Wider World

Brazilian President Lula Aims to Work with Japan on UNSC Reform, Condemns Israeli Attacks on Gaza as ‘Genocide’

Mika Otsuki / The Yomiuri Shimbun
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during an interview with Japanese media at the presidential palace in Brasilia on Tuesday.

By Mika Otsuki / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

1:00 JST, May 3, 2024

BRASILIA — Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed his desire to expand cooperation with Japan to reform the U.N. Security Council, in an interview with Japanese media at the presidential palace.

Lula spoke with The Yomiuri Shimbun and other members of the Japanese press on Tuesday, ahead of his scheduled meeting with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday. Japan and Brazil, along with Germany and India, are members of the Group of Four, who seek permanent membership on the U.N. Security Council.

Lula said Russia’s veto of a draft UNSC resolution calling for Russia’s withdrawal from Ukraine was a clear indication of the powerlessness of the United Nations.

“This war could have been avoided through dialogue if the Security Council had representatives from more countries,” the president said.

Lula condemned Israel’s ongoing attacks on the Palestinian territory of Gaza as “genocide.”

“Hospitals are being bombed, women are dying in hospitals during labor, and children are choosing death over having their legs amputated without anesthesia,” he said.