A/65/PV.101 General Assembly

I have the honour of taking the floor before the General Assembly as President of the Security Council in order to convey the recommendation of the Security Council concerning the appointment of the Secretary-General of the United Nations. As you have just now recalled, Mr. President, the Security Council at its 6556th meeting, held in private on 17 June 2011, adopted by acclamation resolution 1987 (2011), according to which it recommended to the General Assembly that Mr. Ban Ki-moon be appointed Secretary-General of the United Nations for a second term of office, from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2016. Following that adoption, I conveyed that recommendation to you, Mr. President, in my letter dated 17 June 2011, which representatives may find in document A/65/865. I now have the honour and the pleasure of introducing, on behalf of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, China, Colombia, France, Gabon, Germany, India, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Nigeria, Portugal, the Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation, Senegal, South Africa, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America, the draft resolution contained in document A/65/L.80, which stipulates that: “The General Assembly, “Having considered the recommendation contained in Security Council resolution 1987 (2011) of 17 June 2011, “Expressing its appreciation for the effective and dedicated service rendered to the United Nations by Mr. Ban Ki-moon during his first term of office, “Appoints Mr. Ban Ki-moon Secretary- General of the United Nations for a second term of office beginning on 1 January 2012 and ending on 31 December 2016.” In introducing this draft resolution to the General Assembly, I can state with certainty that over his past four and a half years in service to our Organization, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has carried out the duties entrusted to him with excellence and all possible objectivity and independence. Indeed, in his duties he has been able to fulfil the expectations accompanying the tasks he has accomplished over the last four and a half years, sometimes in very difficult and trying circumstances. He has devoted his energies to promoting peace, justice and international security. Furthermore, he has succeeded in forging and strengthening partnerships between regional organizations and the various United Nations bodies in order to improve synergy and coordination of effort, and always with a view to better serving the cause of peace and development, as well as the promotion of human rights around the world. A man of experience, Mr. Ban Ki-moon has been active on every front — in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas — offering his good offices and mediation services for preventing conflict and restoring peace. He has worked to strengthen the central role of the Organization in maintaining international peace and security, particularly in Africa. There is no need to recall that we owe to Mr. Ban Ki-moon the recent establishment in Libreville, Gabon, of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa, following other offices already existing in the region. I am certain that in the course of his second term of office he will persevere with the energy he breathed into the Organization. I therefore recommend that the General Assembly adopt draft resolution A/65/L.80 by acclamation.

