Activities of Secretary-General in Sweden, 30-31 March

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, accompanied by Madam Ban Soon-taek, flew on Wednesday, 30 March, from Geneva, Switzerland, to Stockholm, Sweden, to deliver the Dag Hammarskjöld Lecture.

Upon arrival in Sweden, the Secretary-General met with Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, with whom he discussed the challenges posed by the large-scale movement of refugees and migrants to Europe.  In a joint press conference  following that meeting, the Secretary-General indicated that they had exchanged views on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, the upcoming World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul and efforts to reform and modernize the United Nations.

The Secretary-General then proceeded to Stockholm’s City Hall to deliver the Dag Hammarskjöld Lecture, entitled “Evolving Threats, Timeless Values:  The United Nations in a Changing Global Landscape”.  (See Press Release SG/SM/17636.)

Following that event, he had a brief meeting with Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, who is one of his Sustainable Development Goals Global Advocates.

On Thursday morning, 31 March, the Secretary-General met with Hans Vestberg, CEO of Ericsson and United Nations Foundation Board Member, before boarding his flight to Washington, D.C., for the Nuclear Security Summit.  He arrived on Thursday afternoon.