Bali

19 November 2011

Secretary-General's remarks to the press [Q&A below]

Ban Ki-Moon, Former Secretary-General

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

We have just concluded this 4th ASEAN-UN Summit, and I have finished my own individual meetings with many regional leaders.

The United Nations and ASEAN have history of close partnership. Today we agreed to broaden and deepen that partnership. And it is a partnership that will be critically needed in our troubled times.

Everywhere, we are seeing the effects of the global economic crisis. In many countries there is growing public protest. People are unhappy at their diminished prospects. They are angered by the growing gap between rich and poor.

By contrast, Asia is thriving. The economies of ASEAN nations continue to grow. Million of people have been lifted out of poverty many more will be.

Yet there is a paradox. While Asia gains in power and influence, it has yet to fully take up its responsibilities for the larger world we share.

That is the message I delivered at today's summit. Now is the moment for Asia, and ASEAN in particular, to step into a truly global role. To the assembled leaders, I said: the world needs your help, your leadership. The world needs Asia to fully engage on the great challenges of our day.

The United Nations is ready to work closely with a newly global ASEAN on sustainable development and climate change on disaster risk prevention and preparedness on food and energy security, on human rights on women's empowerment and the whole range of regional and UN issues.

I welcome today's Joint Declaration on a Comprehensive Partnership between the United Nations and ASEAN. It builds on a strong foundation and introduces new avenues of cooperation, including mechanisms for more regularized communication and common action.

Ladies and gentlemen,

This week I have visited three countries. Two issues dominated my programme at each stop.

The first: disaster risk reduction and preparedness. Across Asia, we have seen a series of major natural disasters - Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, record flooding in Pakistan, the tsunami in Japan and subsequent disaster at Fukushima. And now in Thailand.

In Bangkok a few days ago before I came here, I observed the flood zone and met with people who lost their homes and livelihoods. I felt enormous sympathy for their hardship.

Yet I also felt great determination and resilience of those Thai people. We need to do more - much more - to reduce the impact of natural disasters.

This is a global issue. With climate change, we will see more incidents of such kinds of extreme weather patterns. That is why the UN has launched a global campaign to build awareness on this disaster risk reduction. And that is one major area where the United Nations can work closely with ASEAN to develop good policies and assist vulnerable people.

This is the message I delivered in Bangladesh earlier this week. In the last great typhoon to hit the country, 4,000 people died. A tragedy, yes, that is a tragedy, but contrast that to the typhoon 19 years earlier when 140,000 lives were lost.

The difference is preparedness and prevention. The difference is good policy and good investment.

Indonesia, too, is working to reduce its vulnerability. No country has suffered more over the past decade. That is why, this morning, I recognized Indonesia's president, His Excellency Mr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, for his strong efforts on disaster risk reduction. The United Nations has [recognized] him as the first Global Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction. I thank him for his leadership.

Ladies and gentlemen,

If my first focus was mega-disasters, my second was daily disasters - the small and countless hardships experienced by too many people in their everyday lives.

I paid special attention to global health, particularly the critical issue of women and children's health.

And wherever I went, I saw remarkable progress.

In Bangladesh, I saw how new rural health clinics are saving lives. Many fewer women are dying in child birth than just a decade ago. Infant mortality has fallen as well. I saw the same during a visit to a rural clinic in remote Central Kalimantan in Indonesia.

In Thailand, I saw first-hand the benefits of universal medical care. Again, women and children are the primary beneficiaries. What struck me, especially, is how Thailand began this programme, universal health care, when per capita national income was far less than it is today. They started when their national per capita income was just $400, so it's not a matter of resources or money, whether you are rich or poor.

Here in Indonesia, I learned that Bali last year instituted a similar system. And here, too, there have been dramatic gains.

I draw two lessons. One, I see how simple solutions can save lives - training midwives in rural areas, for example, or providing such basics as fresh water and inexpensive vaccines.

Another important lesson: countries do not need to wait to become wealthy in order to make huge gains for their people.

With programmes and results like these, Bangladesh, Thailand and Indonesia are becoming models for the world. I hope other nations will be inspired to follow their example.

In all this, the United Nations can be a strong partner to the countries of ASEAN, and in many other areas as well.

Looking ahead, we have an enormous opportunity at next year's Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development.

For too long, we have burned our way to the future. For too long, we have consumed our way to prosperity.

It doesn't work anymore, and we have at last awakened to that reality.

The world has changed greatly since Asia began its rise. The old formulas for growth and the well-being of our people no longer apply.

We must find new paths. We must think and act boldly, with creativity and far vision.

By working together, ASEAN and the United Nations, we can build the future we want.

We can create the future that our people deserve - all the world's people.

Thank you very much and I'm ready to take your questions.

Q: In spite of progress made, there are still some challenges for ASEAN, such as inequalities, human rights, economics, and good governance. What does the United Nations think about this?

SG: Clearly there are gaps, inequality, between rich and poor and between the groups. This is one of the serious challenges we have to address.

The MDGs [Millennium Development Goals], which were adopted by world leaders in 2000 with a deadline of 2015, is now making progress. But we are experiencing different scorecards the scorecard for progress is uneven. That is what we also see among ASEAN countries.

However, I'm encouraged. I'm optimistic that with such strong solid among ASEAN countries, expanding their cooperative relations with other areas, with strong political commitment and leadership, most of the ASEAN countries we hope will be able to realize most of the goals of the MDGs.

