I thank the General Assembly for convening on such short notice to address the Ebola outbreak at a time of busy preparations for the new Assembly session. We are all aware of the immensity of the suffering in West Africa and the enormity of the challenge. This crisis demands the attention of the ent…
I would like to thank Ambassador Power and the United States for having convened this meeting of the Security Council on Ebola virus disease. Only twice before has the Security Council met to discuss the security implications of a public-health issue, both times on the AIDS epidemic. Like those meet…
It is a great honour to join all present for the official opening of the General Assembly at its sixty-ninth session. Here in New York, autumn is in the air, but at United Nations Headquarters it feels like spring. We meet in the newly renovated General Assembly Hall to resolve anew our work to adva…
I am pleased to join everyone here as we mark the closing of the sixty-eighth session of the General Assembly, and to be doing so in this beautifully, elegantly renovated General Assembly Hall. I am grateful to all those who have worked tirelessly for this, as well as to Member States for their pati…
I thank the United Kingdom presidency for convening this important debate.
Before I begin, allow me to pay tribute to an outstanding United Nations leader who joins us for the last time as High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Navi Pillay. As the Secretary-General — and I believe Council members …
I thank the Government of Rwanda for convening this discussion on regional partnerships and United Nations peacekeeping, especially in Africa. This is the second debate on this subject this year (see S/PV.7196). Such active engagement and such high-level representation by the African Union (AU) and …
I thank you, Sir, for giving me the honour of briefing the Council from
Ramallah. I deeply apologize for being late, which was due to my continuing engagement in Israel. I have only just arrived. As you know, I am now well into my third day of an ongoing mission throughout the region. I want to tha…
I thank you, Mr. President, for the opportunity to brief the members of the Security Council on the situation in Israel and the Gaza Strip. I felt that the seriousness of the situation required a consultation with Council members.
We are now several days into a dangerous escalation in and around Ga…
I thank the Russian Federation for providing this important opportunity to collectively examine trends in United Nations peacekeeping. I also thank you, Mr. President, for your very kind words of encouragement and support. I am deeply touched by such strong official and personal support for my work …
I congratulate His Excellency Mr. Sam Kutesa on his election as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-ninth session
As a lawyer, parliamentarian, Finance Minister and Foreign Minister, Mr. Kutesa brings wide-ranging experience to the job. I wish him every success as he takes up his importa…
Three years ago, Heads of State agreed on a set of ambitious targets to halt and reverse the spread of HIV and AIDS by the end of 2015. With just over 500 days to go, the international community has made great progress. Between 2011 and 2012 alone, the number of people accessing HIV treatment global…
I offer my warmest congratulations to all members of the Assembly on the adoption of historic resolution 68/275, which establishes the United Nations Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize. The international community still mourns the death of the great global leader, our Madiba.
I saw the outpouring of i…
Thank you, Mr. President for inviting me to brief the Council today. I thank the Security Council for its attention to the mounting crisis in South Sudan. I visited the country last week to sound the alarm about the violence and the risk of catastrophic famine and to press the leaders to step back f…
I thank Nigeria for convening this important debate.
The purpose of security sector reform, simply put, is to make people’s lives safer. Security institutions are at the core of the compact between the State and its citizens. The legitimate authority to use force comes with a corresponding responsi…
I thank Nigeria for convening this important debate.
Conflict-related sexual violence is an issue of pressing importance. This grave human rights abuse is as destructive as any bomb or bullet. It inflicts unimaginable suffering on women and men, girls and boys. It destroys families and communities …
Let me start by expressing my appreciation to the Assembly for the
many important decisions to be taken this afternoon following the latest round of discussions about the future of our Organization. Those decisions will contribute to further strengthening the global, effective, efficient and focuse…
I thank Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn of Luxembourg for organizing this important thematic debate.
I have just returned from Sierra Leone. That country is an important case study in the value of our engagement. Under the guidance of the Security Council, with the solidarity of the international c…
I very much welcome the adoption of resolution 2139 (2014). We are all keenly aware of the profound and prolonged desperation of the Syrian people. If this resolution is implemented quickly and in good faith, at least some of the suffering can be eased.
The resolution builds on presidential stateme…
I thank His Excellency Mr. Smaїl Chergui for his presence here today. I attach the highest importance to close ties with the African Union (AU). We at the United Nations will continue to work hand-in-hand with the African Union to promote development and lasting peace across the continent.
The cris…
I thank the Government of Lithuania for organizing this important debate.
The rule of law is at the heart of our work at the United Nations. It is intrinsically linked to peace and security. When public institutions fail to deliver justice or to protect peoples’ rights, insecurity and conflict prev…
