Report by Brasil 247

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva delivered a speech focused on political and environmental issues on Sunday (22) at COP-15, a United Nations conference dedicated to the protection of migratory species held in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul. According to Valor Econômico and Brasil 247, Lula criticized what he described as the United Nations Security Council’s omission in addressing international conflicts, condemned the weakening of multilateralism, and again attributed damage to Brazil’s international environmental image to the previous administration.

Speaking during the presidential segment of the conference, Lula linked the current global context to the rise of arbitrary actions and the deterioration of multilateral institutions. Without directly naming the United States, Israel, or Iran, he referred indirectly to ongoing wars and crises and warned of growing international instability. “This COP-15 takes place at a moment of great geopolitical tensions. Unilateral actions, attacks on sovereignty, and summary executions are becoming the rule,” he said.

Lula emphasized the historical importance of the United Nations but stated that the international system is experiencing exhaustion, particularly in conflict prevention and mediation. He noted that although the UN has played a significant role over eight decades in areas such as banning chemical and biological weapons, promoting human rights, and supporting refugees and migrants, its main security body has failed in its central mission. “The Security Council has been omissive in seeking solutions to conflicts,” he declared.

The president warned about the risks of a world lacking shared rules and institutions capable of containing military and humanitarian escalations. “A world without rules is an insecure world, where anyone can be the next victim,” he said, defending international cooperation instead of border closures and intolerance. He called for “welcoming policies and a strong and renewed multilateralism.”

The speech took place amid rising international tensions and ahead of Brazil’s domestic political disputes. Before Lula’s address, Paraguayan President Santiago Peña and Bolivia’s foreign minister Fernando Carrasco also spoke at the event. Environment Minister Marina Silva attended alongside Mines and Energy Minister Alexandre Silveira and Planning Minister Simone Tebet.

On domestic issues, Lula used the COP-15 platform to compare his administration’s environmental policy with the previous government. Without directly naming ex-president Jair Bolsonaro in the cited remarks, he attributed a deep loss of international credibility to the earlier period. “Until recently, Brazil’s international image in the environmental area faced profound questioning, directly impacting our economic and trade relations,” he said.