Activities of Secretary-General in Germany, 7-8 March
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, accompanied by Madam Ban Soon-taek, arrived in Baden-Baden, from Algiers, in the afternoon of Monday, 7 March.
That evening he received the German Media Prize. In his remarks upon receiving the Award, he said that the media are critical across the global agenda but that they face growing efforts to silence their voices — through harassment, censorship and attacks. He added that during his past nine years as Secretary-General, he had worked hard to defend the press, both publicly and behind the scenes through discreet diplomatic efforts to free journalists who have been unjustly detained. “We must all do our part to preserve the freedom of the press, civil society and human rights defenders to do their work,” he stressed. (See Press Release SG/SM/17580.)
On Tuesday, 8 March, the Secretary-General travelled to Berlin. He first met with Norbert Lammert, President of the Parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany, and Norbert Röttgen, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. They discussed issues of common concern, including the threat of violent extremism, the situation in Ukraine, the challenge of migration, and common efforts to combat climate change, as well as to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Later that day, the Secretary-General received the Grand Cross First Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany from the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel.
Speaking to reporters after a working lunch with the Chancellor, he said that Ms. Merkel had shown great statesmanship and compassion in trying to ensure an effective, rights-based approach to this challenge. He also said that at a time when many want to build walls and turn their backs on people in need, she has stood firm in defence of international law, human rights and our common humanity.
In the afternoon, the Secretary-General went to Bonn, where he marked the twentieth anniversary of the United Nations offices there, alongside the German Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Speaking at a special event at the United Nations offices, he said that Bonn was a dynamic global and cultural centre, thanks to United Nations agencies, the Government of Germany and their partners. He added that this growth is far from finished, as the campus continues to expand and as work covers more issues on the global agenda. “You are being true to the slogan of UN Bonn: ‘Shaping a Sustainable Future’,” he said. (See Press Release SG/SM/17585.)
During that event, the Secretary-General also met with United Nations Volunteers, as well as some United Nations staff working in Bonn.
Later, he had a working dinner with the German Foreign Minister, during which they discussed the situation in Ukraine and ongoing United Nations efforts aimed at resolving the political crisis in Burundi, as well as the situations in Syria and Yemen.
The next morning, 9 March, the Secretary-General and his wife left Bonn to travel back to New York.