In statements to Lusa, Paulo Rangel stressed that, despite the optimism, the work on behalf of the Portuguese campaign "cannot wane," admitting the possibility of traveling to New York more often before the election date.

"I am very confident that Portugal can be elected. The feedback is very positive, but there is obviously one issue that I think is essential: We can never be overconfident," he said.

"And therefore, the campaign work, presenting the Portuguese position, and establishing relationships with all those who have the right to vote in this regard, cannot wane. On the contrary, it must be strengthened," the minister added.

Portugal is running for the Security Council—one of the most important bodies of the United Nations, whose mandate is to ensure the maintenance of international peace and security and whose decisions are binding—under the slogan "Prevention, Partnership, Protection."

The election, for non-permanent membership for the 2027/2028 biennium, has not yet been scheduled, but is expected to take place in June of next year.

Rivals

Portugal's direct rivals are Germany and Austria, in a contest for the two non-permanent membership seats allocated to the Western European and Other States group.

The candidacy was formalised in January 2013, and elections for the aforementioned mandate will take place during the 80th United Nations General Assembly in 2026, the year in which António Guterres completes his second five-year term as UN Secretary-General.

Throughout last week, the President of the Republic, the Foreign Minister, and the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs held dozens of bilateral meetings in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, to promote the Portuguese campaign and present their respective programs, positions, and visions.

"This General Assembly was extremely important because, evidently, it was the last one before the election process for the non-permanent seat on the Security Council, which will take place in June 2026. Therefore, this was the last General Assembly," Rangel reflected, taking stock of the intense diplomatic agenda he maintained in New York.

"We will eventually come to the United Nations more than once, because, obviously, the vote will take place here, and therefore, there are also contacts to be made here. It's natural that I will still have to come to the United Nations more than once before June, precisely as part of this campaign," he admitted.

Portugal has been a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council three times: in 1979-1980, 1997-1998, and 2011-2012.

Advantages

However, Paulo Rangel argued that returning to this UN body, at this time of global geopolitical change, will give the country "unique prominence" and "has many advantages."

"The closer we are to the vote, the more we must be committed and prioritize the issue of the election to the Security Council in our contacts. (...) This is not a candidacy for prestige. Brazil has prestige; it doesn't need to be elected to the Security Council to have it," he noted.

"It's about truly being at the heart of the place where these issues have the most visibility, where they are discussed, where we can influence, where we can actually change something and, at the same time, maximize Portugal's position in every respect," the minister insisted, reinforcing that this is not "a decorative election" nor "a medal for Portugal."

The minister indicated that Portugal will prioritize multilateral issues, but also the need to reform the United Nations and rehabilitate the organization for peace and security issues.

"Therefore, the Security Council is a fundamental institution. We want to be truly at the heart of this global debate, (...) and to be truly there, this non-permanent position in 2027-2028 is crucial," he concluded.

The UN Security Council is composed of 15 members (five permanent and 10 non-permanent). Each member has one vote, and the five permanent members—China, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, and Russia—also have veto power.

Non-permanent members are elected for a two-year term.