Secretary-General Statements

Remarks to the Chiefs of Defence Conference

27 Mar 2015 | UN Headquarters, New York

I am pleased to welcome you to this historic conference. Never before have so many Chiefs of Defence gathered from every region on earth for the same purpose. I call on you to make this event truly momentous by helping the United Nations rise to the urgent challenges of our times. Peacekeepers deploy on the frontlines of human misery – in some of the most dangerous places on earth. The threats are growing.

Remarks to the Security Council on Peace Operations: The UN-AU Partnership and it's evolution [as delivered]

16 Dec 2014 | UN Headquarters, New York

Merci, Monsieur le Président, et merci au Gouvernement tchadien, d’organiser ce débat sur les opérations de paix et le partenariat entre les Nations Unies et l’Union africaine. Monsieur le président, si vous le permettez, je voudrais faire une déclaration sur la situation au Pakistan. Before addressing today’s formal agenda, I would like to say a few words about the bloodcurdling attack today in Pakistan.

Remarks at Security Council Open Debate on Trends in United Nations Peacekeeping

11 Jun 2014

I thank the Russian Federation for providing this important opportunity to collectively examine trends in UN peacekeeping.

Remarks at Dag Hammarskjöld Medal Ceremony to Honour Fallen Peacekeepers

29 May 2014

I am honoured to be here today on this solemn occasion. Today, we posthumously award the Dag Hammarskjöld medal to 106 peacekeepers who died while serving under the United Nations flag last year. I regret to say this is the sixth year in a row that more than 100 peacekeepers lost their lives.

Remarks at wreath-laying Ceremony in Commemoration of the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers

29 May 2014 | UN Headquarters, New York

Thank you for attending this important commemoration. I would like to begin with a solemn moment of silence to honour the 106 fallen heroes who died while serving under the United Nations flag in 2013 – and to remember the more than 3,200 who have lost their lives in the history of UN peacekeeping. [A moment of silence was observed] Thank you. Last year was the sixth year in a row that more than 100 peacekeepers died. Some were killed when their convoys came under attack in Darfur and South Sudan.

Remarks at inauguration of Centre for International Peace and Stability

13 Aug 2013 | Islamabad, Pakistan

Assalam Alaikum. May ya haan aakar bahut khush hoon! [I am so happy to be here.] It is a great honour and privilege for me on the occasion of my visit to Pakistan to participate in the inauguration ceremony for this Centre for International Peace and Stability – and it is a privilege to do so on the eve of your country’s Independence Day tomorrow. I sense great confidence and hope here today.

Remarks at the China Peacekeeping Military Training Centre

19 Jun 2013 | Beijing, China

I have seen the bravery of Chinese blue helmets helping struggling communities around the world. China provides more peacekeepers to the United Nations than all of the four other permanent members combined. I applaud this solidarity. A total of 14 Chinese have lost their lives in the service of peacekeeping. We will carry on their legacy by pursuing their noble work for peace. Today I would like to discuss three major challenges in peacekeeping:

Remarks at wreath-laying ceremony on the International Day of Peacekeepers

29 May 2013

Please join me in observing a moment of silence in honour of all peacekeeping officers who have lost their lives while serving the United Nations. Thank you. Today we honour the 111 heroes who died last year while serving under the United Nations flag. We also pay tribute to the nearly 3,000 others who have fallen in the line of duty since the first peacekeepers deployed 65 years ago. I offer my deepest sympathies and profoundest condolences to their families. We are working hard to improve safety for our personnel around the world.

Remarks at Dag Hammarskjöld Medal Ceremony to Honour Fallen Peacekeepers

29 May 2013

I am honoured to award the Dag Hammarskjöld medal to 103 peacekeepers who died while serving the United Nations in 2012. I am deeply saddened to report that this marks the fifth year in a row that more than 100 peacekeepers lost their lives in the line of duty. This International Day is always a sober occasion. This ceremony is a reminder that our decisions can have very painful consequences. The people whose memories we honour today died doing work that we asked them to do.

Remarks to Security Council open debate on United Nations Peacekeeping: A Multidisciplinary Approach

21 Jan 2013

We are honoured to have the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan here to preside over this important debate and we thank you for this initiative. Pakistan is the single largest troop contributor to United Nations peacekeeping. Its personnel are working courageously every day under the UN blue flag to bring peace to troubled areas.

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Secretary-General Statements