General themes
Multilateralism at UNGA 81
Raised by 184 of 223 speakers. Read verbatim UN transcript quotes and select a time to hear the speech.
Speeches that raised multilateralism
Mauritania · Day 4Mohamed Salem MerzougHis Excellency honored me to address the General Assembly on his behalf.
The theme of this session, Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation, a United Nations that Delivers for All, reflects the core of our responsibilities towards the common goal of this organization that was established after the horrors of the 20th century.
They decided to rely on the strength of law and not that of the might.
9passages
Malta · Day 4Robert AbelaAn international order that, for all its flaws and failures, has seen more children escape hunger, more families live in peace, and more children grow into old age than any era before it.
To destroy the international settlement without any idea of what comes next would be an act of wanton destruction that would rightly never be forgiven or forgotten by the tens of millions whose future it would betray.
So, let us be bold and let us say it loud and clear.
7passages
North Macedonia · Day 4Hristijan MickoskiBut clarity in our alliances does not mean turning away from the world.
Quite the opposite.
It is a precisely state that is confident in its democratic and strategic choices that can engage and cooperate with greater confidence with countries that have different histories, different interests, and different political perspectives.
7passages
Liechtenstein · Day 4Sabine MonauniPresident, Liechtenstein joined the United Nations 36 years ago as its 160th member.
We did so driven by the conviction that we, as one of the smallest members of the international community, should be part of the most important conversation on global governance, with the participation of all states, big or small, in developing international norms and standards, and also in upholding respect for them.
Sovereignty was a key theme of our domestic discussions, resulting in our UN membership.
7passages
Lesotho · Day 4Samuel Ntsokoane MatekaneMr. President, Excellencies, at the outset, allow me to extend my warm and heartfelt congratulations to you on your election as President of the 81st session of the General Assembly.
Your election reflects the confidence of Member States in your steadfast commitment to multilateral system.
And your vision for a United Nations that is responsive, effective, and capable of delivering for humanity.
6passages
Solomon Islands · Day 4Matthew Cooper WaleMr. President, I congratulate you on your election and assure you of the full support of Solomon Islands.
I also commend your predecessor for her determined leadership of the 80th session.
I pay special tribute to Secretary General Antonio Guterres as he takes part in his final debate in office.
6passages
Papua New Guinea · Day 4James MarapeMr. President, Secretary-General, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, I bring to you greetings from Papua New Guinea, a nation of extraordinary diversity with more than 800 languages, and cultures, but united under one flag.
Mr. President, Papua New Guinea comes to this assembly with profound respect for the Charter of the United Nations and for the principles and purposes upon which this great institution was founded.
The United Nations reminds us that whether we are big or small nations, rich or poor nations, developed or developing, Powerful or less powerful, we are all members of one international community.
6passages
Bahamas (the) · Day 4Philip Edward DavisMr. President, Mr. Secretary General, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, congratulations, Your Excellency, Khalilah Rahman, on your election.
The Bahamas pledges to you its full support.
Mr. President, every generation inherits a promise it did not make.
6passages
Egypt · Day 4Moustafa Kamal Madboulyrestoring trust and managing transformation.
Our world is changing at a pace far exceeding the ability of international governance institutions to respond.
Our crisis does not lie in the absence of charters and principles, but rather in the widening gap between what we proclaim and what we implement, and between those who make decisions and those who are affected by them.
6passages
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Day 4Godwin FridaySecretary General Antonio Guterres, we are extremely grateful to you for your bold leadership and determined advocacy for human rights, justice, and peace.
We thank you for standing up for small and vulnerable nations.
The theme, Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation, a United Nations that delivers for all, speaks directly to the anxieties of our time, and also to the hopes of small states like mine.
6passages
Norway · Day 4Espen Barth EideThey had experienced firsthand that all nations suffer in war and conflict and when international cooperation fails.
We, too, are living in turbulent times.
Yet, at the very moment when we need it most, our United Nations faces its most serious challenge.
