What did President Lula of Brazil say at the UN General Assembly (UNGA 81)?
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva opened the UNGA 81 general debate with “indignation”, saying the UN is failing its mission to free humanity from war, that the world is held hostage by a paralyzed Security Council, and that “Brazil does not fit in anyone’s backyard.”
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He addressed the general debate on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, as the first speaker of the morning session.
The speech in brief
- The UN is failing. He called this the most critical moment for the UN since he first spoke from the rostrum in 2003, and said its credibility has never been lower.
- War. War is not politics by other means, he said, but “the total bankruptcy of politics”. On Ukraine, after five years: “Diplomacy is the only option.”
- Gaza. He spoke of genocide by the Netanyahu government against women and children in Gaza, condemned Hamas’s terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians, and defended UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese.
- Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz has become “a war trench” instead of a passage for world trade.
- The region. He drew applause with “Brazil does not fit in anyone’s backyard”, said Venezuelans must decide their own future, condemned the embargo on Cuba, and said the region does not need aircraft carriers watching its waters.
- Big tech. He attacked a “handful of techno-oligarchs” and vowed not to let multinationals privatize Pix, Brazil’s instant payment system.
- Democracy. Two weeks before Brazil’s October 4 election, he warned against foreign interference in elections.
In his own words
He spoke in Portuguese. The English is our translation of the published text, except where the UN’s own translation is noted.
A guerra não é a continuação da política por outros meios. É a falência total da política. (War is not the continuation of politics by other means. It is the total bankruptcy of politics.)
“We are all held hostage by the inaction of the Security Council failing to fulfil its role.” (UN translation)
“Threatening civilizations with extinction will not bring stability to the Middle East.” (UN translation)
“A ONU está falhando em uma das suas missões mais elevadas: a de livrar a humanidade do flagelo da guerra.” The UN is failing one of its highest missions, to free humanity from the scourge of war.
“O Brasil não cabe no quintal de ninguém.” Brazil does not fit in anyone’s backyard.
“Somos chamados a optar entre: multilateralismo ou unilateralismo; democracia ou extremismo; soberania ou subordinação.” We are called to choose: multilateralism or unilateralism, democracy or extremism, sovereignty or subordination.
“A democracia brasileira pertence aos brasileiros.” Brazilian democracy belongs to Brazilians.
Why it landed
- Brazil always speaks first in the general debate. The backyard line, cheered in the hall, was widely read as aimed at President Trump, who spoke next.
Watch and read the full speech
The UN’s own video of the whole Day 1 session:
Watch Day 1 of the UNGA 81 general debate on the UN’s YouTube channel
UN Web TVWatch Day 1 of the general debate on UN Web TV
The UN posts the statement on its general debate website.
Every Day 1 speaker, in order: What happened on Day 1 of UNGA 81.
Follow-ups
Why does Brazil always speak first in the general debate?
Brazil's place at the top of the speakers list is not written into any UN rule — it is a custom earned in the 1940s and 1950s because Brazil kept volunteering to go first when nobody else wanted to.
In the early years of the United Nations, after its founding in 1945, many countries were reluctant to take the first speaking slot. Brazil stepped forward. As former UN protocol chief Desmond Parker explained in a 2010 interview with NPR: "In very early times, when no one wanted to speak first, Brazil always offered to speak first. And so they have earned the right to speak first at the General Assembly."
The tradition solidified at the 10th session in 1955 and has held with only rare interruptions. There is no formal UN rule requiring Brazil to open the general debate. The position developed through diplomatic practice and has continued over the decades.
Why the US goes second
The United States then traditionally follows as the second member state to speak because it hosts the UN headquarters in New York. After those two, several factors are considered when determining the order of speakers, including which representative a country is sending, the date on which it requested to speak, and geographical balance between speeches. Heads of state generally take precedence, followed by heads of government and other government representatives, including foreign ministers.
What the slot is actually worth
Going first is genuinely valuable, not ceremonial. Having the floor first sets the tone for the assembly. Brazil can highlight issues it finds vital. That is exactly what Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva did at UNGA 81, using the opening position to frame the week's conversation around a paralyzed Security Council, Gaza, the Strait of Hormuz and Brazilian sovereignty before anyone else had spoken.
In 1983 and 1984, following the US intervention in Grenada, the United States spoke first. Those are among the very few moments the tradition has broken, which tells you how durable it is. Seven decades of showing up, and the slot is yours.
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