New York — Angolan President João Lourenço arrived in New York, United States, on Sunday to participate in the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, where he is scheduled to address delegates on Tuesday, the opening day of the general debate.
The High-Level Week of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly will take place from 22 to 28 September under the theme "Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all".
During his stay in New York, the Angolan Head of State is expected to hold an extensive diplomatic agenda, including meetings with figures from politics, diplomacy, business, science and other sectors of interest to Angola.
In a recent exclusive interview with ANGOP, Foreign Affairs Minister Téte António said Angola would reaffirm at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly its commitment to the peaceful settlement of conflicts, dialogue and mediation, drawing on its experience in promoting peace and stability in Africa.
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He added that, in an international context marked by conflicts, growing geopolitical tensions, economic challenges and the need to restore confidence in multilateralism, Angola's key priorities are international peace and security and the reform of the multilateral system.
According to the minister, other priorities for the country include defending Africa's interests and priorities, implementing the Pact for the Future and the Sustainable Development Goals, and strengthening Angola's role in international diplomacy.
He stressed that the current situation requires Angola to pursue an increasingly proactive, rather than merely reactive, foreign policy.
"Our country's historical experience gives us particular authority to speak about peace, dialogue, mediation and conflict resolution. However, that experience must be transformed into concrete diplomatic influence, especially within an international system undergoing profound transformation," he said.
In this context, he highlighted three priorities. The first is to firmly defend multilateralism, arguing that, despite its imperfections, the United Nations remains the most comprehensive forum for seeking collective solutions. He therefore maintained that the answer is not to abandon the system, but to reform it so that it becomes more representative, democratic and effective.
The second priority, he said, is to strengthen Africa's voice on issues such as Security Council reform, development financing, debt, climate change and food security, areas in which African countries need to act with greater unity.
The third priority is to turn diplomacy into tangible results. He stressed that a successful foreign policy should not be measured solely by the number of speeches delivered or meetings held, but by its ability to build consensus, attract investment, promote peace, defend national interests and generate concrete benefits for citizens.
"Angola should have greater confidence in its diplomatic capacity. We are a country that understands deeply the costs of war and the value of peace. We therefore possess an experience that can be useful not only to ourselves, but also to other countries seeking to overcome conflict," Téte António said.
He emphasised that, in an increasingly divided world, Angola should seek to be part of the bridges rather than the fractures, ensuring that it contributes to the unity of African states and helps prevent their positions from being fragmented by circumstantial interests.
The 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, officially opened on 8 September, is presided over by Ambassador Khalilur Rahman, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations, who was elected in June under the principle of geographical rotation among the UN regional groups for a one-year term beginning this month.
The United Nations General Assembly is the organisation's main deliberative, representative and policymaking body, bringing together all 193 Member States to discuss the principal issues on the international agenda and adopt policy guidance on matters related to the maintenance of international peace and security.
It also addresses sustainable development, the promotion and protection of human rights, international law, international economic cooperation, climate action, humanitarian assistance and the strengthening of the multilateral system.
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The United Nations Charter grants the General Assembly powers that enable it to play a central role in defining the organisation's priorities, promoting political dialogue among Member States and adopting resolutions and declarations that guide international cooperation and the work of the organs, agencies, funds and programmes of the UN system.
The General Assembly's principal political segment is the High-Level Week, which annually brings together Heads of State and Government, foreign ministers, representatives of international organisations, international financial institutions and other sectors of the international community.
On the margins of the General Debate, the session will also include High-Level Meetings marking the 40th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration on the Right to Development, addressing Sea-Level Rise, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA), and promoting the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
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