The representative of Gabon has just proposed that the Assembly adopt the draft resolution contained in document A/65/L.80. May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to adopt draft resolution A/65/L.80 by acclamation? I now request the Chief of Protocol to escort the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, into the General Assembly Hall. The Chief of Protocol escorted the Secretary- General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, into the General Assembly Hall. The President (spoke in French): I have the honour to officially inform you, Sir, that the General Assembly has appointed you as Secretary-General of the United Nations for a second term of office, beginning on 1 January 2012 and ending on 31 December 2016. In my capacity as President of the General Assembly, I would like to thank the Secretary-General on behalf of all the Member States for the remarkable work he has done to date as leader of the Organization. His reappointment today is a sign of the esteem and confidence that all States have in him. Loyalty, discretion and conscience are the qualities that he swore to uphold when taking his oath of office. Loyalty, discretion and conscience are qualities that have not been not mere words. For what will soon be five years, they have truly guided his actions every day. Since his assumption of office, he has been active on many fronts. In a complex and difficult international environment, he has strengthened the role and the visibility of the United Nations by adopting reform measures, launching exciting and innovative initiatives and calling, faithfully and constantly, for respect for human rights, the rule of law and the other values that are rooted in our Charter. Allow me to mention just a few examples that, in my opinion, illustrate his tireless commitment to serving the international community. In the area of security and peacekeeping, the creation of the Department of Field Support emphasized more effective management, with a view to greater impact on the ground. With respect to disarmament and reducing the world’s nuclear arsenal, his initiative in convening a meeting on disarmament on the sidelines of the General Assembly last September gave new impetus to that key issue. Regarding the empowerment of women and the promotion of their rights, he will be remembered as the man who worked to create the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women by combining the mandates of various programmes in order to achieve greater efficiency. The Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health, whose progress we were able to assess last week during the development dialogue in the General Assembly, is another telling example. I cannot do justice to his achievements by listing them all, but I should mention once again his commitment to combating climate change and fostering sustainable development, as well as promoting safety in the use of civil nuclear energy. The past few months have been a particularly tumultuous period for the international community. Members have said that the Arab spring was a once-in- a-generation opportunity. It is essential that we manifest our solidarity with the people who aspire to greater freedom, democracy and well-being. Recent events have shown once again that the world needs the United Nations and that the United Nations needs a Secretary-General with the qualities of leadership and determination. The world needs a solid, credible Organization with a Secretariat and intergovernmental bodies that are mutually reinforcing. As President of the General Assembly, I want to express to the Secretary-General how much I value the excellent collaboration between our two Offices and his great readiness to cooperate. He has always been extremely transparent concerning his activities and travels abroad. For example, on 28 March, having barely returned from a trip to North Africa, he appeared before the General Assembly to report on recent developments in the region. These ties are important. They foster dialogue between the Secretariat and Member States and contribute to the revitalization of the General Assembly, both within the Organization and on the international stage. As the Secretary-General is aware, that task is not easy. But I assure him of the full support of the General Assembly and its member States. This second term of office will allow him to work even harder to promote the fundamental values of the Charter. On a personal level, I congratulate him again on his achievements and wish him every success in the future. I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Abdou Salam Diallo, Permanent Representative of Senegal, who will speak on behalf of the Group of African States.

It is my great honour and privilege, on behalf of the Group of African States, to address our warmest congratulations to His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon on his well- deserved appointment to a second term as Secretary- General of the United Nations. Indeed, his appointment by acclamation moments ago by the General Assembly is a telling expression of the positive assessment of the work Mr. Ban Ki-moon has already accomplished during his first term in office. It also represents the widespread feeling of satisfaction that is undoubtedly at the core of the massive support for his candidature. The Group of African States, on whose behalf I speak, is pleased to continue to support his dynamic and sincere efforts to implement the noble ideals and objectives of the Charter of the United Nations, on whose behalf Mr. Ban Ki-moon has become one of the most visible defenders. His professionalism, dedication and firm determination have raised high the torch of the United Nations due to the resulting great progress made in terms of the internal management of human resources and the many fields of the daily action of the Organization. That progress was all the more significant as it was often carried out in difficult periods of multiple and varied challenges from all quarters. I therefore welcome the vigorous and effective manner in which he faced the most pressing problems of the day while playing a leadership role in the light of the many crises that caused upheaval worldwide. His daily struggle as the head of the Organization has made it possible to refocus efforts, namely, on the promotion of peace and security, the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, the fight against climate change, respect for human rights, democracy and the empowerment of women. It goes without saying that Mr. Ban Ki-moon’s achievements during his first term of office were marked by successes upon which we base our hope that this reappointment will permit him to achieve many more. That is why Africa, which has been at the heart of his concerns, renews its total confidence in him, while remaining convinced that his second term of office will be an opportunity to strengthen his efforts in favour of the African continent.

I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Mansour Ayyad Alotaibi, Permanent Representative of Kuwait, who will speak on behalf of the Group of Asian States.

