What did President João Lourenço of Angola say at the UN General Assembly (UNGA 81)?

He addressed the general debate on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, as the thirteenth speaker of the morning session.

The speech in brief

• Global anarchy. International rules are being sidelined, he said, and attempts to dominate whole countries and regions by force are leading the world toward catastrophe.
• The permanent members. He pointed to the direct involvement of some of them in the bloodiest conflicts of the day, in Europe and the Persian Gulf.
• Reform. He called for urgent, deep reform of the Security Council and a fairer, more democratic world order.
• Diplomacy. As the African Union’s champion for peace, he argued for African solutions to African conflicts, and said diplomacy can unite, repair, build and save lives.

In his own words

He spoke in Portuguese. The English is our translation.

Vivemos hoje num ambiente de anarquia mundial em que o uso da força impera sobre a força da razão e da lei. (We live today in global anarchy, where the use of force prevails over the force of reason and law.)

“A tentativa de dominação pela força das armas de países e regiões inteiras do globo vem conduzindo o mundo para uma situação de catástrofe.” The attempt to dominate whole countries and regions by force of arms is leading the world toward catastrophe.

• Africa, Latin America and Asia “deverão estar adequadamente representados” on a reformed Security Council: they must be properly represented.

Watch and read the full speech

Video of the address:

The UN posts the statement on its general debate website.

Every Day 1 speaker, in order: What happened on Day 1 of UNGA 81.