UN role and reform

Welcome to this celebration of United Nations Day!

The United Nations is 70 years old today. For seven decades, the United Nations has served as a beacon of hope for people the world over.

As we mark this milestone, we have the honour to join in the unveiling of an installation, Enlightened Universe, created by the renowned Spanish artist Cristobal Gabarrón.

This structure behind us depicts the great hope that all of us have invested in the United Nations.

Happy United Nations Day to all.

I am delighted to welcome all of you to this special 70th anniversary celebration.

We are honoured by the presence of so many talented performers.

I thank the KBS Traditional Music Orchestra, the K-pop duo Davichi, the world-famous Harlem Gospel Choir, and Lang Lang, my very dedicated UN Messenger of Peace.

Their performances can inspire the United Nations family as we ready ourselves for the enormous challenges ahead.

Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Ms. Penny Abeywardena, NYC Commissioner for International Affairs,
Mr. Joseph Bellina, General Manager of the Empire State Building,
Distinguished artists Lang Lang and Ms. Kang Min-kyung and Ms. Lee Hae-ri
of Davichi,
Ladies and gentlemen,

I am proud and honoured to be here today with all of you.

The Empire State Building is one of the most important landmarks in the world.

The United Nations is the ‘Parliament of Humanity’.

Today we come together.

I wanted to be here earlier. As you know, I have just returned from an emergency mission to the Middle East – and was briefing on my visit.

But I did not want to miss this important occasion, and the opportunity to extend my warmest congratulations to all winners and finalists, and my thanks to all nominees for their enormous efforts.

Congratulations to all of you.

I would also like to thank all those who made the 2015 Awards possible: the colleagues who contributed to this ceremony and our evaluation team of panels from across the Organization.

Dobry den. Dakujem za mile a srdecne prijatie. [Good morning. Thank you very much for your warm and heartfelt welcome.]

I am deeply honoured to receive this Honorary Doctorate and Gold Medal from the oldest and largest university in the Slovak Republic.

This is a reflection of your esteem for the United Nations. I accept on behalf of its global staff. They are the UN’s heart and soul, and I attribute all honours I receive to them.

When I last came here, in 2008, I was welcomed with bread and salt. I enjoyed this warm tradition.

The 70th anniversary of the United Nations is a powerful reminder of the vital need to defend and promote the principles of our Charter.

The opening of the 70th session of the General Assembly was an equally powerful reminder of our relevance in today’s changing and churning world.

Your Excellency President Barack Obama of the United States of America, Your Majesties and Royal Highnesses, Distinguished Heads of State and Government, Honourable Ministers, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

What a remarkable bunch of days we have just had.

Only at the United Nations can Pope Francis and Shakira appear on the same stage within minutes of each other!

I didn’t know whether I should pray or dance!

[bilingual as delivered version]

The 70th session of the General Assembly has opened with a towering achievement: the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, including 17 inspiring Sustainable Development Goals, the SDGs.

Our aim is clear. Our mission is possible. And our destination is in our sights: an end to extreme poverty by 2030; a life of peace and dignity for all.

What counts now is translating promises on paper into change on the ground.

We owe this and much more to the vulnerable, the oppressed, the displaced and the forgotten people in our world.

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.