Putrajaya, Malaysia — October 25, 2025: Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva issued a sharp rebuke of the United Nations and global multilateral institutions on Saturday, accusing them of failing to uphold their core mission of maintaining peace and protecting civilians amid the ongoing Gaza conflict.
Speaking alongside Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim following a bilateral meeting outside Kuala Lumpur, Lula said that the world’s main institutions — including the UN Security Council — have become ineffective in addressing modern global crises.
“Who can accept the genocide that has been going on in the Gaza Strip for so long?” Lula asked during a joint press conference. “The multilateral institutions that were created to prevent such atrocities have stopped working. Today, the United Nations and its Security Council no longer function.”
The comments come as the Brazilian leader prepares to attend a major regional summit where he is expected to meet U.S. President Donald Trump for the first time since tensions flared between the two nations earlier this year.
Lula Slams UN’s Failure on Gaza and Global Conflicts
Lula’s remarks reflected growing frustration among developing nations over what they see as the UN’s inability to respond to humanitarian crises, particularly the escalating violence in Gaza.
The UN Security Council has struggled for months to agree on resolutions to address the conflict, with vetoes and political divisions paralyzing international response efforts. Lula, who has long advocated for UN reform and a greater voice for the Global South, argued that the organization’s current structure no longer represents the realities of the 21st century.
“Institutions built after World War II must evolve or they risk becoming irrelevant,” he said, echoing calls from other emerging powers such as India, South Africa, and Indonesia for greater representation in global governance.
Strengthening Ties Between Brazil and Malaysia
The Brazilian president’s trip to Malaysia focused not only on foreign policy but also on expanding economic and cultural cooperation between the two nations.
In their bilateral meeting, Lula and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim agreed to deepen trade relations, enhance energy partnerships, and collaborate on environmental initiatives — particularly in sustainable agriculture and biodiversity protection, areas where both countries share mutual expertise.
Anwar praised Lula’s leadership on climate action and social equality, calling Brazil “a partner that represents hope for a fairer global order.”
Subtle Jab at Trump Ahead of ASEAN Summit
While Lula’s main criticism was directed at global institutions, he also appeared to take a veiled swipe at U.S. President Donald Trump, who is currently on a diplomatic tour of Asia.
“For a leader, walking with their head held high is more important than a Nobel Prize,” Lula said — an apparent reference to Trump’s repeated claims that he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for his role in mediating international conflicts.
Trump is scheduled to attend the ASEAN Summit 2025, where he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea and witness the signing of a peace deal between Thailand and Cambodia — a diplomatic effort he helped broker.
The White House has recently clashed with the Norwegian Nobel Committee after it awarded the 2025 Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, overlooking Trump’s self-proclaimed contributions to world peace.
Warming Relations Between Trump and Lula
Relations between Washington and Brasília have been tense since Lula’s return to power in 2023. Trump’s administration imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian exports and sanctioned several Brazilian officials earlier this year in response to the imprisonment of former president Jair Bolsonaro, a close Trump ally, who was sentenced to 27 years for attempting to overturn his 2022 election loss.
However, both leaders have begun to mend their diplomatic rift. They held a brief conversation on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September and spoke again by phone on October 6, reportedly agreeing to meet during the ASEAN summit to discuss trade, regional security, and the future of the BRICS alliance.
A Renewed Call for Global Reform
Lula’s remarks underscore a growing global demand for reform of international institutions such as the United Nations, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund — which many developing nations view as outdated and biased toward Western powers.
The Brazilian president has consistently advocated for a multipolar world order, one where emerging economies have a stronger voice in shaping policies on conflict resolution, development aid, and climate action.
“Global governance must be democratized,” Lula said in Kuala Lumpur. “If the UN continues to fail in its duty, humanity will pay the price.”
As the ASEAN summit convenes in the coming days, Lula’s blunt assessment of the UN’s failures in Gaza and his diplomatic outreach across Asia signal that Brazil intends to play a more assertive role in global affairs — one rooted in dialogue, fairness, and the rebalancing of international power.
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