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
Republic of Moldova · Day 5Vasile TofanVice President, Deputy Secretary General, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, this summer the Republic of Moldova turned 35.
For much of that time, the world described us as a country caught between East and West, a place where others decided.
I stand here as a new Prime Minister of a country that has decided.
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San Marino · Day 5Luca BeccariMr. President, Mr. Secretary General, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, San Marino is the world's oldest republic.
For more than 17 centuries, we have survived not through military power, territorial expansion, economic might, but through dialogue, respect for the law, neutrality, and the conviction that sovereignty of a small state is no less valuable than that of a great power.
Our history has taught a simple lesson.
7passages
Cuba · Day 5Bruno Eduardo Rodríguez ParrillaThis aggression is being accompanied by a brutal media and cognitive warfare aimed not just against the Cuban people, but also against the citizens of the United States and international public opinion.
It is characterized by its gross and brazen attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of Cuba, which is also another international crime.
We are often asked, well, what is the US pursuing with such aggressive behavior?
5passages
Russian Federation · Day 5Sergey LavrovMr. President, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, over the last few days, Over the last week, from the rostrum and in the corridors of the General Assembly, the following idea was heard many times: There are tectonic shifts underway in global politics.
A fairer, multipolar world order is emerging before our very eyes.
The countries of the global South and East are asserting themselves as sovereign centers of development.
4passages
Brunei Darussalam · Day 5Prince 'Abdul MateenDialogue becomes harder, multilateral institutions lose authority, the international order becomes more fragile, leaving smaller and more vulnerable states particularly exposed.
For Brunei Darussalam, multilateralism is not an intellectual concept.
It is the assurance that sovereignty and territorial integrity will be respected, that every nation, irrespective of size, has a voice, and that international law protects the weak as surely as it restrains the strong.
3passages
Saudi Arabia · Day 5Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al SaudThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the countries of the region have been subjected to flagrant Iranian attacks targeting their security resources and civilian and economic facilities.
The Kingdom reiterates its full right to protect its security and sovereignty, its citizens and residents, and its national resources.
We call upon the international community to shoulder its responsibilities in confronting all threats to international peace and security.
3passages
Tunisia · Day 5Mohamed Ali NaftiTunisia's belief in multilateral action is not a product of current circumstances.
Rather, it is the continuation of a journey that began before independence, when the national movement brought the cause of the Tunisian people before the United Nations and made the right to self-determination and the recovery of sovereignty an integral part of the struggle for freedom.
Following independence, Tunisia engaged fully within the United Nations to complete the foundations of its sovereignty and to build the modern state, and it succeeded in doing so.
3passages
Canada · Day 5Anita AnandWe are facing a rupture, not a transition.
Great powers are walking away from global economic cooperation, dismantling economic integration.
Great powers want the rest of us to accept what we are offered.
3passages
China · Day 5Han ZhengChina holds that the sovereignty and security of countries in the Middle East, including the Gulf, should be respected.
International industrial and supply chains should be kept stable and unimpeded, and global trade should be safeguarded.
China calls for advancing the governance of the West Bank and the post-conflict reconstruction of Gaza in accordance with the principle of the Palestinians governing Palestine.
2passages
Belize · Day 5John BriceñoIf borders can be redrawn by force, then every border is provisional.
We are concerned, too, for the safety and security of the 23 million people of Taiwan, who have no seat and no voice in this hall.
Taiwan is a friend of Belize.
2passages
Cambodia · Day 5Sokhonn PrakIt is earned through consistency.
When commitments are honored, international law is respected, disputes are settled by peaceful means, sovereign equality must remain a principle fundamental principle of international relation.
The Charter does not prescribe one standard for the powerful and another for the less powerful.
2passages
Iceland · Day 5Thorgerdur Katrín GunnarsdóttirMeaning that international law applies until it becomes inconvenient.
That court decisions must be respected unless they challenge our own actions or those of our friends.
That sovereignty is sacred unless someone else's territory stands in the way of our ambitions.
2passages
Gabon · Day 5Marie-Édith Tassyla-Ye-DoumbenenyIn this spirit, my country reaffirms its commitment to the principle of non-interference in the domestic affairs of States and to the respect for their sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Against this backdrop, Gabon once again welcomes the adoption of resolution 2797 of 2025, which has injected fresh impetus into the settlement of the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara, based exclusively on the autonomy plan under Moroccan sovereignty.
Mr. President, restoring trust depends above all on concrete action that enables us to address together global challenges relating to peace and security, climate change, sustainable development and pandemics.
2passages
Holy See · Day 5Cardinal Pietro Parolinrespect for sovereignty and borders form the essential foundation for the implementation of the peace plan.
Furthermore, the presence of Christians in Lebanon and throughout the Middle East must not only be safeguarded as the legitimate continuation of a historic presence, but must also be encouraged by international community since Christians aspire to be an active force for peace, spirituality, and culture within the mosaic of people that make up the Levant, where the Christian faith originated.
The Holy See is following with deep concern the situation in the Gulf region, where the conflict has gradually spread and the violence shows no signs of abating.
1passages
India · Day 5Subrahmanyam JaishankarWe believe in the right of each nation to shape its ecosystem with the development of its own models and deployment strategies consistent with its national goals and priorities.
AI will be very much part of a partnership agenda with the global South.
As technology is democratized, this process is greatly facilitated, Mr. President, by an ethos of mutual respect.
1passages
Belarus · Day 5Maxim RyzhenkovFinally, our openness to dialogue.
We are ready to cooperate with all interested countries.
We also are leaving the door open to those Western politicians who are genuinely ready for a dialogue of equals.
1passages
Djibouti · Day 5Abdoulkader Houssein OmarOnly an inclusive political solution that places the Sudanese people at the heart of every initiative will make it possible to restore lasting peace and stability.
We also call on foreign actors to refrain from fueling this war through harmful interference.
Once again, we extend a hand to our Eritrean neighbor.
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Oman · Day 5Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood AlbusaidiBased on the values and principles that help us achieve our shared goals of achieving security and stability for all and advancing economic development projects and prosperity, shared prosperity for our peoples.
refraining from the use of force and interference in the internal affairs of states, and being guided instead by the Charter of the United Nations and international law, and respecting the sovereignty and independence of states, can provide a sound framework that governs international relations and that builds trust and constructive cooperation among states.
Distinguished heads and members of delegations, honourable delegates.
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Jamaica · Day 5Kamina Johnson SmithFor small states like ours, a rules-based international order is not an abstract diplomatic preference.
It is fundamental to our sovereignty, our security, and our development.
But neither can we safeguard multilateralism simply by defending it.
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Zambia · Day 5Mulambo Hamakuni HaimbeIt is in this spirit that Zambia recently concluded its general elections through which our people exercised their constitutional rights to choose their leaders.
and we thank the people of Zambia for their participation in the democratic process and for renewing their confidence in our leadership.
We also express our sincere appreciation to the international election observation missions for their invaluable support and contribution to Zambia's democratic process.
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Indonesia · Day 5SugionoAnd Indonesia has long understood this for decades.
In the 1960s, Indonesia developed the concept of national resilience to safeguard our identity, to protect our sovereignty and unity, and to sustain our development in the face of challenges and obstacles.
At the heart of our resilience are our people.
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