Thank you so much for inviting me to this wonderful
luncheon.
I am especially grateful to Ambassador Reed. I join a long
line of Secretaries-General who have benefited from his advice over the
decades. I can always count on Ambassador Reed to provide thoughtful counsel
based on his rich diplomatic career.
Lately, Ambassador Reed has been helping us with the Capital
Master Plan. He worked closely with our CMP Executive Director Mr. Adlerstein
to facilitate the move.
Right before coming here, I asked about the status of the
Hospitality Committee in the renovation. I was delighted to hear that you found
good temporary premises in the North Lawn Building.
I thank our Hospitality Committee President, Katherine
Donnelley for volunteering so much of her time to the United Nations – always
with a smile.
I also thank our Emcee, Tony Fouracre, a UN veteran. As the
head of the United Nations Postal Administration, he made sure UN stamps were
an effective public information tool, raising awareness about the United
Nations around the world.
Dear friends,
I have a special place in my heart for the Hospitality
Committee. Long before I became Secretary-General, you welcomed me and my
family when we first moved to New York in 2001. Now everyone gives me the
red-carpet treatment. But then, not everyone recognized me as the Chef de Cabinet
of the President of the General Assembly. The Hospitality Committee treated my
wife and me with the greatest kindness.
Once, they arranged for us to celebrate Thanksgiving with a
family in Connecticut. We are still friends with that family to this day. And
we owe it all to the volunteers who make up this wonderful group.
My wife is privileged to serve as the Honourary Chair of the
Hospitality Committee. She really enjoys staying engaged with friends from the
local diplomatic community. I often take her out of New York on trips around
the world, but whenever she is here she tries to attend your monthly teas.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Your work to build a sense of community among diplomatic
families in New York supports our global efforts to find common ground in the
international community.
This is more urgent than ever. We live at a time of great
international turmoil. Markets are failing. Thousands of children die each day
from diseases we know how to prevent. Civilians are killed in wars that they
never started and wish would end. Members of our human family suffer from
atrocious rights abuses because of discrimination and hatred.
As Secretary-General, I have seen these devastating problems
in different settings around the world. I will never forget the children I have
met in refugee camps who just want to find their families again. I will always
remember the survivors of rape I have spoken to in hospitals. I have seen the
effects of climate change up close, in shrinking lakes and ice glaciers – and
in areas devastated by natural disasters.
The problems of poverty, environmental degradation and
financial crisis are interlinked. They affect every country. And they demand a
concerted international response.
The United Nations brings countries together to overcome global
challenges we face. We are an Organization of governments. But more than ever,
the United Nations has opened its doors to other partners.
As Secretary-General, I deal with diplomats and officials on
a daily basis. But I also consult with human rights groups. I encourage
businesses to work for development. I address university students who are
helping to shape the future. I consult with professors who have studied global
trends in-depth. I meet with artists who can bring the work of the United
Nations to new audiences.
We need all of these different influential members of the
international community to help advance the goals of the United Nations.
Ideally, we strive to prevent problems before they start.
Investing now in stopping a problem from growing bigger is always far
less costly in financial terms and in human suffering than waiting to deal with
the consequences.
That is why we are advancing the rule of law and
strengthening the fight against impunity.
We have a roster of mediators who can rush to troubled areas
to ease tensions before they flare into fighting. We have regional offices
around the world that support prevention. Our work to advance development is
based in part on the understanding that ending poverty is central to achieving
peace.
At the same time, anyone opening a newspaper sees horrific
reminders that we have to do more than prevent fighting – we have to deal with
dangerous situations unfolding now in many parts of the world.
I am gravely concerned about the fighting in Syria.
More than 70,000 people have been killed. More than five and
a half million Syrians have fled their homes. The United Nations has set up a
team to examine the troubling allegations of chemical weapons use. At the same
time, we are pushing for a political solution that will bring lasting peace.
I am also closely following events in Mali. The French and
African military forces served to improve security for affected civilians. Now
we have to focus on restoring Mali’s constitutional order and territorial
integrity. Here, too, a lasting solution requires political progress.
To address the situation in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo, we are teaming up with key players in Africa to get to the root causes
of the conflict.
The Security Council recently adopted a new approach to
strengthen our political efforts and improve the military effectiveness of our
peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO. The Mission will now have an Intervention
Brigade to address the dangers posed by armed groups. I am fortunate that the
very capable former President of Ireland and former United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, is serving as my Special Envoy
for the Great Lakes region.
The Middle East peace process remains a priority. We cannot
allow the window for achieving a two-state solution to close any further. All
involved should work to breathe new life into the peace process, create an
environment conducive for the resumption of negotiations.
The situation in the Korean Peninsula remains highly
volatile. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is carrying out provocative
acts, including the nuclear test. The international community has been measured
in its response. We are resolved that the DPRK will not be accepted as a
nuclear-weapon-state.
I continue to urge the leadership in Pyongyang to return to
the negotiating table. I have spoken with leaders in China, the United States,
the Republic of Korea and many other countries. I recently met with South
Korean President Park Geun-Hye. I firmly believe that her Government’s recent
offer of dialogue is genuine. I hope that DPRK takes it seriously. As
Secretary-General, I will continue my efforts to facilitate meaningful
dialogue.
I will also continue sounding the alarm about the serious
humanitarian and human rights situation in the DPRK. The authorities should do
everything possible to address the well-being of the many people there who are
suffering.
These are just some of the areas where the United Nations is
working to end fighting and achieve lasting peace.
Dear friends,
This is an inspiring setting. I almost feel like I am inside
a ship!
All of the model ships they have here remind us of the drama
of travel.
For thousands of years, ships have made the world smaller.
Today, we have new technologies, like electronic networks, that bring people
together. We are connected by networks on the high seas and on the information
superhighway.
The UN Hospitality understands the importance of human
connections. You are cultivating friendships, making the most of our diversity
and bringing us closer together as a community. I am inspired by your example,
and I thank you for your contributions.
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