A very good afternoon to all of you.
 
I am pleased to be in Baghdad once again, this time for this Summit of the League of Arab States in a crucial moment for the region.
 
The ground is moving under our feet in this region. 
 
But the tectonic shifts are not a force of nature. 
 
The problems of violence and volatility are the results of concrete choices of people. 
 
And the solutions are also in the hands of decisionmakers.
 
Solutions that, above all, are focused on making the most of the tremendous potential and opportunity throughout this region.
 
We know the people of the Arab world demand and deserve a better future. 
 
The people of Lebanon – where the ceasefire and territorial integrity must be respected and all commitments implemented. 
 
The people of Syria – who need to see a path towards a political transition that is inclusive of all segments of the population – and a future of accountability, national healing, and further integration into the international community and economy with the lifting of sanctions.     
 
The people of Yemen – who have been suffering from years of war and devastation and yearn for a peaceful future.
 
And people in every corner of the Arab world who seek the same as those anywhere -- a future of justice, dignity, human rights, security peace and hope.
 
One issue is at the heart of the region’s unrealized hope:  the unresolved question of Palestine.
 
A two-State solution -- Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States – is not just a vision.
 
It is a necessity.
 
That goal has never been more imperative – but unfortunately also never more distant. 
 
A two-State future is disappearing before our eyes and we need to reverse this trend. 
 
In Gaza, the situation for Palestinians is beyond description … beyond atrocious … and beyond inhumane.
 
A policy of siege and starvation makes a mockery of international law.
 
The blockade against humanitarian aid must end immediately.
 
I say once again:  Nothing justifies the atrocious October 7 terror attacks by Hamas.
 
But nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
 
We need a permanent ceasefire -- the unconditional release of all hostages –the free flow of humanitarian aid – and irreversible action towards a two-State solution.
 
The high-level conference in June, co-chaired by France and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is an important opportunity we cannot lose. 
 
This is a moment for moral clarity and concrete action.
 
The choices ahead will shape the region for years to come. 
 
We can and must rise to this moment with courage, unity, and vision.
I am convinced that the Arab world has the strength, the wisdom, and the opportunity to lead the way toward peace, dignity, and a future worthy of all its people.
 
Shukran.

***

Question: Iraqyya News Channel. In light of the massacres in Gaza, and crisis in Syria and Yemen, is there any effective cooperation between the UN and the Arab League to end these crisis.?

Secretary-General: Well just to give you an example, we had yesterday a very important meeting between the Secretary General of the league, the president of the commission of the African union and myself. And we decided to work together to have a regular contact among the three to better coordinate all initiatives in relation to peace in Sudan and at the same time we will have in Addis Ababa, in an informal way representatives of the three to prepare our meetings and to make sure that the African Union, the Arab League and the UN will work together for peace in Sudan.

Question: A question from Rudaw news agency. What is your opinion about the peace operation between the PKK and Turkiye? Do you see that the UN can play a role in this? A second question about the Kurds in Syria [inaudible]?

Secretary-General: First of all, I must say that I am impressed by the positive evolution in Iraq. Of course there are still a few pending question, but I am totally confident that with dialogue and cooperation those pending questions will be entirely solved. In Syria it's very important to recognize that the Kurdish population in Syria is an integral part of Syria. I remember many years ago when I was trying to convince the Syrian government that statelessness of the Kurdish population had to be revoked, and fortunately today all recognized that the Kurds in Syria, Syrian citizens and the Syrian citizens they must have full engagement in the political life of the country and the future life of the country. And I am very hopeful about the conduction of dialogue between the leadership in Damascus and the leadership in the Kurdish region.

Question: You always call for respecting the International law, but the decisions of the organizations are not going anywhere. The second question is about the US President’s decisions, is it a beginning of the end of the work of humanitarian organizations?

Secretary-General: Well, if I understood well the question, the UN had been consistently involved in humanitarian aid in Gaza first of all, second the UN had been consistently advocating for Gaza to have a ceasefire and to end the terrible suffering of the Gaza people. We have been strongly condemning any attempt to move the population out of Gaza against their will, and we can see that Gaza must be part of the future Palestinian state. And in all these things, the voice of the UN has been clear, the voice of the UN has been constant and we have shown our strong commitment to the people of Gaza. So, this is a matter in which I believe we are doing the right thing and I'm proud of the work the UN is doing.

Question: Question from Al Jazeera, what is the actual extent of the response of the humanitarian organizations in Gaza, and the efforts to end the suffering in Gaza?

Secretary-General: The Secretariat of the United Nations has not the power to end the war in Gaza. The security council might have that power but as you know the security council is paralyzed by Veto. But I can guarantee that the Secretariat of United Nations and the Secretary-General will not lose one single minute in the attempt to convince the whole of the international community that they must put pressure on Israel for the military operations to end and for a permanent ceasefire, together with the release of hostages, and together with unlimited support to the population in Gaza. But on top of that, our position is also very clear and we will be strongly engaged with France and with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the conference that is now being convened in June, a conference to mobilize the international community in defense of the Two-State solution for Palestine.

Question: Question from Associated Press about the closure of UNAMI, and the second question regarding the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, is the UN involved?
Secretary-General: First of all, in Iraq we are proud that our mission will be able to end in 31 December of this year, which means that Iraq was able to progressively solve its problems and we are confident than any pending situations will be able to be solved in dialogue by the Iraqis themselves. And so I think it's time for the mission to end but the UN will remain in Iraq with its country team operating for the development of the country and we will be providing also in relation to the elections, election assistance that might be required by the government of Iraq.
In relation to the negotiations - according to the news - that there was some positive aspects about prisoners exchange, there was not much progress in relation to peace in Ukraine. And we will strongly advocate for a just peace and just peace is a peace in which the Charter is respected the International Law is respected, and the territorial integrity of the Ukraine is respected.

Question: Question about the situation in Syria, how the does the UN support the reconstruction of Syria?

Secretary-General: I must say that I have a love affair with the Syrian people. When I was High Commissioner for refugees, the Syrian people received almost 2 million Iraqi refugees.
There were no camps in Syria. Refugees where with communities, were with the families and were treated in the way that's really is a shame for those that sometimes much richer than Syria do not treat refugees well. And so I am emotionally linked to the will of seeing Syria united with its territorial integrity respected and with all communities of the Syrian society being able to be fully engaged in the political future of the country and fully participating in this political future and protected.
I hope this will happen and I also hope that the removal of sanctions will create the conditions not only for this positive inclusive political development, but also for the Syrian people finally do have access to the development that is so necessary for the Syrian youth to regain hope.

Thank you very much.