Africa

Thank you very much for your presence. This visit has been conceived as a visit of solidarity with the Libyan people – The Libyan people that have suffered too much and deserve to live in a normal country with normal political institutions, with peace, security and prosperity.

The UN has no agenda and no interests in relation to Libya but one: the welfare of the Libyan people, the peace in the country, and the possibility to live in a normal democracy and to take profit of the enormous wealth of the country to benefit its citizens.

Shukran. I’d like first of all to express my deep gratitude to Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, for convening this meeting and for his very strong commitment to strengthen the cooperation among our four organizations.

Monsieur le Président, merci infiniment pour l’invitation. Je remercie le peuple tunisien de son hospitalité.
 
Your Majesties, 
Your Royal Highnesses, 
Excellencies,
 
As salaam alaikum.
 
I am here to further deepen the relationship between the United Nations, the League of Arab States and the peoples of the Arab world.
 
North Africa and the Middle East are home to remarkable dynamism and potential. It is a region long-striving to build peace and prosperity. I believe it is vital for this region to assume that destiny. 

As salaam alaikum.
 
I am honoured to address you in this esteemed seat of Islamic learning.
 
Standing here, one cannot fail to feel the impressive weight of more than 1,000 years of history, culture, scholarship and worship.
 
As Secretary-General of the UN, and as a man of faith, I have come to express my respect for Islam and my solidarity with its followers in these turbulent times.
 
It is less than a month since a terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, took the lives of 50 worshippers of all ages.

Your Excellency Mr. Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt and Chairperson of the African Union,
Your Excellency Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
 
Thank you for the opportunity to address this august Assembly.
 
I commend President Kagame for his leadership over the past year, and I congratulate incoming chairperson, President Al-Sisi.
 
Let me begin on a personal note, linked to the theme of this year’s meeting.
 

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
 
We should all be encouraged by the presence here today of so many political leaders and key health partners.
 
Good health is at the centre of our vision of a more sustainable, inclusive, peaceful and prosperous future. It is both an outcome and a driver of progress.
 
Investments in health and, more broadly, in the continent’s human capital, are among the best steps we can take to ensure the success of the AU’s Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
 

(French and English as delivered)

La coopération entre les Nations unies et l’Union africaine est pour moi un vecteur stratégique fondamental pour la paix et la sécurité et le développent, non seulement en Afrique, mais aussi dans le monde parce que l’Afrique occupe un rôle central dans le monde d’aujourd’hui. 

It is an enormous pleasure to be with you at this magnificent venue on the eve of the opening of the intergovernmental conference to adopt the Global Compact for Migration.  

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
 
I thank the Government and the people of the Kingdom of Morocco, for hosting this important global gathering and welcoming us so warmly to this wonderful conference centre.
 
I thank all of you for coming together in support of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.
 
This moment is the inspiring product of dedicated and pain-staking efforts.
 
I would like to express my enormous admiration for the vision and hard work that have produced the Global Compact.
 

Good morning everybody. Thank you very much for your presence.
 
Having been for most of my life directly linked to the questions of migration, both in my official functions but also as a civil society volunteer, it was for me a very emotional moment when I saw the members of the conference unanimously, in acclamation [adopt] the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.