Seventy years ago, on December 14, 1955, Portugal formally became a member of the United Nations, marking a new chapter in its international engagement.
Since then, Portugal has consistently contributed to the defence of peace, human rights, international law and sustainable development within the UN system, becoming a committed, constructive actor on the global stage.
Today, as the country celebrates this milestone, the Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel, is in New York to participate in commemorative events — including a reception tied to Portugal’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
Such a candidacy underscores how Portugal views itself. Not as a passive observer, but as a strong, responsible partner ready to contribute to the most demanding decisions on peace and security.
The 70th anniversary is also an opportunity to recall that Portugal is led by António Guterres, a former Prime Minister of Portugal, who became Secretary-General of the United Nations on 1 January 2017.
In his numerous speeches, Guterres has repeatedly emphasised the crucial role of international cooperation. As he said in 2019: “I am deeply convinced that there is no other way to deal with global challenges than with global responses, and organised in a multilateral way.”
More recently, he reminded the world that “hope is not enough. Hope requires determined action and multilateral solutions for peace, shared prosperity and a thriving planet.”
Under the stewardship of its Secretary General António Guterres, the principles of solidarity, justice and collective action continue to guide the global effort — of which Portugal remains a proud and active part.
António Guterres was Prime Minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002, making him the first former head of a national government to lead the UN. Before his UN-leadership role, Guterres spent a decade (2005–2015) as head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), guiding the organisation through some of the largest displacement crises since World War II and pushing for global solidarity toward refugees.
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PAJ/Staff