It is a great honour for me to address the General Assembly on behalf of the States members of the Asian Group at this historic meeting of the Assembly to express our sincere congratulations to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, following the Assembly’s adoption of the recommendation of the Security Council to appoint him to a second term by acclamation. We thank him for assuming the responsibility of a second term, and we appreciate the great sacrifices borne by his family as they support him in his work to serve the international community and humankind itself. The unprecedented support for the Secretary- General manifested today by all of the regional groups and the Security Council reflects the international community’s appreciation for his tireless efforts in the past four and a half years to enhance the legitimacy, independence and credibility of the United Nations and to effectively carry out its functions pursuant to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. Our purpose today is not to discuss his numerous achievements or his various initiatives in many areas, including, among others, the humanitarian and economic spheres. Today, the Asian States reaffirm their confidence in the Secretary-General, who clearly deserves it, to lead the Organization for five more years under challenging circumstances affecting international peace and security. Additional complex and interrelated international issues also require concrete collective solutions; foremost among them are climate change, the realization of the Millennium Development Goals, global pandemics, combating poverty and hunger and the achievement of social justice, peace and security worldwide. We understand that these challenges are difficult and that the path to resolving them is not easy. Political will is necessary to achieve our common goals. The Asian States are confident that the great experience gained by the Secretary-General, along with the resolve and determination he has shown over the past years, will ensure that he will continue to make every possible effort and to devote all the necessary potential and resources to coordinate and guide international action in order to face these challenges and international problems. We hope that the Secretary-General will continue his efforts and initiatives to reform the United Nations in order that it may carry out its functions and mandates efficiently, effectively and transparently. We wish him every success in achieving the legitimate goals and aspirations of the international community in a world of peace, security and stability. From this rostrum, we would like to reconfirm that we are all united in supporting him, that we will stand behind him and that we will cooperate with him to achieve the goals for which the United Nations was established. I would like to conclude by citing to the Secretary-General the words of Dag Hammarskjöld, “Never look down to test the ground before taking your next step; only he who keeps his eye fixed on the far horizon will find the right road”.

I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Alexandru Cujba, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Moldova, who will speak on behalf of the Group of Eastern European States.

I am particularly honoured to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of Eastern European States on the occasion of the reappointment of His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon as Secretary-General of the United Nations. The Eastern European Group has previously expressed its full support to Mr. Ban Ki-moon, and we are pleased to have this opportunity to wholeheartedly congratulate him on his reappointment for a second term. During the past four and a half years, Mr. Ban Ki-moon has demonstrated his deep commitment to multilateral diplomacy as the central approach to promoting international peace and security, enhancing international cooperation and finding concerted solutions to global problems. His distinguished tenure, his respect and sensibility for the diversity of the United Nations, and his composed and comforting cadence have been and continue to be complementary to our endeavours to reach compromise, deeper understanding and tolerance within this global body. The Organization’s strengthening and consolidating leader is essential to our Assembly as we join our efforts and determination towards the achievement of far-reaching and ambitious global goals while delivering effective international responses to global challenges. We are particularly encouraged in that regard by Mr. Ban’s position that the agenda of Member States is his agenda. The results of Mr. Ban Ki-moon’s tireless activities in this high position have shown his genuine commitment and energetic approach to his responsibilities. He was instrumental in steering the work of the Organization during the numerous financial, economic, food and energy crises that severely tested the international community. Many initiatives were launched and have been implemented, with some already completed, in crucial areas such the empowerment of women, climate change, peace and security, peacekeeping and peacebuilding and sustainable development. It is the role of the United Nations to seek solutions for all the various priorities and challenges that our peoples face. We all want to put them to good use and to benefit from the valuable potential of the United Nations. That is the main task of the Organization. A thoughtful and firm Secretary-General is a guiding compass to help us navigate the many problems and challenges ahead of us. Mr. Ban Ki-moon has demonstrated that moving the United Nations forward is possible. While building on the achievements of the former leaders of the Organization, we shall be committed to new endeavours. We stand by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his efforts to build a stronger and more effective world Organization while reinvigorating the entire United Nations system. Promoting greater coherence among the different parts of the United Nations system and other relevant actors and enhancing the representativeness, transparency, accountability, efficiency and effectiveness of the United Nations are actions that have high priority on the agenda of the Secretary-General, and are in line with the positions expressed by the entire membership. We look forward to working with the Secretary- General and his team in delivering sustainable results. Last year’s summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) produced a five-year action plan towards their achievement. While multiple crises are threatening their implementation, and prolonged insecurity in the global economy puts pressure on some of the development gains, we have the time and the political will to work to deliver strong and inclusive economic growth to achieve the MDGs and to look forward to new horizons after 2015. Recent natural disasters of increased frequency and intensity have struck countries and peoples all around the world, causing tragic loss of life and suffering and drawing attention to the fragility and preciousness of our environment. Owing to the Secretary-General’s engagement in addressing climate change, this issue makes headlines in public policies and in international multilateral forums. Most important, it consolidates civil society’s and the private sector’s engagement for a cleaner and safer Earth. As we head towards the Rio+20 Conference next year, a sustainable future is another task on our agenda. Human rights, the rule of law and democracy are interlinked and mutually reinforcing core values and principles of the United Nations. We recognize the valuable role that the Secretary-General plays in bringing together the efforts of different stakeholders. We call on him to continuously bestow his attention on this area. We also commend the Secretary-General’s commitment to build on the momentum in the area of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. We also praise his diligence in coping with international security challenges. His individual approach and, so often, his personal presence on the ground in places affected by conflicts or humanitarian crises are commendable, and we encourage him to continue working closely with Member States in order to respond to the needs of our peoples and communities. Finally, on behalf of the Group of Eastern European States, I express our full confidence in fruitful cooperation with the Secretary-General in the coming years. We pledge our commitment and support for his priorities for a strengthened, dynamic and more operational United Nations. We wish him success and persistence in fulfilling the responsibilities of his office.

