Mr. President of the 65th General Assembly,
Distinguished Heads of State and Government,
Mr. President of the 64th General Assembly,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Welcome to the Millennium Development Goals Summit. I thank the world’s leaders for being here in such impressive numbers.

We are here because the fight for a more prosperous, stable and equitable world is at the heart itself of the mission of the United Nations.

Hiroshima no minasama konichiwa. Ohayo gozaimasu.

We are here, on hallowed ground, to see, to feel, to absorb and reflect.

I am honored to be the first UN Secretary-General to take part in this Peace Memorial Ceremony on the 65th anniversary of this tragic day. And I am deeply moved.

Mayor Bloomberg,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good Morning, Bonjour.

Welcome to the third Global Compact Leaders Summit.

A special welcome to you, Mayor Bloomberg -- a great leader of a great host city, New York, a good friend of mine and a good friend of the United Nations. Thank you very much for your participation and your leadership. Like so many others here today, you are a true business visionary. Thank you for joining our effort to take the Global Compact to the next level.

Your Excellency, President Biya,
Excellencies,
Distinguished guest and colleagues,

Thank you for your warm welcome, and for the productive meetings we have had on a wide range of topics.

Wherever I go in the world, I also try to visit lawmakers. I seek out the Parliaments of the world.

Parliaments make the laws. They express the diversity of any nation.

That diversity is especially evident here in Cameroon…“Africa in miniature”…thanks to your rich ethnic, linguistic, geographical and religious diversity.

Ms. [Jill] Sheffield [President, Women Deliver]
[Former] President Bachelet,
Dr. [Fred] Sai [Co-Chair, Women Deliver]

Excellencies,
Ministers,
Gentlemen – and today, particularly, Ladies:

It is a great pleasure to open this landmark conference.

Dr. Fred Sai, thank you for your kind introduction – and for your many years of work for women’s health.

We are here for a historic undertaking.

Mr. President of the Assembly of States Parties,
Mr. President of the Court,
Mr. President of the Republic of Uganda,
Mr. President of the Republic of Tanzania,
Mr. Former [UN] Secretary-General
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,

Let me begin by thanking President Museveni and the people of Uganda for organizing this historic gathering.

Thank you, as well, for the warmth of your welcome. I am sure I speak for all in saying that we felt among friends as soon as we landed at Entebbe.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good afternoon again ladies and gentlemen,

I just had the honour to be the first guest to address the newly built Parliament. This Parliament is magnificent and a fitting monument to a modern democracy.

I was particularly pleased to see that the proportion of women representatives is growing. Women are the backbone of any society. As we know, the backbone starts at the head.

My speech to parliament focused on Africa's development challenges, in particular, the Millennium Development Goals.

President Lula of Brazil,
Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey,
Distinguished Heads of State and Government,
Mr. President of the General Assembly,
Her Highness Sheikha Mozah,
President of the Qatar Foundation,
Honourable Ministers,
Distinguished Governors and Mayors,
Excellencies,

Delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Bom Dia.

President Lula, my deepest thanks to you and the Brazilian people for your hospitality and warm welcome.

Muito Obrigado.

Mr. Gerson,
Reverend Thomas, Minister with Education, Ecumenical and Interfaith relations,
Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba, mayor of Hiroshima
Ms. Maris Socorro Gomes, President , World Peace Council
Ms. Arielle Denis, Co-chair, Le Mouvement de la Paix
Ms. Jacqueline Cabasso, Executive Director, Western States Legal Foundation
Ladies and gentlemen,

Reading the list of organizations and individuals with us this evening, I want to say what an honour it is to be here.

I know of your hard work and dedication.

Salamatsizby Urmattu Myrza Janna iymdar. (Greetings Ladies and Gentlemen)

Your Excellency Speaker Kurmanov, Honourable Members of Parliament, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The world knows Kyrgyzstan for the warmth of your freedom-loving people ... the richness of your culture ... the beauty of your ancient lands.

It is a pleasure and a great honour to be here for the first time, to see and experience all this for myself.