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 instru…
I thank President Ali Bongo Ondimba for having convened this important meeting. I greatly appreciate Gabon’s leadership in submitting the vital resolution 1983 (2011), which has just been adopted. Now is the time for bold action.
More than 10 years ago, then United States Ambassador Richard Holbroo…
I wish to thank you, Mr. President, for your initiative. I welcome this opportunity to discuss the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The United Nations effort in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of our largest and most complex operations. With the help of many partners, …
It is one thing to read about Chernobyl, another to see it for yourself. Anyone visiting that infamous site, as I did last week, will be profoundly moved — the giant reactor, encased in concrete, yet still deadly; the empty town and nearby villages, houses in ruin and the land contaminated. Chernoby…
First of all, I would like to thank President Santos Calderón of Colombia for convening this high-level debate during his country’s presidency of the Security Council. At a time when the world faces multiple crises, it is important that we reaffirm our collective commitment to Haiti. I am particular…
It is my great honour to join President of the General Assembly Joseph Deiss in welcoming President Napolitano here today, and it is a personal pleasure for me to introduce him.
This cannot be said of many people, but President Napolitano is a legend in his own time. Looking over some notes put tog…
I appreciate this opportunity to brief the Security Council on the situation in Libya and to discuss events in the wake of the Council’s adoption of resolution 1973 (2011).
At the Paris summit convened on 19 March by President Sarkozy, the international community called for an immediate ceasefire a…
I thank Ambassador Li Baodong of China for convening this meeting and for rallying the international community to the cause of Somalia during this critical period. I wish him all the best as President of the Security Council. I appreciate his leadership.
I would also like to thank His Excellency Pr…
I welcome this opportunity to brief the General Assembly on the latest developments in Libya. We meet today to consider a crisis marked by ongoing violence, amid a growing humanitarian emergency and a political situation that could quickly deteriorate further.
Meeting in emergency session over the …
Let me express my appreciation to the Security Council for its work today.
I welcome resolution 1970 (2011), which the Council has just adopted unanimously. While it cannot by itself end the violence and the repression, it is a vital step and a clear expression of the will of a united community of …
I wish to thank the Council for the opportunity to brief it this afternoon. On our agenda is the issue of peace and security in Africa. Before we discuss the deeply disturbing situation in Libya, allow me to quickly update the Council on developments elsewhere in Africa.
We are all gravely concerne…
Let me begin by thanking you, Mr. President, and the Government of Brazil for focusing on the crucial linkages between peace, security and development.
Recent events around the world are a sharp reminder of the need for political stability to be anchored in peace, opportunity, decent standards of l…
Mr. President, thank you for initiating today’s special debate. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s own transition is considerable. Your country has rapidly moved from recipient of international assistance in a conflict and post-conflict environment to contributor to international peace and security as a membe…
Today, the drylands of the Horn of Africa are experiencing the most severe food crisis in the world. More than 13 million people in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are in urgent need of humanitarian aid. The United Nations and our partners are working hard to save lives and alleviate suffering…
Thirty years ago, AIDS was terrifying, deadly and spreading fast. Today, we have a chance to end this epidemic once and for all.
The story of how we got here was written by many of represented here — the Governments, the medical community, the private sector and above all the activists who struggle…
Thank you very much, Madam President, for convening this important meeting. I appreciate your personal attention to the problem of sexual violence, which is a top priority for me and the United Nations system.
I thank all members of the Security Council for the draft resolution to be adopted during…
I appreciate Vice- President Biden’s leadership and strong commitment on Iraq and on other matters of common concern, as demonstrated by the very strong statement he has just made and his own participation in this very important meeting of the Council.
This meeting is a milestone for Iraq. Its peop…
The transatlantic slave trade caused untold suffering. We are here today to focus on the untold stories — the living legacy of 30 million untold stories; the stories of the Africans and their descendants who were treated as less than human; the memories brought with them through the terror of the m…
At any one time, close to half of all people in developing countries are suffering from health problems caused by poor water and sanitation. Together, unclean water and poor sanitation are the world’s second biggest killers of children. While progress is broadly on track to meet the Millennium Devel…
I thank you, Sir, for this opportunity to address the Council at a moment of critical importance for the Sudanese people and for the subregion. In less than two months, the people of Southern Sudan will exercise their right to vote on the future of the South, as provided for in the Comprehensive Pea…