I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Pablo Solón, Permanent Representative of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, who will speak on behalf of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States.

I am grateful for the honour of representing the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States at this important plenary meeting of the General Assembly. On behalf of Latin America and the Caribbean, I express to Mr. Ban Ki-moon our congratulations on his having been appointed as Secretary-General of the United Nations for a second term. The members of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States endeavour to enhance the power and influence of the United Nations. In that regard we underscore the role of the Secretary-General in implementing the purposes of the Charter. We appreciate his dedication and hard work in facing the many challenges before the international community. We welcome his reappointment, seeking to enhance democracy and transparency in the United Nations while taking into account and addressing the different concerns of Member States. In conclusion, allow me, on behalf of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, to express to the Secretary-General our readiness to continue our cooperation with him to achieve the noble objectives of the Charter of the United Nations.

I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Ron Prosor, Permanent Representative of Israel, who will speak on behalf of the Group of Western European and other States.

On behalf of the Group of Western European and other States, it is my distinct honour to congratulate the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, on his appointment for a second term. The unanimous support for the Secretary- General’s reappointment offered by members of the Group reflects the widespread recognition of his exceptional abilities as a leader. Always striving to serve as a bridge-builder, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has displayed a tireless commitment to his duties over the past five years. He has sought to advance the causes of peace, security, stability and human rights. With great dedication, he has led the international community’s efforts in many conflict zones and its response to tragic natural disasters all over the globe. In the face of a major economic crisis, the Secretary-General provided essential leadership and worked to ensure that those most affected by the downturn were not forgotten by the international community. To advance global prosperity, Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon helped to facilitate renewed commitments to the Millennium Development Goals, spurring progress on many vital issues, such as climate change, global health and the eradication of poverty. In an age of fiscal austerity, the Secretary- General has emphasized the pressing need for a more innovative and effective Organization. He has offered a consistent vision for the reform of United Nations institutions. One important milestone in that effort has been the establishment of UN-Women, a new entity that promotes gender equality and women’s empowerment. The Group of Western European and other States welcomes the Secretary-General’s commitment to continuing to work to make the United Nations more transparent, accountable, efficient and results-oriented. The coming years are sure to bring with them great challenges. The Group is confident that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, at the helm of the United Nations, will continue to offer essential leadership for the international community. We wish the Secretary-General every success over the next five years, and pledge to continue offering our full support for his work.

