©UN Photo/Bajornas
Minute of silence at the UN General Assembly
17 November 2015
Before proceeding to the item on our agenda, I should like, on behalf of the General Assembly, to express my sincere condolences and deepest sympathies to the Government and people of the countries that recently suffered heinous terrorist attacks.
I think we all have been deeply saddened, shocked and outraged by the loss of life and incredible carnage in recent weeks in very many places around the world– among them Ankara and Baghdad, over the Sinai, in Beirut, and this past weekend in Paris. We mourn with those that lost their friends and loved ones and those, whose lives are deeply shattered or destroyed.
The disregard for human life and human dignity displayed by groups such as Daesh, Boko Haram, Al Shabab, Al Qaeda and others, is a mortal threat to the values that bring us together at the United Nations.
In these most difficult moments, when pain and grief can so swiftly turn to anger and intolerance, we, the General Assembly, must stand together, united by our collective resolve to advance peace, justice, human rights and prosperity for all.
The world needs us to respond but that response must be considered. It must be comprehensive and it must be sustained.
It must above all seek to advance a political solution to the conflict in Syria and, guided by a commitment to international law, focus on addressing the root causes of terrorism and violent extremism.
In memory of the victims and as a sign of solidarity, I invite you to observe a minute of silence.