalties are imposed to prevent impunity and uphold the rule of law. We must uphold justice, not just call for it.

In the face of a plausible case of genocide and the indiscriminate targeting of civilians, the international community can no longer be complicit by providing weapons that enable such crimes. The same holds true for weapons that prolong the illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories.

We cannot allow the veto to become a shield for impunity.

Mr. President,

Every time this Council meets to discuss the Middle East, the situation grows more dire. New frontlines emerge, more innocent lives are lost, and the crisis deepens. The recent attacks on Iran only serve to underscore the escalating risk of a regional catastrophe.

We are sliding toward a world where future generations inherit nothing but a legacy of endless conflict and suffering. How many more innocent lives will be counted the next time we convene? How much more suffering will we allow?

War will not bring peace to the Middle East. Peace will come through a decisive commitment to diplomacy, rooted in justice and respect for international law.

As we grapple with the escalating violence and the expansion of conflict, President Lula's call for a review of the UN Charter resonates more urgently than ever. We owe it to future generations to ensure that this body has the strength and mandate to uphold justice, protect humanity, and secure lasting peace.

It is time to take the bold steps needed to make peace not just an aspiration, but a reality for all.

Thank you.