I now give the floor to the Permanent Representative of the United States, who will speak on behalf of the host country.

This is an important day in the life of this institution. On behalf of the United States of America, the host country of the United Nations, I have the honour of warmly welcoming Mr. Ban Ki-moon’s reappointment as Secretary-General of the United Nations. No one understands the burdens of that role better than he, and my Government is grateful that he is willing to continue to take them on. For the past four and a half years, the Secretary- General has navigated turbulent waters with a steady hand. We have all benefited from the wisdom and experience that he has amassed over the course of a long, distinguished and selfless career of public service. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is a leader who listens to the voices of the voiceless — the refugees sheltered beneath United Nations tents, the children vaccinated through United Nations programmes and the innocent civilians whose lives have been saved by effective United Nations action. Under the Secretary-General’s leadership, the United Nations has moved to meet the challenges of a new century, in which we must all work together to find shared solutions to common challenges that pay no heed to borders. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has been a champion of peace and security, an advocate for development and a voice for universal human rights. He has spoken out with compassion for Haiti, for democracy in Côte d’Ivoire and for the responsibility to protect in Libya. He has urged us all to confront the common challenge of climate change. He has encouraged us to promote truly sustainable development that expands the circle of prosperity. And he has insisted on recognizing that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights are simply human rights. The Secretary-General has also understood that an institution built in the wake of the Second World War must renew and reform itself to meet the challenges of a very different world. He has already made important changes, such as hiring more women for senior posts and proposing the deepest reduction in the United Nations budget in more than a decade. Under his leadership, the United Nations launched the global field support strategy, created the Ethics Office, and merged four disparate bodies into the important new agency UN-Women. But far more work awaits the Secretary-General in his second term. We look forward to working with him and his senior leadership team as they ensure that the United Nations moves swiftly to reduce bureaucracy, update its business practices, ensure budgetary discipline, promote transparency and create a culture of economy, ethics and excellence. In all those efforts, we know that the Secretary- General will be guided by his abiding commitment — in the words of the Charter of the United Nations — to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”, to reaffirm our common faith “in the dignity and worth of the human person” and “to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom”. We also know that he will continue to rely on valued colleagues and counsellors, including of course his wonderful wife, Madame Ban Soon-taek, whom we also thank today for her support and sacrifice. In the twenty-first century, we need the United Nations more than ever to help bridge the gaps between war and reconciliation, division and cooperation, and misery and hope. We are therefore fortunate to have a Secretary-General who has so often spoken of himself as a bridge-builder. As Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon again takes up one of the toughest jobs in the world, the United States renews its pledge of friendship and support.

I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Kim Sung-hwan, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea.

