Secretary-General Statements

Watch the video on webtv.un.org: We are here today to honour the 117 men and woman from 43 countries who lost their lives last year serving under the United Nations flag. The medal we confer at today’s ceremony is named after my predecessor, Dag Hammarskjöld, who lost his life in the cause of peace, like the recipients of this medal.   Those we honour today died while protecting the world’s most vulnerable people and supporting countries in making the difficult transition from conflict to peace. 

[Bilingual, as prepared for delivery] Excellencies,  Ladies and Gentlemen,  We are here today to focus attention on Mali and how we can together best ensure effective support.  I would like to express my particular appreciation to all countries whose troops serve in Mali, and all those who have been supporting Mali and MINUSMA in other ways.  I particularly thank the Member States that announced their intentions to make pledges yesterday, and ask them to do their utmost to ensure swift deployment.

[Bilingual version, as delivered; scroll further down for all-English version]   I thank the United States presidency for convening this important meeting.  We are all aware that large-scale human rights violations cause terrible suffering and undermine prospects for sustainable peace and reconciliation.  Healing these wounds is always a difficult and painful process. Yet that responsibility grows with each new instance of mass killings, displacement, and sexual violence.  

I thank His Excellency Mr. Boris Johnson, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of the United Kingdom, for his presence here today for this important meeting on South Sudan.