International law
Sovereignty and non-interference at UNGA 81
Raised by 154 of 223 speakers. Read verbatim UN transcript quotes and select a time to hear the speech.
Speeches that raised sovereignty and non-interference
Kuwait · Day 3Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabahdemanding its cessation and affirming the inherent rights of states to self-defense as per Article 51 of the UN Charter.
They have also stressed the importance of guaranteeing freedom of navigation without restrictions or conditions.
And based on Kuwait's belief that the security and stability of the Arabian Gulf region constitutes a fundamental pillar of regional and international security and stability, as demonstrated by the repercussions of the war and Iranian aggressions, we reiterate the support for all diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalation and a peaceful resolution to the existing dispute.
5passages
Palestine (State of) · Day 3Mahmoud AbbasNearly a year has passed since the adoption of resolution 2803 and the establishment of the Board of Peace, and only one year remains of the designated transitional period before the end of 2027.
Therefore, we call for accelerating the implementation of the second phase rather than wasting any more time.
The transitional period must not be allowed to become a permanent or open-ended situation without any clear time-bound political horizon.
4passages
Uruguay · Day 3Yamandú OrsiNo one is better than anyone else.
No country holds the absolute truth.
No nation has a monopoly on their solutions.
4passages
Fiji · Day 3Ratu Naiqama Tawakecolati LalabalavuFor small states, the principles of the charter, sovereign equality, territorial integrity, and the peaceful settlement of disputes are the safeguards against a world in which the size of military strength decides whose rights matters.
When the world asks small states to choose between competing power blocks, Fiji chooses principles.
And we choose the charter.
4passages
Zimbabwe · Day 3Emmerson Dambudzo MnangagwaMultilateralism is a crucial equalizer.
It ensures that all have an equal voice under international law and an equal role in shaping our shared future.
Undoubtedly, the Charter remains our common compass.
3passages
Madagascar · Day 3Michaël RandrianirinaMadagascar's foreign policy is guided above all by the imperatives of economic and social development for the well-being of its people.
Madagascar has chosen a policy of engagement in all directions.
We are open to all international partnerships capable of meeting the aspirations of our people and supporting the general policy of the state of the refoundation.
3passages
Hungary · Day 3András Bálint BakaFor Hungarians, the reasons are part of our own history.
Seventy years ago, The revolution of 1956 expressed our people's determination to govern themselves.
Soviet tanks crushed that hope.
3passages
Colombia · Day 3José Manuel RestrepoAllow me to begin by clarifying what I mean by that.
I'm not talking about international trade or cooperation among states, nor am I talking about a humanity that shares common problems and responsibilities.
All of those things are absolutely necessary.
3passages
Armenia · Day 3Nikol PashinyanAccordingly, Armenia will initially have a 26 percent stake in the trip development company and the United States will have a 74% stake.
The agreement provides that in the event of its extension in the 50th year, the Republic of Armenia's share will become 49% without additional investment.
One of the practical expressions of the trip project will be the implementation of paragraph 3 of the peace declaration adopted by me and the president of Azerbaijan on August 8, 2025, and signed by the United States president as a witness.
3passages
Somalia · Day 3Hassan Sheikh MohamudSomalia works to uphold the principles of the United Nations Charter and Constitutive Act of the African Union, strengthening cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union, prevent conflict, and support peaceful Africa-led solution with global benefits.
Respect for national sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity is not an abstract principle for Somalia only.
It is a foundation for peace and stability in our country, our region, and the wider international community.
2passages
Comoros · Day 3Azali AssoumaniLet us continue in a spirit of teamwork and draw strength from solidarity.
If we smile together, it is not because we have no problems, but because we are stronger than our problems."
Ladies and gentlemen, for half a century, the Comorian state, still striving for full sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders, remains under what it considers an illegal French occupation, despite the many relevant resolutions of this Assembly.
2passages
Yemen · Day 3Abdullah Abdulkader Al Alimi-BawzerLadies and gentlemen, our Yemeni people aspires to peace, but our people will not abandon their state.
Our government is committed to peace, but it cannot accept that the armed coup becomes a fait accompli.
There is no peace with arms outside state authority.
2passages
Barbados · Day 3Mia Amor MottleyConstructive engagement grounded in dialogue, sovereign equality, and respect for international law.
That is why we are here as individual states.
