Dr. Ricardo R. Fernandez, President of Herbert H. Lehman College, Dr. Anny Morrobel-Sosa, Provost of Lehman College, Dr. Mary Pearl, Interim Dean for the Macaulay Honors College of The City University of New York, Dr. Una Clarke, Trustee of the City University of New York, Distinguished Faculty, Dear students,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is an honour to deliver the 47th Annual Herbert H. Lehman Memorial Lecture.

It is great to be in the Bronx. I have only one regret: The Yankees are still in Florida for spring training!

With or without baseball, the Bronx is an amazing destination. Once a symbol of urban neglect, the borough today is in the midst of a resurgence. From new restaurants on Arthur Avenue to tech start-ups and green businesses, the Bronx is on the move.

I am energized by that strong community spirit. I admire the tolerance that has seen so many waves of immigrants find, here in the Bronx, a haven and a home.

One person who found a home in the Bronx was my predecessor, U Thant, who lived in Riverdale during his years as Secretary-General. Wave Hill House was the residence of Gladwyn Jebb, who served as Acting Secretary-General in the Organization’s earliest days.

Here at Lehman College, I had the privilege of ringing the Peace Bell a short while ago. I thank Mr. Yong Lee for his generosity in making this addition to your campus possible.

Your bell was inspired by World Peace Bell Park in Korea. It is also very similar to the Japanese Peace Bell at UN Headquarters in Manhattan.

We ring that bell every year on September 21st, the International Day of Peace, to sound a call for global harmony and non-violence.

This is yet another symbol of the historic bonds between Lehman College and the United Nations.

For five months in 1946, years before the United Nations moved into its own headquarters, this campus was our home. It was here that diplomats and staff came together to help the world recover in the immediate aftermath of World War II and move towards a future of progress and peace.

But our ties with Lehman College go beyond buildings and conference rooms.

Herbert Lehman himself helped to set the tone of the new Organization. As head of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) in the 1940s, he oversaw efforts to provide life-saving assistance to millions of people.

Today at UN Headquarters, there is a great deal of art on display -- but only a few individual portraits. Among those is a painting of Herbert Lehman. I am happy to report that it is seen by thousands of people every year.

Much has changed since Lehman made his mark on the world.

But he would recognize some features of our global landscape. Today’s conflicts and persecution have forced 60 million people – half of them children -- to flee their homes. This is more than at any time since Lehman himself came to the aid of people displaced by the Second World War.

Lehman would understand also the urgency of the Organization’s mission of peace, development and human rights. As a Senator and Governor, he campaigned against injustice and defended the rights of immigrants. Today, refugees, migrants and minorities across the world face rising hatred. Inequality is driving people farther apart. Women and girls face appalling violence and discrimination.

I want to talk to you today about what the United Nations is doing to address these challenges – and about the role you can and must play in carrying forward Lehman’s spirit, and in helping to build lives of dignity for all.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me start with Lehman College itself.

Yours is a wonderfully diverse community. You have students from all over the world, contributing experiences and ideas from different perspectives and cultures.

Education at Lehman College has been a gateway to a better life for many thousands of people. Many immigrant families know the sacrifices your loved ones have made – including for those of you who are the first in your family to go to college.

Many of you may have a special window of understanding on the plight of those escaping from insecurity, inequality and injustice, and the bigotry they often face.

You have all seen the heart-breaking images of people perishing at sea during perilous escapes from conflict. You have heard the stories of those left stranded in the desert by ruthless human traffickers.

These are people no different than you and me. Many have lost everything – homes, jobs, loved ones – and they have no choice but to flee to an uncertain future.

Many others are seeking better lives, because of discrimination, grinding poverty or the brutality of drug cartels and criminal gangs.

My own family was forced to flee our village when I was a child during the Korean War in the 1950s. The United Nations brought us food, medicine and textbooks -- and protected us with the troops of many nations, including the United States.

The United Nations was our lifeline. Its blue flag was a beacon of hope for all Koreans. That flag is still a sign of solidarity for so many millions of children and oppressed people caught up in conflict or disaster, or suffering from poverty, hunger and disease.

Today, the refugee crisis is showing no signs of lessening. The United Nations is calling for greater solidarity and compassion. We are emphasizing the need for all countries to help, including by granting asylum.

And we are speaking out against hate-filled rhetoric about refugees and migrants, whether it comes from leaders, office-seekers, ordinary citizens or the media. In an interconnected world, we need to build bridges, not barriers.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

These large-scale movements of people are signs of deeper problems – from conflicts to a lack of jobs.

