Activities of Secretary-General in the Netherlands, 27-28 August
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, accompanied by Madam Ban Soon‑taek, arrived in the Netherlands in the late afternoon of Tuesday, 27 August, after a flight from the Republic of Korea.
On arrival at the Palace Noordeinde in The Hague, the Secretary-General first met the President of the International Criminal Court, Judge Sang-hyun Song.
Later that evening, the Secretary-General attended a dinner hosted by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima.
On the morning of Wednesday, 28 August, the Secretary-General first met with the principals of the International Courts established in The Hague.
Next, also at the Peace Palace, the Secretary-General met with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. They then together greeted King Willem-Alexander as he arrived for the official commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Peace Palace. At the event, the Secretary-General delivered remarks and then attended a reception with the King and other dignitaries. (See Press Release SG/SM/15240)
The Secretary-General left the reception to attend a bilateral meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennadiy Gatilov.
The Secretary-General then met with the Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Ahmet Üzümcü.
From the Peace Palace, the Secretary-General was taken to the gravesite of Yi Jun, a prominent figure in Korean history, at the Nieuw Eykenduynen cemetery in The Hague.
He then returned to the Peace Palace, where he had a meeting with Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans and then gave a press conference with the Minister.
The Secretary-General also spoke at a Ministerial Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of Disputes, held at the Peace Palace. (See Press Release SG/SM/15241)
Next, the Secretary-General transferred to Leiden University, where he delivered the Freedom Lecture and answered questions from students. (See Press Release SG/SM/15242)
The Secretary-General headed from Leiden to Amsterdam, from where he flew to Vienna, accompanied by Madam Ban. They arrived in Vienna that same evening.