Activities of Secretary-General in Tunisia, 30 March–1 April

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in Tunis from New York on Saturday morning, 30 March.

On Saturday afternoon, he held bilateral meetings with the Head of Government, Youssef Chahed; Michel Aoun, President of the Lebanese Republic; and Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States; after which he met with members of the Libya Quartet.  Following that meeting, they held a joint press conference.  The Secretary-General then attended a dinner of the Quartet.

On Sunday morning, the Secretary-General met with Barham Salih, President of the Republic of Iraq.

He later delivered remarks at the Arab League Summit and appealed for the unity of the Arab world as a fundamental condition for peace and prosperity in the region.  The Secretary-General said he was encouraged by the recent progress in Libya towards convening the National Conference, adding:  “It is high time Libya achieves unified institutions and concludes transitional stages with general elections.”  (See Press Release SG/SM/19526.)

Regarding Syria, he stressed that the resolution of the Syrian conflict must guarantee the unity and territorial integrity of Syria, including the occupied Golan.

That day, he attended a luncheon hosted by Tunisian President Béji Caïd Essebsi.

Later in the afternoon, at the UN House in Tunis, the Secretary-General met with the United Nations country team.  This was followed by a meeting with women leaders and civil society representatives.  The Secretary-General also officially inaugurated the new United Nations premises known as La Maison Bleue.

The next morning at the Bardo Museum, the Secretary-General laid a wreath in honour of the victims of the 2015 Bardo Museum terrorist attack.  He was accompanied by the Minister for Cultural Affairs.

He held a meeting with the President of the Assembly of Representatives of the People, Mohamed Ennaceur.

That morning, the Secretary-General also held a question-and-answer session with students of the Faculty of Law and Political Science of the University of Tunis.  He spoke to the students about ongoing conflicts, especially in the Arab world, saying the best way to prevent such conflicts from starting out was, not only investing in preventive diplomacy, but also investing in development, showing respect for human rights, having democratic institutions, and building societies that are based on tolerance.

The Secretary-General departed Tunis that afternoon for Cairo, Egypt.