The United Nations is working hard to address the root causes of conflict and the underlying drivers of extremism.

Today in Geneva, UN mediators are pressing the parties to the Syrian conflict to engage in good faith to end a conflict that has just entered its sixth year.

In May, we will convene a first-ever World Humanitarian Summit aimed at strengthening global efforts to reduce suffering and increase readiness for future crises.

We continue our efforts to resolve conflicts from Yemen to South Sudan, where civilians remain the primary victims of atrocious crimes and utter disregard for human rights.

Other threats loom on the global landscape. For example, provocative acts by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea – including its recent nuclear test -- are deeply troubling challenges to international peace and security.

We are also working to put in place the deeper foundations of peace.

Last year, despite global divisions over conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Ukraine and elsewhere, world leaders came together to adopt an inspiring new development agenda – a 15-year blueprint for a better world.

At the heart of this plan are 17 Sustainable Development Goals aimed at ending poverty and building inclusive societies on a healthy planet.

Women’s empowerment is a thread running through the goals – and has been a priority across my decade as Secretary-General. We cannot make the world better for all if we exclude half the population.

I hope you will all support me in ending violence against women and girls – and in enabling women and girls to fully enjoy their rights and realize their potential. This week at the United Nations, thousands of women’s groups and others are attending the annual session of the Commission on the Status of Women – and pushing to deepen this vital work.

I am also passionate about empowering the world’s young people.

Half the global population is under 25 years old. Our future stability and well-being depends on investing in -- and working with -- young people.

That is why I appointed the first-ever United Nations Youth Envoy to help connect the United Nations to young people -- and young people to the United Nations.

That is also why, last month, the United Nations launched the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs. And it is why, last December, the Security Council adopted landmark resolution 2250 to give young people the voice they deserve in building peace.

Young people can also be at the centre of climate action. You are consumers who can demand sustainable products. You are innovators who can create energy breakthroughs. You are voters who can elect leaders who do not deny the problem.

Climate change is real. Sea levels are rising, and storms are getting worse. We are seeing more floods, wildfires and droughts. That means hunger will rise and economies will fall.

Last December, in another sign of hope at a time of turmoil, world leaders came together to adopt the historic Paris Agreement on climate change. I will count on all of you to be part of the transition to a low-carbon future.

President Fernandez,
Distinguished Faculty,
Dear Students,
Ladies and gentlemen,

I have been Secretary-General for almost ten years. There is the one inescapable truth about all of the challenges we face: No single country or region – even one as dynamic and powerful as the United States -- can solve global problems on its own.

Over the years, the United States has been a generous contributor of humanitarian aid, and a leader in the fight against hunger. The country’s economy and innovations have been engines of progress. Its embrace of diversity has inspired the world.

I hope that you students, as emerging global citizens, will make the case for even stronger global engagement. In today’s globalized world, the walls between the national and international continue to fall away. The international interest and the national interest are increasingly one and the same.

We need to work together towards new heights of international cooperation.

I know it is easier to exploit fears, or to think that one can impose solutions on others. But these are not solutions for the 21st century; they are recipes for disaster.

During my time as Secretary-General, I have seen many inspiring examples of collective action that are taking the world in promising new directions.

Not so long ago, there was widespread fear that the Ebola virus would spread globally. But the United Nations and our non-governmental partners pulled together and acted quickly. Today the disease is under control, and the three most-affected countries have been declared Ebola-free.

In Colombia, the longest conflict in the Americas is nearing its end as the Government and opposition took the enlightened decision to settle their differences through dialogue.

And in clinics, labs and classrooms across the world, dedicated individuals are nurturing young lives and new ideas that will advance human well-being and enhance our shared future.

Those who seek to divide often speak the loudest. That is one reason I tell young global citizens all around the world: please raise your voices! I have constraints that can make it difficult for me to speak out at times. But young people have exciting new ways to push for a better world, and to connect with like-minded peers across the world.

Please make good use of that freedom. We need you to rise up for civil rights, for social justice, for equal opportunity and fair play, here in the United States and beyond.

As Governor of New York, Herbert Lehman had the honour of opening the 1939 World’s Fair. His words on that occasion ring true today: “The hopes and the aspirations of America are in no ways different from those of the rest of the world”.

All members of our human family want basic services, decent jobs, democratic systems, human rights and peace. When we unite to realize human progress for everyone, we can succeed.

You are not here at Lehman College just for yourselves, but for our common future. I call on you to give back as a global citizen. Rise to the challenges of your generation. Join forces with the United Nations for a better world.

Thank you.