It is my distinct honour and privilege to address the General Assembly today. I stand here to share with all members the great joy of the people of the Republic of Korea at the reappointment of the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon. On behalf of the Korean people and Government, I express the warmest congratulations to the Secretary-General on the unanimous decision on his second term. The Republic of Korea greatly looks forward to another five fruitful years under his outstanding, dynamic and competent leadership of the United Nations. The Secretary-General is widely acknowledged and respected in Korea, and beyond, for his virtues of integrity, diligence and a strong work ethic. In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, where he spent most of his career, he is remembered with great admiration as a legendary diplomat. His legend stems from his many distinctive attributes and hinges on his ability to communicate with the people from the heart, to make the most sensible decisions in the most difficult moments and to realize justice based on courage. Those are the assets that have driven not only his career, but also his life. His achievements as Secretary-General of the United Nations over the past four and half years are grounded not only in those qualities, but also in his humanity. He has placed priority on reaching out to those in great distress all around the world in locations such as Haiti, Gaza, Myanmar, Chile and Pakistan, when natural disasters and conflict hit those areas. What is more, he has been determined in echoing the call of the people for democracy and human rights when the time came. Recently, in North Africa and the Middle East, he took swift and decisive steps to lead the world to address the situations with both wisdom and courage. In addressing those crises, he demonstrated not only humanism, but also determined action based on good judgement. In the case of Côte d’Ivoire, his tireless passion played a pivotal role not only in safeguarding the principles of democracy, but also in protecting civilian lives. In the face of an increasing number of global challenges, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has constantly underlined the central role of multilateralism. With his commitment, the critical issue of climate change has been elevated to the top of the international agenda. Moreover, international efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals have been further galvanized. The position of Secretary-General of the United Nations, as the first Secretary-General, Trygve Lie, once described it, may be the most impossible job on Earth. However, we have every confidence that, with the full support of the Members, the Secretary-General will continue to be the leader in showing the way forward to achieve the goals that unite us, namely, peace and prosperity for humankind. It is my sincere hope that, throughout his term in office, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will continue to enjoy the unanimous support evident here today. For its part, the Republic of Korea will stand firmly behind his noble endeavours to create a stronger United Nations for a better world. In that regard, the Republic of Korea will continue to support and join the United Nations efforts to successfully reach the Millennium Development Goals. In addition to our commitment to doubling official development assistance by 2015, Korea is implementing domestic policies and pursuing global partnerships that will contribute to accelerating the development consensus of the Group of Twenty Summit held in Seoul last year. Furthermore, we will host a high-level forum in Pusan in November to assess the effectiveness of aid and to discuss the possible linkage of aid policy to development effectiveness. The Republic of Korea is strongly committed to maintaining international peace and security, and will continue to support the United Nations role in preventing and responding to conflicts around the world. Currently, some 600 Korean soldiers are serving in nine peacekeeping missions, including in Lebanon and Haiti. The hosting of the 2012 nuclear security summit in Korea will also serve as a clear demonstration of a sincere commitment to global peace and security. I would like to bring my remarks to a close by extending my best wishes for the continued success of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in making the United Nations a stronger and more effective Organization. I assure the United Nations that the Korean people and Government will be part of that process.

I now invite those who have just spoken — the President of the Security Council, the President of the Economic and Social Council, the President of the Trusteeship Council, the Vice-Presidents of the General Assembly and the Chairs of the Main Committees — to come to the platform. I now request the Chief of Protocol to escort the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, to the platform. The Chief of Protocol escorted the Secretary- General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, to the platform. The President (spoke in French): By resolution 65/282, of 21 June 2011, the General Assembly has appointed His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon Secretary- General of the United Nations for a second term of office, beginning on 1 January 2012 and ending on 31 December 2016. I now invite him to take the oath of office on the signed original Charter of the United Nations. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the National Archives of the United States of America for having brought the signed original Charter from Washington, D.C.

I, Ban Ki-moon, solemnly swear to exercise in all loyalty, discretion and conscience the functions entrusted to me as Secretary- General of the United Nations, to discharge these functions and regulate my conduct with the interests of the United Nations only in view, and not to seek or accept instructions in regard to the performance of my duties from any Government or other authority external to the Organization.

I now invite His Excellency Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to make a statement.

