Headquarters of the United Nations
From 1983 to 1986, Cabral was the Ambassador of Guinea-Bissau to Algeria, Tunisia and the Middle East. From 1986 to 1990 he was the Permanent Representative of Guinea-Bissau next the Headquarters of the United Nations and concurrently Bissau-Guinean Ambassador to the United States. He was also Guinea-Bissau's ambassador to the UN between 1996 and 1999. In 1996 and 1997, Cabral represented Guinea-Bissau on the Security Council, serving as its President in September 1996. Cabral was appointed to his third term as Guinea Bissau's representative to the UN in 2003.