UN role and reform

Zaoshang hao! [Good morning!]

Your Excellency, Mr. President [Xi Jinping]. It is a great pleasure and honour to welcome you to United Nations Headquarters for your first visit as Head of State of China.

Thank you for being here at a time when we are launching the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and addressing a wide range of urgent global challenges.

¡Bienvenidos a las Naciones Unidas!
Es un honor para nosotros ser sus anfitriones durante esta histórica visita.
[We are honoured to host you during this historic visit.]

For those of us who cherish the United Nations, this chamber is sacred space.

In no other hall -- from no other platform -- can a world leader speak to all humanity.

And for decades, that is precisely what world leaders have done. Kings and Queens. Presidents, Prime Ministers and Popes.

Your Holiness, Pope Francis, Dear Colleagues,

¡Bienvenidos a las Naciones Unidas! Muchas gracias.

I will be very brief.

Your Holiness, I may be the one behind the microphone and in this spotlight. But it is the staff of the United Nations who are working day and night, with a strong commitment. I really appreciate [them] and I hope you will grace them and bless them so that they can continue to work, upholding the Charter of the United Nations for world peace, development and human rights.

Good morning, everyone!

Welcome to the United Nations.

It is so significant that you are here on the International Day of Peace.

This shows that you are serious about our world.

That gives me hope for the future.

We have wonderful United Nations Messengers of Peace here.

Dr. Jane Goodall is devoted to protecting endangered species – and making a better world for all animals and people.

Mr. Michael Douglas is a Hollywood star – but at the United Nations he is a superstar for global disarmament.

[as delivered, bilingual version]

It is a great pleasure to be with you to open the 70th session of the General Assembly.

Mr. President, congratulations once again on your election. Your wide-ranging experience as Foreign Minister, Finance Minister and Speaker of the Danish parliament bodes well as you take on your new responsibilities.

Much important work lies ahead.

Good morning. I am honoured to join with all of you as we gather to remember the life of Dag Hammarskjöld on this 54th anniversary of his death.

All these years later, we remain inspired every day by his integrity, intelligence and idealism.

The anniversary of his death provides us a valuable chance to remember his many accomplishments. Even more important, to share them with succeeding generations.

Thank you for this uplifting prayer service. The Church of the Holy Family is a true friend of the United Nations. We have mourned and rejoiced together many times over the years.

There is so much to grieve about now.

War is driving millions of people from their homes. Violent extremists are killing in the name of religion. They bring immense suffering to people – and great shame to the faiths they claim to represent.

This prayer services is an answer to the bigots, extremists and terrorists who try to divide communities.

I congratulate the General Assembly for the many achievements of the 69th session.

Mr. President, over the past year you have guided the Member States through many complex and important processes, resulting in a number of major advances. We worked very closely and effectively together, and I am grateful for the strong commitment you showed at all times, across our agenda. Thank you for your service and contributions.

The crowning accomplishment of the 69th session is of course the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Thank you everyone for your warm welcome. I am standing before you, unlike normal circumstances. I am very much humbled to be with you today thinking about our fallen colleagues, 23 colleagues, and many people, staff who have been injured and still are suffering from this pain and trauma. This vicious terrorist attack happened almost 4 years ago – 3 days before—August 27.

We pay tribute to the 23 fallen colleagues, women and men who were so brutally stolen from us. We reaffirm our commitment to keep faith with their families.

Thank you for taking time this morning at short notice.

I just wanted to inform you what the United Nations is doing about the terrible crimes of sexual violence by UN peacekeepers to civilians.

As you know, more serious allegations have been raised about the conduct of United Nations troops in the Central African Republic. I cannot put into words how anguished, angered and ashamed I am by recurrent reports over the years of sexual exploitation and abuse by UN forces.