6passages
Togo · Day 4Robert Komlan Edo DusseyCommitment, because noting the limits of multilateralism should no longer mean that we renounce multilateralism.
We need even more multilateralism and even more UN, a stronger UN in defending its principles more effective in preventing and peacefully settling disputes, more representative in its decision-making structures, and closer to the realities of the people.
The world needs a UN that strengthens and re-establishes trust, a UN that listens without turning away from the concerns of those people that it serves, who decide without losing sight of those for whom it works and which promises without forgetting that it needs to keep its promises.
6passages
Tuvalu · Day 4Feleti TeoTuvalu reaffirms its strong commitment to the values and the principle of the UN Charter and to international law and to a multilateral system that protects the dignity and security of all people.
This year also marks the historical and first deployment of Tuvalu police officers to serve in the UN mission in South Sudan, a deployment that confirms that even the smallest member of the UN can contribute meaningfully to international peace and security.
Mr. President, the theme for this session, Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation, a United Nations that Delivers for All, resonates well with the moment of time we find ourselves in right now.
5passages
Guinea-Bissau · Day 4Ilídio Vieira TéI also commend Ms. Anna Lena Barbok for the dedication she demonstrated during her term of office and for her efforts to strengthen multilateralism and international cooperation.
It's a particular pleasure for me to express our appreciation to the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Antonio Guterres, for his tireless commitment to the defense of peace and to the search for solutions to the many challenges facing humanity.
Ladies and gentlemen, yesterday, September 24th, the people of Guinea-Bissau celebrated the 53rd anniversary of our national independence.
5passages
Azerbaijan · Day 4Jeyhun Aziz oglu BayramovMr. President, Mr. Secretary General, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen.
At the outset, I warmly congratulate His Excellency Mr. Khalilur Rahman on assuming the presidency of the 81st session of the General Assembly and wish him every success in this important position.
I also thank His Excellency Mr. Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, for his endeavors.
5passages
Kazakhstan · Day 4Mukhtar TileuberdiMr. President, distinguished delegates.
I congratulate His Excellency Mr. Halilur Rahman on his election as the President of the 81st session of the General Assembly and assure him that he can count on Kazakhstan's full support throughout this session.
Excellencies, Kazakhstan remains fully committed to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and to effective multilateral cooperation.
5passages
Chad · Day 4Abdelmadjid Abdelrahim MahamatAt a time when he is preparing to move on from being the head of our organization, I would like, ladies and gentlemen, to pay a very sincere tribute to the Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres.
His leadership and constant commitment to peace, conflict prevention, and multilateralism warrant our recognition and respect.
Chad is grateful to him for his ongoing attention to the challenges that our country, the Lake Chad Basin, and Central Africa are confronted with.
5passages
Monaco · Day 4Christophe MirmandBecause the equality that our organization bestows upon us is not a privilege that we enjoy, it is a responsibility that we bear.
This responsibility is our shared, unique duty to uphold the law and multilateralism.
Shared because no state, regardless of how powerful it is, can preserve peace alone or address global threats alone.
4passages
Saint Lucia · Day 4Philip J. PierreTrust will be restored only when promises are matched by action, when commitments are honored, and when the United Nations delivers meaningful results for every nation, and when there is due regard for multilateral principles, not only for the most powerful, but for the weakest of us as well.
This Assembly should not be a place where the world expresses sympathy without accepting responsibility.
We need action.
4passages
Mexico · Day 4Roberto Velasco ÁlvarezMr. President, Excellencies, I am appearing Addressing this Assembly, representing the first female president of my country, Dr. Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, whose government places people at the heart of the actions of the state and works on a daily basis to achieve freedom, democracy, social justice and substantive equality.
Mexico conducts its public life according to a conviction that I'm bringing to you today.
from this rostrum to make shared prosperity a reality for all people.
4passages
Kiribati · Day 4Taneti MaamauInequality remains entrenched, while climate change places additional pressure on communities already confronting significant development challenges.
It is therefore fitting that the theme of this 81st session is "Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all".
This theme is both timely and relevant.
