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UN General Assembly General Debate · 63rd regular session of the General Assembly

Address by Mr. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of the Federative Republic of Brazil

Lula speaks at the opening of the 63rd United Nations General Assembly, on September 23, 2008.
Lula speaks at the opening of the 63rd United Nations General Assembly, on September 23, 2008.Photo: Ricardo Stuckert/PR / Agência Brasil, CC BY 3.0 BR

Available records

The prepared text may differ from what was actually said. Any significant difference is recorded below.

Quotations are our translation from the Portuguese; the original wording is in the source excerpt.

Documentary record

The Brazilian opening speech of the General Debate of the 63rd session was delivered by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.[1]

The speech took place on September 23, 2008, at the 5th plenary meeting of the 63rd session.[2]

Lula spoke in Portuguese; the record carries the English text provided by the delegation.[3]

There is an official UN record in English, with text provided by the delegation, and a Portuguese text in the FUNAG collection.[4]

Topics, with excerpts from the speech

Each topic is backed by the literal excerpt, given in the source note.

There is a Portuguese text of the 2008 speech published by FUNAG in the collection "O Brasil nas Nações Unidas 1946-2011," under the title "LXIII Sessão Ordinária da Assembleia Geral das Nações Unidas," pp. 933 to 937.[5]

The official verbatim record A/63/PV.5 records the speech; it states that Lula spoke in Portuguese and that the English text was provided by the delegation; the header note of the record states that speeches made in other languages appear in interpretation.[6]

English translation: the English version reproduced in record A/63/PV.5 is identified as text provided by the delegation.[7]

In the published text, Lula says that the interventions by the State in the crisis show that the hour of politics has arrived.[8]

In the published text, Lula says that the economy is too serious to be left in the hands of speculators.[9]

In the published text, Lula criticizes those who preach the free movement of goods and capital but prevent that of men and women.[10]

In the published text, Lula says that "our north is sometimes in the South."[11]

In the published text, Lula says that the structure of the Council, frozen for six decades, responds less and less to contemporary challenges.[12]

In the published text, Lula rejects the association between the rise in food prices and the spread of biofuels.[13]

What remains to be documented

  • Speech content: Official video of the 2008 speech not located in this round.

Sources and evidence

Excerpts are quoted in the original language of the source.

  1. 1. The Brazilian opening speech of the General Debate of the 63rd session was delivered by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

  2. 2. The speech took place on September 23, 2008, at the 5th plenary meeting of the 63rd session.

  3. 3. Lula spoke in Portuguese; the record carries the English text provided by the delegation.

    • A/63/PV.5 – General Assembly, Sixty-third session, 5th plenary meeting · United Nations (General Assembly) Official record
      Where: p. 6 of the PDF. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “President Da Silva (spoke in Portuguese; English text provided by the delegation): It is my great pleasure to greet my dear friend Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, President of the General Assembly.”

  4. 4. There is an official UN record in English, with text provided by the delegation, and a Portuguese text in the FUNAG collection.

  5. 5. There is a Portuguese text of the 2008 speech published by FUNAG in the collection "O Brasil nas Nações Unidas 1946-2011," under the title "LXIII Sessão Ordinária da Assembleia Geral das Nações Unidas," pp. 933 to 937.

  6. 6. The official verbatim record A/63/PV.5 records the speech; it states that Lula spoke in Portuguese and that the English text was provided by the delegation; the header note of the record states that speeches made in other languages appear in interpretation.

  7. 7. English translation: the English version reproduced in record A/63/PV.5 is identified as text provided by the delegation.

    • A/63/PV.5 – General Assembly, Sixty-third session, 5th plenary meeting · United Nations (General Assembly) Official record
      Where: p. 6 of the PDF. Accessed October 13, 2026.
      “President Da Silva (spoke in Portuguese; English text provided by the delegation): It is my great pleasure to greet my dear friend Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, President of the General Assembly.”

  8. 8. In the published text, Lula says that the interventions by the State in the crisis show that the hour of politics has arrived.

  9. 9. In the published text, Lula says that the economy is too serious to be left in the hands of speculators.

  10. 10. In the published text, Lula criticizes those who preach the free movement of goods and capital but prevent that of men and women.

  11. 11. In the published text, Lula says that "our north is sometimes in the South."

  12. 12. In the published text, Lula says that the structure of the Council, frozen for six decades, responds less and less to contemporary challenges.

  13. 13. In the published text, Lula rejects the association between the rise in food prices and the spread of biofuels.