U.N. Secretariat

Allow me before conveying to you my message as Secretary General in relation to the dramatic needs of support of UNRWA - because this is a matter that really is very emotional to me – to suggest an exercise to all of us.
 
Let’s imagine that I’m not Secretary General of the United Nations, and you are not distinguished representatives of Member States in the UN.
 
But let’s imagine for a moment that we are a young man or woman Palestinian refugee living in Lebanon, or in Syria, or in Jordan, or in Gaza.
 

Dear Colleagues and family members,

We have come together to honour the memory of United Nations personnel who lost their lives serving our organization over the course of last year.

I want to acknowledge the family members and loved ones joining us from all over the world – our hearts are with you.

We are united in sorrow and solidarity.

Throughout the past year, COVID-19 continued to cause immeasurable suffering and death.

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Gender equality offers a path to sustainable peace and conflict prevention, and yet we are moving in the opposite direction. 

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This 15th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an important moment for stocktaking and reflection.

With 185 ratifications since its adoption in 2006, the Convention has crystallized the commitment of the international community to realize an inclusive, accessible, and sustainable world for all. 

The progress driven by the Convention has been broad, swift, and tangible:

Ladies and gentlemen of the press, thank you very much for your presence. 
 
Let me begin by also thanking Rebeca Grynspan and the Global Crisis Response Group for this latest brief on how the war in Ukraine, in all its dimensions, is affecting people around the world.  
 
Today’s report makes clear that the war’s impact on food security, energy and finance is systemic, severe, and speeding up.  
 

Excellencies,  
Ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues,  

The creation of the Office of Counter-terrorism was the first organizational reform that I have launched, naturally, with the support and the decision made by Member States, as soon as I started my functions as Secretary-General. And, I must say that I didn’t expect it to go as far as you’re able to go now. 

I am very pleased to join you for the 8th meeting of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact. 

It is my privilege to be with you for the election of the President of the 77th Session of the General Assembly. 

I want to take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude to the current president, His Excellency Mr. Abdulla Shahid of the Maldives, for his skilled stewardship of this body during truly unprecedented times.  

We recognize his leadership across so many fronts – from his work to advance gender equality … to his focus on climate action and bringing the unique perspective of small island states.  

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Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

I am happy to join you for this Dialogue Series, and commend your focus on nutrition and food security on the African continent.

For too long, nutrition, food security, conflicts, climate change, ecosystems and health have been treated as separate issues.

But these global challenges are deeply interconnected.

Conflict creates hunger.

The climate crisis amplifies conflict.

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Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
 
Moments ago, I laid a wreath at the Peacekeepers Memorial to pay homage to the more than 4,200 peacekeepers who sacrificed their lives while serving under the UN flag. 

Please join me in a moment of silence in their memory.   
 
Thank you. 

This year’s Dag Hammarskjöld medal ceremony honours the 117 women and men who lost their lives in 2021 serving as peacekeepers.

As salaam alaikum.   

I wish to begin by reiterating my deepest condolences to the Royal family, the Government, and the people of the United Arab Emirates on the passing of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. 

Over three decades ago, Sheikh Khalifa reflected on the influence of his father, Sheikh Zayed, the UAE’s founder and first president. 

“My father is my teacher,” he said. “I learn something from him every day, follow his path and absorb from him his values, and the need for patience and prudence in all things.”