We will also extend our continued solidarity to the people of Venezuela who regrettably are recovering from the devastating double earthquakes in June.
2passages
Georgia · Day 3Irakli KobakhidzheFor centuries, we stood at the crossroads of civilizations, open to diverse cultures, peoples, and ideas, while steadfastly preserving our own distinct identity and character.
Georgia's statehood has been tested more than once, but these challenges have only strengthened our determination to choose our own path.
The trials of history have also taught us that sovereignty can never be taken for granted, that stability must be protected, and the strength of the international order ultimately depends on the same principles being upheld for every nation.
2passages
Slovenia · Day 3Janez JanšaHuman rights cannot depend on whether the victims are politically convenient to defend.
The United Nations must therefore defend not only its institutions, but also the integrity of the principles those institutions exist to serve.
Distinguished delegates, Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine is a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter and a direct assault on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a member state.
2passages
Liberia · Day 3Joseph Nyuma BoakaiDeveloping nations must not be left behind as mere consumers or algorithms designed elsewhere.
We must be supported in building true digital sovereignty.
We join calls abiding ethical norms and greater regulation of artificial intelligence, particularly in warfare.
1passages
Gambia (Republic of The) · Day 3Mohammed JallowWe wish them well as they complete their tenure at the end of this year.
Mr. President, few institutions embody the principle of sovereign equality as visibly as this Assembly.
Within these walls, differences in power, wealth and influence may shape the realities our nations confront, but they do not confer a greater claim to membership or participation.
1passages
Israel · Day 3Benjamin NetanyahuYet at the time, on this tiny patch of earth, no West Bank, no Gaza, no Golan Heights, just the very survival of this one and only Jewish state, because this is what this conflict is about.
It's not about territories.
It's about the existence of a Jewish state at any boundaries.
1passages
Bangladesh · Day 3Tarique RahmanBangladesh sees the United Nations as the centerpiece for establishing an accommodative global community based on mutual respect for one another's independence and sovereignty.
The tendency to divert development budgets towards military expenditure in different parts of the world reverses the direction of our journey towards global peace.
As a peace-loving nation, Bangladesh remains committed to the goals of complete and general disarmament, preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons and arms control.
1passages
Greece · Day 3Kyriakos MitsotakisSyria is another key player in the region.
Lasting stability in the Middle East requires a stable Syria.
A Syria that is inclusive, a Syria that is free from foreign interference and regional rivalries, a Syria where every citizen can and should feel secure.
1passages
Australia · Day 3Anthony AlbaneseMr. President, a safer world is one governed by rules, not by power and force alone.
It is a world in which all countries have the freedom to decide their own future, and all countries have their decisions listened to.
As a member of the UN Security Council, Australia will safeguard the rules that protect us all by upholding international law, including the UN Charter, and the sovereignty of all states.
1passages
Ireland · Day 3Micheál MartinThis time last year, a bushel of wheat was just over $5.
This year, it's more than $7.
The fact that a permanent member of the Security Council is seeking to change borders by force in clear violation of the UN Charter is utterly unacceptable.
1passages
Nepal · Day 3Balendra ShahIts promise was that sovereignty would matter, international law would matter, the dignity of every human being would matter, and the weak would not simply have to accept whatever the powerful decide.
Today, that international system is under strain.
Too often, military and economic power determines whose voice is heard.
1passages
Austria · Day 3Beate Meinl-ReisingerWho decides who gets hurt and who is left waiting outside the room?
For more than 80 years, this organisation has stood for one answer: power must be bound by rules agreed together.
That answer secured Austria's sovereignty and our prosperity.
1passages
South Africa · Day 3Ronald Ozzy LamolaWe've built a United Nations of diverse people, still in their determination to never let history repeat itself.
We've built a vibrant democracy capable of self-correcting and stepping back from the brink.
A democracy strong enough to withstand and resist attempts at external supervision and tutelage.
1passages
- Iran (Islamic Republic of) · Day 3
Yet, neither we will forget nor forgive the war crimes committed jointly by the US-Israeli regime, nor can silence or inaction shield criminals from accountability.
Mr. President, the Islamic Republic of Iran warns in the clearest possible terms that any further act of aggression against our sovereignty, territorial integrity, or national interests will be met with a decisive and devastating response.
Relying on God the Almighty, the great nation of Iran will resolutely defend its homeland, its honor, and its interests.
1passages