SG: High Commissioner Filippo Grandi and I have just taken part in an important meeting on sharing responsibility for Syrian refugees through pathways for admission. We are all aware that there is no substitute for a comprehensive and credible political settlement in Syria, and we welcome signs of…

SEIZING THE OPPORTUNITY IN SYRIA Five years ago thousands of Syrians took to the streets calling for political change, only to be met with violence and repression. Recalling the origins of the conflict is important as we mark this grim anniversary. The destruction that engulfed Syria following…

The Secretary-General met Foreign Minister Lavrov this morning, and thanked him for his significant role in achieving recent progress on Syria. They agreed on the importance of urgently moving forward simultaneously on implementing the cessation of hostilities agreement, providing vital…

Secretary-General: Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, and Maestro Barenboim. It is a pleasure for me to welcome today United Nations Messenger of Peace, Maestro Daniel Barenboim and members of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. For the past nine years, Maestro Barenboim has used his…

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. It is a pleasure for me to welcome today United Nations Messenger of Peace Daniel Barenboim and members of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. For the past nine years, Maestro Barenboim has used his extraordinary talent and commitment to promote peace and…

“THE 2030 AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND HUMAN RIGHTS” Monsieur le Président du Conseil des droits de l’homme [M. Choi Kyong-lim], Monsieur le Président de l’Assemblée générale [M. Mogens Lykketoft], Monsieur le Haut-commissaire des Nations Unies aux droits de l’homme [Zeid Ra'ad Al…

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today designated the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra as a United Nations Global Advocate for Cultural Understanding. The designation took place at an event at the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), attended by the Secretary-General and by the world-…

A NATIONWIDE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES IN SYRIA The Secretary-General welcomes the agreement announced today by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, as co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) Ceasefire Taskforce formed in Munich, on the…

Your Excellency Prime Minister David Cameron, Your Excellency Chancellor Angela Merkel, Your Excellency Sheikh Sabah Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Prime Minister Erna Solberg, Your Majesties and Royal Highnesses, Distinguished Heads of State and Government, Honorable Ministers, Excellencies,…

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am proud to be here among so many champions against hunger, including the Hunger Heroes we honour this evening. Thank you for this opportunity to discuss how to usher in a future without hunger and malnutrition. This is absolutely possible in our world of…