For example, Indonesia has already hit the target when it comes to cutting in half extreme poverty. They have made good progress in education and gender empowerment. But there are some areas in which they have to do more.

I raised this issue with ASEAN leaders this morning during the course of the UN-ASEAN summit meeting and I'm raising this issue with all the leaders, all the leaders.

There is some scepticism [as to] whether we will be able to meet the target by 2015, but with strong political leadership supported by resources, adequate resources, I think this is still doable.

What will happen after 2015? That we are going to discuss in 2013 at the United Nations General Assembly. I'm now working on that.

Q: What message does the UN want to send to the Indonesian Government and people through the conferment of the Global Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction?

SG: In 2008, I had launched a global campaign for disaster risk reduction.

In 2004, the tsunami hit Indonesia and many countries in the region. We were responsible for formulating, for the UN, a blueprint to address any future such disasters. That is the Hyogo Framework for Action that was the beginning of the international community's initiative to make some preparedness against megadisasters.

We may not be able to predict earthquakes or tsunamis, but depending upon the level of preparedness in terms of policy, in terms of real preparedness on the ground, we can make a huge difference in saving lives and protecting our properties.

That is what the United Nations is now paying attention [to], [focusing on], that is what I have reported to the United Nations General Assembly last September as one of my five generational opportunities. That is prevention. There are two kinds of disasters: Man-made disasters and natural disasters. So we need to be prepared against these natural disasters.

As I said just now in my remarks, in the case of Bangladesh, 19 years ago, 140,000 people died in just one typhoon. Then just a few years ago, a typhoon hit and just 4,000 people were lost.

Indonesia has established disaster risk agencies in all the provinces. That is possible only by very strong leadership, leadership commitment. That is why we appreciate President Yudhoyono. That is why we decided to name him, recognize him, as the first Global Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction. I hope that this example can be emulated by many countries in the world. There are many countries who are disaster-prone - tsunami or earthquakes and flooding. So this we have to make happen on the ground.

The United Nations has a strong commitment. We have established institutional mechanisms - the ISDR - that is, the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, based in Geneva.

Q: ASEAN has decided to accord Myanmar the chairmanship in 2014. What more do you hope to see Myanmar do to fulfil its obligations as a good chair in 2014?

SG: It's true that Myanmar has been a source of concern because of lack of democratization and oppressive rule. And the whole international community, led by the United Nations, has been working hard, together with ASEAN, to help them realize democratization and bringing all the people in Myanmar so that they can realize their genuine aspirations to live in a democratic society.

Now, the United Nations welcomes, just as ASEAN did, the recent development of a situation under the leadership of President Thein Sein, releasing political prisoners, taking proactive initiatives to reform their political system. And we welcome this granting of the chairmanship of 2014 of ASEAN to Myanmar.

I met this morning with President Thein Sein and we discussed all the matters and I strongly urged him - it's not necessary to wait until 2014, but even before that they should undertake all the political reforms, promote national reconciliation and create a socio-economically favourable atmosphere so that foreign investment can flow in. I told him that there will be huge expectations growing with the prospective 2014 chairmanship of ASEAN. And he should meet the expectations of the international community. And I have been dispatching my Special Adviser on Myanmar, Mr. [Vijay] Nambiar, [there].

I'm also planning to visit Myanmar as soon as possible. He invited me so I accepted his invitation. So the United Nations will continue to engage, first of all help them to promote national reconciliation. We will also try to provide socio-economic development assistance. We will help them to have harmonious relationship with regional countries and I will continue to discuss this matter with the Group of Friends on Myanmar.

Q: How have UN reforms been going so far and what is the chance for Indonesia to become permanent member of the UN Security Council?

SG: Since I became Secretary-General five years ago, I have been exerting my best efforts to make this Organization more efficient, effective, transparent, accountable, and mobile to meet the expectations of the international community in two ways: One, structural reform, and another, management reform. When it comes to structural reform [such as that of the] Security Council, I believe that considering the [past] six decades and the dramatic changes that have happened in the international community, the Security Council needs to be reformed by expanding its membership by becoming more democratic and truly representative. That is the consensus view of Member States.

Since three years ago, the General Assembly has taken it in an informal negotiation process. Many Member States have proposed their own ideas that are now being compiled, but not much progress has been made.

I should remind you that reform of the Security Council is to be determined by the Member States. And my goal is to create a politically favourable atmosphere so that these negotiations should continue smoothly.

While Member States are of the opinion that the Security Council should be reformed in a democratic way, they have not yet come to a stage where [they have decided] who should be elected and [for] how long, what to do with all of these categories of permanent and non-permanent members. All of this needs to be decided through negotiation by the Member States.

On change management, I believe that I have made a lot of changes, improvement, but there is no such [thing as] perfect reform and I'm still continuing. I have recently established the change management team who will come to me by the end of December with new ideas. And I have started my consultations with Member States, and as soon as I begin my second term on 1 January next year, I will push further this change management together with all of these structural reforms.

Q: On China's historical claims that they own the whole South China Sea, does the UN have opinion on that and would the UN like to see the claimants come to the UN and settle this issue?

SG: My position is that all of these issues should be resolved peacefully and amicably through dialogue among the parties concerned. Thank you very much. Thank you.