3passages
Marshall Islands · Day 4Hilda HeineMr. President, Mr. Secretary-General, Excellencies, I ask every nation here, are we still willing to work together?
The principles in the UN Charter affirmed by each one of us taking our seat in this hall, are now tested not by argument, but by neglect or ill intention.
The credibility and effectiveness of multilateral institutions is imperative for small nations.
3passages
Niger · Day 4Lamine Zeine Ali MahamanYou have a lot of work to do, Mr. President.
Niger is not pursuing confrontation with any country.
It opens its arms to all partners that wish to build a new relationship based on equality, reciprocity, and mutual interest and shared interest.
3passages
Haiti · Day 4Alix Didier Fils-AiméI also wish to hail the Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres, for his unwavering commitment to peace.
I still remember fondly his visit to Port-au-Prince on the 16th of June 2026, which bore witness to his solidarity toward the Haitian people.
In these difficult times that our country is undergoing, Haiti wishes to extend its gratitude to all of its partners and friends that have continued to stand by its side.
3passages
Tonga · Day 4Lord FakafanuaMultilateralism allows us to project the power of our ideas rather than the might of our power.
Tonga participates as an equal under the founding principles of the United Nations Charter.
the sovereign equality of states.
3passages
Samoa · Day 4Mulipola Anarosa Ale MoliooFor Samoa, Multilateralism remains the cornerstone of our international engagement.
Only through genuine cooperation and mutual trust can we craft solutions that no single nation could achieve alone.
The UN80 initiative has merits, but also its risks, if not fully assessed and understood.
3passages
Saint Kitts and Nevis · Day 4Geoffrey HanleyWith investment, partnership, and political will, small nations can deliver big solutions.
Saint Kitts and Nevis is not seeking pity.
We are advancing partnership.
3passages
Guatemala · Day 4Carlos Ramiro Martínez AlvaradoThe Sustainable Development Goals continue to provide an essential roadmap.
It is precisely at moments such as this that international law, multilateralism, and democracy show their worth.
Law provides us with common rules.
3passages
Sweden · Day 4Maria Malmer StenergardUrgency based on what science tells us, opportunity based on the economic growth, jobs, and strengthened competitiveness that climate transition brings.
Given the state of the world, changes are necessary to ensure the UN's central role in international affairs and its ability to address today's challenges.
An efficient, effective, nimble and well-coordinated UN is urgently needed.
3passages
Maldives · Day 4Hussain Mohamed LatheefPartnerships must serve national needs, strengthen what we have, and leave us more capable than before.
Our shared challenges can become our shared opportunities.
This is the spirit of President Dr. Mohamed Muizz's Maldives First policy.
2passages
Iraq · Day 4Ali Falih Al-ZaidiGracious, the most merciful.
Mr. President of the United Nations General Assembly, Your Excellency, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Excellencies, Esteemed ladies and gentlemen, Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.
It is with great honor and pride that I stand before this international forum representing the Republic of Iraq, the home of the first civilizations, and where writing and law were born, and one of the founding members of the United Nations.
2passages
Albania · Day 4Edi RamaThose attacking our countries already cooperate across jurisdictions.
Our countries, our democracies, first and foremost, must learn to do the same.
This is not ultimately a contest between humanity and machines.
2passages
Pakistan · Day 4Muhammad Shehbaz SharifThe Holy Quran commands, "If the enemy is inclined towards peace, make peace with them."
Surah Anfal.
Ladies and gentlemen, Pakistan's founding father, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, had famously declared, "We stand by the United Nations Charter and will gladly make our full contribution to the peace and prosperity of the world."
2passages
Mauritius · Day 4Dhananjay RamfulThe will expressed by the international community following the war to create an instrument for cooperation in order to establish a new world order is still there.
The fact that the number of actors has more than tripled in the past eight decades reflects an engagement and a commitment that is even bigger and even more diverse than it was when the UN was created.
We are confident that the international community, around half of which is made-up of young people that aim to protect the planet, that want to better share wealth, and aspire to use new technologies advisedly, will be able to overcome new challenges.
1passages