Jeju

25 May 2016

Secretary-General's Toast at Welcome Dinner at the 11th Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity hosted by the Minister of Unification [As delivered]

Ban Ki-Moon, Former Secretary-General

It is a great honour and pleasure to be here on Jeju island again.

First of all, I would like to apologize for arriving late. My plane was late and I had to finish my previously scheduled appointment. I hope that I did not disappoint too many people.

            Thank you, for hosting this wonderful dinner – and I would like to thank the Honourable Governor Won Heeryong, Chairman of Organizing Committee of the Jeju Forum, for all of your hard work.

            As you know, I have been involved with the Jeju Forum since I was Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs. It is a long time. And I am very proud that since this Jeju Forum was established, it has grown so much. Congratulations.

That is why I am especially proud to see how much it has grown.

            I am impressed by the numbers – with 4,000 leading persons from 60 countries attending. This is another small United Nations.

            But I am even more struck by the depth of your discussions.

            This Jeju Forum is addressing the major challenges of our times. And it is forging continent-wide solutions.

            Jeju has always been known for its outstanding beauty – and thanks to you, it is now gaining an international reputation as a hub of cutting-edge dynamism.

The heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula make this a sensitive visit for me.

I pay tribute to the efforts of Unification Minister Mr. Hong Yong-pyo and Chairperson Na Kyung-won of Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, Korean National Assembly, to address the very disturbing developments on the Korean Peninsula.

As a Korean, I understand the big and difficult decisions that President Park Geun-hye and the Korean Government have had to make these last few months due to the actions by North Korea.

As Secretary-General of the United Nations, I must uphold the values and moral authority of the United Nations, and speak and act for peace.

I am convinced that a diplomatic solution is the only way to resolve the complex and dangerous situation on the Korean Peninsula.

At the same time, diplomacy must be firmly based on respect by the DPRK for international law, particularly the decisions of the Security Council.

            In this [inaudible], I will make more detailed in my statement tomorrow morning. But I can make sure [inaudible] to build greater cooperation among the countries of the region.

Lastly, I would like to propose a toast: to the Korean Government and people for the strong partnership between the United Nations and [the Republic of Korea]; to the people of Jeju for their warm hospitality; and finally to making 2016 a pivotal year to move toward a denuclearized and peaceful Korean Peninsula.

Thank you