Off-the-Cuff
Secretary-General's press encounter with President George W. Bush [unofficial transcript]
Washington, DC, 15 February 2008
SG: Thank you very much, Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen -- thank you very much for your warm welcome and the strong support you have shown me during the last year -- while I was carrying out my duty as Secretary-General. It has been instrumental and very much appreciated.
I've been trying my best to make the United Nations a more trusty, transparent, accountable and more effective organization. This effort will continue. At the same time, with your strong support and with [that of] the international community, I've been doing my best to address all these regional and country issues, starting from the situation in Darfur, Lebanon, Myanmar, and also Kenya. There are so many problems that challenge us at this time; I'm committed to address these issues.
At the same time, I've been able to again raise awareness, and the political will in addressing global challenges such as climate change. And I need your strong support as we are going through this year, a midpoint year, to realize the Millennium Development goals by 2015. We are going to focus on food situation and agriculture, education, health, and all this, [as well as] infrastructure [in the case] of Africa.
In that regard, your visit to African states at this time will be very important and historic. I hope you are able to discuss with African leaders on how to achieve these Millennium Development goals, how to help people overcome abject poverty, and sanitation [problems] and access to educational opportunities. In that regard, I wish you success, and this is a very great opportunity.
It would be also very important for the international community to sustain the momentum established in December last year [on] climate change. I'm going to build up on this Bali Road Map -- so that we will be able to achieve this globally accepted framework, replacing the Kyoto Protocol.
The United States is the country with the most ability for technology and financing capacities. I count on your leadership and active participation. I do appreciate your constructive engagement in this, starting from our high level meeting in September last year, and the Major Economies meeting in September in Washington and in Honolulu this year. I count on your leadership.
All in all, I need your strong support, because I believe a strong partnership between the United Nations and United States is the crucial element in carrying out my duty as Secretary-General, and also in making the United Nations a stronger organization in carrying out the common challenges we share together.
Thank you very much, Mr. President.