The Secretary-General met today with H.M. King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. They exchanged views on efforts to chart a new development path for humanity and the fundamental role of the climate change negotiations in that process. The Secretary-General, H.M. King Willem-Alexander and his delegation then discussed the upcoming World Humanitarian Summit and the plight of Small Island Developing States.   They also discussed progress made by the independent international investigation in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2166 on the MH17 tragedy and concurred on the need to ensure that any persons determined responsible are held to account.

The Secretary-General expressed his appreciation for the hospitality offered by the Government of the Netherlands and the City of The Hague to the many courts and tribunals established by or with the assistance of the United Nations. He was also grateful for the Netherlands’ invaluable support to UN peacekeeping efforts, particularly in Mali.

The Secretary-General expressed his sincere gratitude for Queen Máxima’s tireless efforts to promote financial inclusion and to advance the development agenda in her role as his Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development. They noted that financial inclusion is well covered in both the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

New York, 29 September 2015