With the members’ decision this afternoon and with their warm words, they do me a very great honour, one beyond expression. Standing in this place, mindful of the immense legacy of my predecessors, I am humbled by members’ trust and inspired by our sense of common purpose. This solemn occasion is special in another respect as well. On being sworn in a few moments ago, I placed my hand on the United Nations Charter — not a copy, but the original signed in San Francisco. Our founding fathers deemed this document so precious that it was flown back to Washington, D.C., strapped to a parachute. No such consideration was given to the poor diplomat accompanying it; he had to take his chances. We thank the United States National Archives for its generosity in lending it to us today and for their care in preserving it. The Charter of the United Nations is the animating spirit and soul of our great institution. For 65 years, this great Organization has carried the flame of human aspiration — “We the peoples” — from the last of the great world wars through the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of apartheid. We have fed the hungry, delivered comfort to the sick and suffering and brought peace to those afflicted by war. This great Organization, the United Nations, is dedicated to human progress. We began our work together, four and a half years ago, with a call for a new multilateralism, a new spirit of collective action. We saw, in our daily work, how all the world’s peoples looked more and more to the United Nations. We knew then, and more so now, that we live in an era of integration and interconnection, a new era where no country can solve every challenge on its own and where every country should be part of the solution. That is the reality of the modern world. We can struggle against it, or we can lead. The role of the United Nations is to lead. Each of us here today shares that heavy responsibility. It is why the United Nations matters in a different and deeper way than ever before. To lead, we must deliver results. Mere statistics will not do it. We need results that people can see and touch, results that change lives and make a difference. (spoke in French) Working together, with goodwill and mutual trust, we have laid a firm foundation for the future. When we began, no one spoke of climate change. Today, it is at the heart of the international community’s concerns. When we began working together, nuclear disarmament was a dead issue. Today, we see progress. We have advanced on global health, sustainable development and education. We are on track to eliminate deaths from malaria, and with a final push we can eradicate polio, just as we did smallpox a long time ago. We have shielded the poor and the vulnerable against the greatest economic upheaval in generations. Amid devastating natural disasters, we were there, saving lives in Haiti, Pakistan and Myanmar. As never before, the United Nations is on the front lines, protecting people and helping to build peace — in the Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia and in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Middle East. We have stood firm for democracy, justice and human rights. In Côte d’Ivoire, North Africa and elsewhere, we have carved out a new dimension for the responsibility to protect. We created UN-Women to empower women everywhere, including within the United Nations system itself. And yet we never forget how far we have to go. We must continue the important work that we have begun together. (spoke in English) As we look to the future, we recognize the imperative for decisive and concerted action. In economic hard times, we must stretch resources and do better with less. We must improve our ability to deliver as one. We must do more to connect the dots among the world’s challenges so that solutions to one global problem become solutions for all — on women’s and children’s health, green growth and more equitable social and economic development. A clear time frame lies ahead — the target date for the Millennium Development Goals in 2015, next year’s Rio+20 Conference, the high-level meeting on nuclear safety in September and the nuclear security summit meeting in Seoul next year. In all this, our ultimate power is partnership. Our legacy, such as it may be, will be written in alliance, the leaders of the world leading in common cause. As in the past, I count on the Assembly’s support and on even deeper partnership. By acting decisively to renew my mandate, the Assembly has given the gift of time — time to carry on the important work that, together, we have begun. In the months to come, we will be reaching out for the Assembly’s views and ideas. Drawing on those discussions, I shall present our broader long-term vision at the next plenary session in September. My predecessor Dag Hammarskjöld once said, “Never, for the sake of peace and quiet, deny your own experience or conviction”. Like my distinguished forebear, I take that lesson to heart. It has been a great privilege to serve as the Organization’s Secretary- General. That the Assembly should ask me to serve once again makes it all the greater. With gratitude for the Assembly’s support and encouragement, and honouring its trust, I pledge my full commitment. I am proud and humbled to accept the Assembly’s support. As Secretary-General, I will work as a harmonizer and bridge-builder among Member States, within the United Nations system and between the United Nations and a rich diversity of international partners. To quote the great philosopher Lao-tzu, “The way of heaven is to benefit others and not to injure. The way of the sage is to act but not compete”. Let us apply this enduring wisdom to our work today. Out of the competition of ideas, let us find unity in action. Honouring the Assembly’s trust, I pledge my full commitment, my full energy and my resolve to uphold the fundamental principles of our sacred Charter. Together, let us do all we can to help this noble Organization better serve “we the peoples” of the world. Together, no challenge is too large. Together, nothing is impossible. (spoke in French) Together, nothing is impossible.

I thank the Secretary-General for his statement. We have thus concluded our consideration of agenda item 163. Above all, we have taken a very important decision that is going to guarantee the prosperity of our Organization in the next five years.