Ladies and Gentlemen of the media,
 
It is a pleasure to see you as we begin a new session of the General Assembly and welcome world leaders to New York next week.
 
Let me start by highlighting two pressing peace and security challenges.
 
When we met last week, I repeated my appeal to avert a full-scale military operation in Syria’s Idlib province. 
 
I welcome the agreement three days ago between President [Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan of Turkey and President [Vladimir] Putin of Russia to create a demilitarized buffer zone in Idlib region. 
 
If properly implemented, this could save 3 million civilians – including 1 million children – from catastrophe. 
 
I call on all the parties to implement the agreement with a strong commitment to the protection of civilians, and to ensure humanitarian access, adhere to international humanitarian law and work urgently for greater progress in the Geneva process, in particular supporting my Special Envoy in the creation of a constitutional committee.  
 
Civilians also continue to bear the brunt of the war in Yemen, including from air strikes by the Coalition forces and ground fighting by all parties.  In addition, missiles continued to be fired by Houthi forces into Saudi Arabia. 
 
We are all aware of the difficulties being encountered by my Special Envoy in his tireless efforts to create conditions for dialogue and for a political process.  I call on all sides to engage seriously – and I call on their supporters to avoid steps that fuel the fighting.
 
Alongside these prolonged nightmares, we can see progress in some situations.
 
Last Sunday, I joined the leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea to celebrate their declaration of peace.  I applaud their vision in opening a new chapter in their relations, and I thank Saudi Arabia for facilitating the agreement.
 
The Presidents of Djibouti and Eritrea subsequently launched in Jeddah a dialogue for peace as well.  And last week’s signing of a peace agreement on South Sudan, following efforts by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, in the EGAD Summit in Addis Ababa, is a further step in the right direction for the region and beyond.
 
Allow me to turn now to three key meetings I am convening in the days ahead. 
 
First, on Monday, I will launch a new strategy called “Youth2030”, as well as an initiative named “Generation Unlimited”.  These are grounded in two specific actions:
 
First, doing more to respond to the aspirations of young people, in particular quality education and decent jobs.
 
And second, giving them a voice in decision-making at all levels.
 
This is crucial for their own well-being and for their countries’ development.  It will also contribute to preventing radicalization.
 
The second key meeting is also on Monday, at which I will launch a strategy to mobilize financing for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
 
I often speak about a surge in diplomacy.  Our world also needs a surge in investment in the Sustainable Development Goals. 
 
It is important that all developed countries meet the commitments they made in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda.
 
The United Nations, for its part, will continue to support developing countries in creating conditions for mobilizing domestic resources, including through tax reform and other good governance measures.
 
Simultaneously, I appeal to the international community to take much more effective steps to fight illicit flows of capital, money laundering and tax evasion, which continue to siphon away much-needed funds for development from the developing world.
 
We also need to be much more active in developing innovative financing and in mobilizing private investment, without which the Sustainable Development Goals are unachievable.
 
Third, on Tuesday, as part of the Action for Peacekeeping initiative, we are gathering with leaders of Member States and regional organizations to strengthen UN peacekeeping.
 
Our aim is to build on the peacekeeping successes of the past and to help our missions succeed in today’s protracted and volatile contexts.
 
Peacekeepers are facing increasing threats while seeking to implement frequently large and complex mandates.  Peacekeeping fatalities are at the highest level in a generation.  Equipment is often inadequate, and political processes remain fragile or absent in several of the situations.
 
There is much to do and much at stake.  Success depends on all partners doing their utmost. 
 
The Declaration of Shared Commitment represents a clear and urgent agenda for peacekeeping, and all stakeholders have made very specific commitments.  It has already been endorsed by 128 Member States and also by international and regional organizations.
 
Peacekeeping is a collective responsibility.  And together, we need to get it right.
 
Ladies and gentlemen,
 
I also want to update you on our efforts to achieve gender parity at the United Nations and ensure zero tolerance for sexual harassment.
 
One year ago, I launched a system-wide gender parity strategy with specific commitments.
 
We have already achieved parity in the Senior Management Group and among Resident Coordinators around the world, being as they are our team leaders in the field.  We also now have the most female heads in UN history, and we are stepping up to do more.
 
At the same time, the advancement of women in crisis contexts and peace operations has stagnated.  I have therefore convened a senior-level working group to devise emergency measures to get us on track in those most difficult situations.
 
But this is not just about numbers; it is about an inclusive and effective workforce.  Our aim is to shift the long-standing power imbalances that have held the United Nations back, and to elicit the best contributions from all staff to take the Organization forward.
 
Such a shift will also help to address sexual harassment.  Our focus here is on prevention, responding rapidly to allegations, supporting victims through their trauma and ensuring accountability for perpetrators.
 
Since my last briefing to you in July, we have taken further important steps.
 
Specifically, investigators for the new specialized team on sexual harassment within the Office of Internal Oversight Services have now been selected.  Five of the six new members are women.  They will work with a victim-sensitive approach, based on their specialized capacity.
 
All investigations are now fast-tracked, and staff counsellors and ethics officers have increased their engagement.
 
The 24-hour hotline continues to receive and respond to calls on sexual harassment and other abuses of power since going live in February. 
 
More than 16,000 staff have taken a new mandatory training course on sexual harassment.
 
Next month, we will launch a staff survey to gain the deepest possible understanding of the prevalence and nature of the problem.  We are extending the Survey beyond the Secretariat to include more than 20 UN entities.
 
With these and other efforts, we are moving aggressively to make our policies and practices even more robust -- and equal to the clear challenge we all face.
 
Finally, let me note one overriding concern in our increasingly globalized era: multilateralism is under attack from many different directions precisely when we need it most. 
 
I will use my meetings and other opportunities next week to press for renewed commitment to a rules-based global order and to the United Nations. The United Nations is the world’s indispensable forum for international cooperation.  The presence of 84 Heads of State and 44 Heads of Government is eloquent proof of the confidence of the international community in the United Nations.
 
Thank you. I am at your disposal now.