This morning, the United Nations family will come together to pay tribute to 168 of our colleagues who lost their lives in 2024.

It is always an intimate ceremony, shared with families of the fallen.

But I believe this occasion also calls for a more public reflection.

The women and men we honour today were not just names on a list.

They were extraordinary individuals -- each one a story of courage, compassion, and service.

They were driven by the pursuit of peace.

By the urgency to ease human suffering.

And by the conviction that every person, everywhere, deserves dignity and protection.

This past year has been especially devastating in Gaza.

Today’s ceremony includes recognition of 126 of our colleagues killed there -- 125 of them serving with UNRWA.

More than one in every 50 UNRWA staff in Gaza has been killed in this atrocious conflict.

This is the highest staff death toll in United Nations history.

Some were killed delivering life-saving aid; others alongside their families; others while
shielding the vulnerable.

The sacrifice of all 168 of our fallen colleagues everywhere -- humanitarians, peacekeepers, peacemakers -- is a tragedy.

It is also a reminder of the responsibility carried by every UN staff member, every single day.

And that’s important for all the world to see.

Because as we mourn those lost, we must also recognize the living -- the thousands of UN personnel who serve around the world today carrying out the missions entrusted to them by the countries that make up these United Nations.

They do not seek recognition.

They seek to make a difference.

When conflict erupts, they work for peace.

When violence and disaster strike, they deliver life-saving aid.

When rights are violated, they speak out.

To our staff still serving in crisis zones across the globe, I say:

Your courage humbles us.

Your resilience inspires us.

And to the world, I say:

We will not grow numb to suffering.

We will not accept the killing of UN personnel. 

We will not accept the killing of humanitarians, journalists, medical workers, or civilians as the new normal anywhere and under any circumstances.

There must be no room for impunity.

Today, I salute every member of the UN family.

It is the honour of a lifetime to serve alongside them. 

I know these are challenging times for international cooperation.

It may be fashionable in some quarters to dismiss multilateralism.

Financial contributions may be in doubt – the dedication of our staff is not.

And in a world where cooperation is under strain – and our challenges are more inter-connected than ever -- we must remember the example set by our fallen colleagues -- and the work being done every day by those who carry their legacy forward.

And that’s why I re-affirm:

We will not waver in our principles.

We will not abandon our values.

And we will never, ever give up.

Thank you. 

Question: Thank you so much, Secretary-General. This is Ephrem Kossaivy from Arab News Daily. There’s a summit coming up, a global summit on the implementation of the two-state solution.  How significant is this event to you, amid what’s happening in Gaza today?  And what is your message to world leaders and delegations who will be coming to New York?

Secretary-General: My message to world leaders and delegations is that it is absolutely essential to keep alive the two-state solution perspective with all the terrible things we are witnessing in Gaza and the West Bank. And for those that doubt about the two-state solution, I ask: What is the alternative? Is it a one-state solution in which either the Palestinians are expelled or the Palestinians will be forced to live in their land without rights? That would be totally unacceptable. I firmly believe that it is the duty of the international community to keep the two-state solution alive and then to materialize the conditions to make it happen.

Question: Secretary-General, Xu Dezhi with China Central Television. You mentioned, lengthy, about the fallen staff of the UN in Gaza. Yesterday, just behind you in the Security Council chamber, another try has failed – the US vetoed a draft resolution.  What’s your reaction to this result and what else can the United Nations do to help people there to really solve this issue? Thank you.

Secretary-General: We will do everything we can. But it is clear that we can only be effective in supporting the people in Gaza if there is a permanent ceasefire, if there is the unconditional and immediate release of all hostages and if there is unlimited access for humanitarian aid. We have seen in the past pause, in the past ceasefire, how it was possible to mobilize massive humanitarian aid for the people in Gaza. We need that to happen again, and we need that to happen permanently.

Question: Do you feel disappointed about yesterday’s results?

Secretary-General: Of course. As I said, we are always disappointed when ceasefires do not materialize, releases {of} hostages [do not happen], and humanitarian aid is not distributed or is distributed in a way that puts at risk the lives of so many Palestinians.

Question: Thank you, Gabriel Elizondo from Al Jazeera English. Mr. Secretary-General, you said there must be no room for impunity.  Do you think there has been impunity so far and that Israel needs to be held more to account?

Secretary-General: Unfortunately, today in the world, we have impunity everywhere. Unfortunately, we have not only humanitarians and journalists killed but we have civilians killed in dramatic situations and there is total impunity. And the fact that the geopolitical divisions maintain [in keeping] the Security Council paralyzed in situations like those makes that impunity remain and remain and remain, with an enormous frustration for all of those that believe in international law.  Thank you very much.