I am very happy to be here today. I extend my warmest congratulations to Ambassador John W. Ashe on his election as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-eighth session. We have worked together on a number of important issues over the years. He shares my passion for sustainable development …
Thank you, Sir, for the opportunity to address the Assembly at this important meeting on the progress in our global struggle against AIDS. I thank Mr. Michel Sidibé for his excellent leadership at the helm of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). I applaud the engagement of Govern…
I thank you, Foreign Secretary Hague, for presiding over this meeting during the United Kingdom’s presidency of the Security Council. I commend the leadership and efforts of the United Kingdom in bringing key international support and momentum to the crucial fight against conflict- related sexual vi…
I wish to thank the Togolese delegation, and in particular His Excellency Mr. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of the Togolese Republic, for having organized this important meeting.
Terrorism is a threat to peace, security and development in Africa. From Al-Shabaab in the east, to Boko Haram i…
I thank all present for coming together to stop the scandal of human
trafficking. I highly appreciate the initiative of the President of the General Assembly in bringing all of us together to address the very important and very serious global challenge of human trafficking.
Around the world, traff…
Thank you very much, Madam President, for convening this important meeting on conflict-related sexual violence, an issue of grave importance to the innumerable civilians who have been affected, to all of us around the table and to the entire United Nations system. I welcome Rwanda’s initiative and y…
I am pleased to address the Security Council on the important subject of preventing armed conflicts and addressing their root causes. Although we are focused today on Africa, there are universal lessons in conflict prevention that apply everywhere around the world.
Conflicts breed where there is po…
I am honoured to be here to pay tribute to the memory of His Excellency Mr. Zillur Rahman, who served as President of Bangladesh since 2009. He was one of Bangladesh’s most respected statesmen, with over 50 years of dedicated service to the country and its people. He was elected as the fifteenth Pre…
I am pleased to welcome representatives to this solemn meeting of the General Assembly. This gathering is the culmination of a series of powerful remembrances at the United Nations. I thank all those who have made these events possible. I am especially grateful to the National Ballet of Cameroon for…
I am pleased to brief the Security Council today on the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
I am grateful to the Russian delegation for organizing this open debate on a crucially important subject.
This has been an intense period of activity as we look ahead to…
It is an honour to join with the Assembly in paying tribute to the work and memory of His Excellency President Hugo Chávez Frías. President Chávez was one of those leaders who made a difference in his country, the region and the world. His sense of solidarity with the most vulnerable and his commitm…
The Mouvement du 23 Mars (M-23) mutiny that began in April 2012 brought yet another wave of misery to the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced. Countless innocent men, women and children suffered horrendous acts of violence, rape and ot…
I thank all those present for joining us to celebrate the International Year of Quinoa. This extraordinary grain has been a cultural anchor and a staple in the diet of millions of people throughout the Andes for thousands of years. Thanks to the initial efforts of Bolivia and the agreement of the Ge…
Before I turn to the subject of this meeting, let me say a few words about the appalling underground nuclear test conducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
I strongly condemn Pyongyang’s reckless act, which shows outright disregard for the repeated call of the international community …
We are honoured to have the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan here to preside over this important debate, and we thank you, Sir, for this initiative. Pakistan is the single largest troop contributor to United Nations peacekeeping. Its personnel are working courageously every day under the United Nations…
I am pleased to welcome Her Excellency Foreign Minister Khar back to the United Nations. I thank Pakistan for convening this important debate. As this is my first time to address the Council this year, I would like to warmly welcome all the members of the Security Council and to affirm that I count …
I commend Morocco for its initiative in convening this open debate. Peacebuilding is one of the main objectives of the United Nations. It brings together actors from across the United Nations system, my envoys and representatives,
whose negotiation and mediation efforts help to achieve and sustain …
We come together to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. When the Convention was opened for signature in 1982, it was called a constitution for the oceans. Like a constitution, it is a firm foundation and a permanent document that
provides orde…
I thank Mr. El Othmani for organizing this important open debate on the situation in the Sahel. Last week (see S/PV.6879), the Council heard the presentation of my report on Mali (S/2012/894) pursuant to resolution 2071 (2012). I know that Council members are currently considering a draft resolution…
I thank you, Sir, for the opportunity to brief the Council today on my three-day visit to Egypt, Israel, the occupied Palestinian territories and Jordan.
Since the situation in Gaza and Israel escalated last week, I made it my priority to contribute to efforts to halt the violence, with the priorit…
