Good afternoon.

I am standing here with a very heavy heart.

I have had a series of moving meetings with families of refugees.

Before I say a few words, I would like to sincerely thank the great humanity and compassion showed Prof. Andrea Riccardi, the Founder of [the Community of] Sant’Egidio, and all the members of Sant’Egidio.

Having met all these family members - children and women - I was very much saddened but I was also very much heartened by the stories they told me. The stories were heart-breaking but at the same time, I really wanted to give them a sense of hope.

Very kind, warm hands, hearts, [are] shown by the Italian people, community of Italy and many people around the world and in Europe.

I know that European countries are facing many challenges. I appreciate these challenges, but this is not a crisis of numbers. If there is any crisis, this is a crisis of global solidarity.

If they show global solidarity, compassionate leadership, as the same human being, I think there is nothing that we cannot overcome.

It is important to give them, first, life-saving support: education, sanitation. These are basic necessities – needs – that every human being needs.

At this time, I am very grateful to many European leaders and countries, and people [for the] great work.

I am standing with these refugees. 

I am standing with so many volunteers who have been working hard, tirelessly, day and night.

I am standing with many educators, teachers, philanthropists, who have been showing great humanity.

But most of all, we have to stand with those people who do not have any means.

I met about fifty or sixty children, that was [the] most moving. When I was six years old, I myself was one of them. It was 65 years ago. When Korean War broke out, I had to flee my village to a safer place, even though it was very remote. At that time, I did not know what politics was about. I only knew that I was hungry and needed something to eat.

I still vividly recollect what my father and my grandfather were doing. Desperately looking for something to feed me, to feed my brothers and sisters. This is what happened.

At that time the United Nations came - the blue flag of the United Nations. That was a beacon of hope. They saved us.

I am sure that one of these refugees, one day, overcoming all of these difficulties may be Secretary-General of the United Nations in the future.

They can be government and community leaders. They have great potential. The potential of refugees should be fully utilised. If they are supported, they can be honourable and very talented contributors to your societies.

The United Nations is mobilizing all necessary resources and that is why I convened a summit meeting on migration and refugees on September 30th on the margins of the General Assembly. Many European Presidents and Prime Ministers participated and I urged them to please show compassionate leadership. This is an era of global solidarity.

When Pope Francis came to [the United Nations] on September 25th he spoke to the leaders of the world and, if I may quote him, he said: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” That was most fitting and inspiring, especially at this time.

I really count on the compassionate leadership of leaders around the world.

I thank you very much.

Q: On European countries that are not welcoming refugees

Secretary-General: I have spoken personally to most of the European leaders, and some Asian leaders when there was a similar crisis in Asia, so I have been speaking to most of the world leaders individually and collectively.

I also have issued many times my own statement urging them that there should not be two different kinds of people in this 21st century, deserving people or undeserving people; they are all same family members. They deserve support. I urged them to do so.

I also appreciated their domestic challenges. It is not easy. It’s very serious, difficult challenges for any country but I am urging them again to show global solidarity and compassionate leadership. This is what I can send – this message. I will continue to work with world leaders so that we can give them a strong sense of hope so that they can have a better future.

The main theme of the sustainable development agenda adopted by world leaders on the 25th of September with a set of Sustainable Development Goals - 17 Sustainable Development Goals: this is people-centred. The main theme is that nobody should be left behind. Everybody should be with us. That’s my message.

Q: On U.S. President Barack Obama’s decision to stay longer in Afghanistan as well as on Syria

Secretary-General: You are covering all the problems in the world. 

First of all, as you said, as far as refugees are concerned, we have 60 million refugees around the world. This is the largest number of refugees since the end of the Second World War. So clearly this is a moment of crisis for the international community: how to support these 60 million people.

The United Nations, led by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and also the International Organization on Migration and all supporting agencies – humanitarian agencies, are also mobilizing resources to provide them.

Then we should also look at root causes – why people are fleeing their homeland. This is because of political instability, very serious security concerns and persecutions and discrimination [and] failure of good governance. This kind of a situation drives people out from their country so we have to address the situation.

For example, the single crisis in Syria - it has generated; it has driven more than four million people to other countries. It is causing great challenges to many countries like Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq. Twenty five per cent of the Lebanese population is now Syrian refugees. There are more than 2 million refugees in Turkey, 1.5 million in Jordan, 300,000 in Iraq, and some in Northern Africa, Egypt. So in relation to this, there are 8 million people who need urgent humanitarian assistance inside Syria.

That is why the UN is working very hard to operationalize as soon as possible the Geneva Communiqué, but it has not been easy during last four and a half years. The Member States of the United Nations, particularly the Security Council, have not been united.

For Afghanistan, President Obama has decided, as announced, to keep a certain level of soldiers in there - I was informed by the United States Government. I welcome that decision.

That may be one of the way at this time, practical measure, to keep political stability; to keep people from this terrorist attacks, otherwise there would be many Afghan people who would have to flee their communities. Therefore, it must have been very difficult decision for President Obama, after he had already pledged that most of the soldiers would return by the end of next year. I appreciate his political decisions. This is a courageous and necessary decision, I believe.

Thank you, very much