Water, peace and security are inextricably linked. With demand for freshwater projected to grow by more than 40 per cent by the middle of the century, and with climate change having a growing impact, water scarcity is a growing concern.
By 2050, at least one in four people will live in a country wh…
I am honoured to be here for the election of the new President of the General Assembly, but let me first say what a privilege it is to work with you, Mr. President, dear Peter Thomson. I am deeply grateful for your leadership over the past year and am looking forward to continuing our partnership in…
I thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity to address the critical issue of protection of civilians in armed conflict.
During my 10 years as High Commissioner for Refugees, I saw the tragic results of our failure to protect civilians caught up in conflict in the refugee camps and the settleme…
Allow me to first thank the United States and you personally, Mr. President, for convening this meeting.
The situation on the Korean peninsula is one of the longest-standing and most serious issues before the United Nations. The Security Council first adopted a resolution (resolution 825 (1993)) on…
I thank the United States presidency for convening today’s important meeting.
We are all aware that large-scale human rights violations cause terrible suffering and undermine prospects for sustainable peace and reconciliation. Healing these wounds is always a difficult and painful process, yet that…
United Nations peacekeeping is an investment in global peace, security and prosperity. Around the world, Blue Helmets are the concrete expression of the determination of the Charter of the United Nations “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”. The achievements of peace operations a…
It is an honour to join the General Assembly in commemorating the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. We must never forget this dark chapter of human history, and we must always remember the role played by many of our countries — including my…
I thank you, Mr. President, for your presence here today for this important meeting on South Sudan.
Before we turn to today’s agenda, I would like to once again express our sincere condolences to the people and the Government of the United Kingdom on the loss of life and injuries suffered in yester…
As the President of the General Assembly just mentioned, today reminds us that in 1960 in Sharpeville, South Africa, 69 unarmed protesters were killed during a peaceful protest against discriminatory laws passed by the racist apartheid regime. I join my voice to his in praising South Africa’s leader…
It is with deep sadness that I join the General Assembly to pay tribute to our friend and colleague Vitaly Ivanovich Churkin, who was tragically and suddenly taken from us last month on the eve of his sixty-fifth birthday. Throughout his decade-long tenure as the Permanent Representative of the Russ…
I thank the United Kingdom for convening this meeting, which builds on last December’s adoption of the far-reaching resolution 2331 (2016), targeting human trafficking in conflict situations. Allow me to start with a short personal reflection.
I come from a country that, for centuries, engaged in t…
I thank the Ukrainian Presidency for convening this meeting, which is an opportunity to build on last month’s debate on preventing conflict (see S/PV.7857) in the most tangible and concrete ways.
The two global conflicts that ignited in Europe during the first half of the last century played a foun…
I was flying yesterday evening from Lisbon to New York when, during the flight, one of the flight attendants came to me with a small note saying that it was coming from the Captain. The note said that Vitaly Churkin had passed away. I must confess that my first reaction was not to believe it. I had …
May I first thank you, Madam, and the Swedish presidency for convening this meeting and allowing me to have my first formal presence in the Security Council, discussing what I believe must be the priority of everything we do together — preventing conflicts and sustaining peace. I believe that the ma…
I thank the Spanish presidency of the Council. led by His Excellency Mr. Rajoy Brey, for convening this important meeting. I come with a plea for Member States to take steps to help victims of trafficking today and prevent further cases in the future. That means attention to immediate crimes and und…
Before proceeding, I would like to offer my deepest condolences to the Russian delegation following the assassination of their colleague, Ambassador Andrey Karlov in Ankara, earlier today. I condemn that senseless act of terror, for which there can be no justification.
We are here to address one of…
Today, I report to the Security Council for the last time on the situation in the Middle East. It saddens me that my last such briefing brings no sense of optimism for the future.
Some may ask why, given all the crises in the region, I have chosen to address the Council on the question of Palestine…
I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for your leadership and your excellent Korean pronunciation. I am very touched.
I would like to thank the Council for this tribute. I am deeply honoured by the recognition I have been given. It has been a great privilege to work with all the Security Counci…
I have been invited to address the Security Council on the tragic situation in Aleppo. Since late November, we have seen Syrian Government forces and their allies capture large swathes of territory in eastern Aleppo. In the past 48 hours, we have seen an almost complete collapse of the armed opposit…
I thank representatives for their kind words and for their trust. I am deeply moved by their tributes. Serving as Secretary-General of this great Organization has been the privilege of a lifetime for me.
As some representatives have said, I am a child of the United Nations. After the Korean War, Un…
