Quartet principals’ meeting, together with some key Arab countries, will be held on margins of the GA – SG press conference (excerpts)

16 September 2015

SG/SM/17079
Secretary-General
Press Conference

Press Conference by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at United Nations Headquarters 

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General. 

/…

Question:  Thank you.  Mr. Secretary-General, the United Nations stands for international law, human dignity, human rights and development.  And my question is about one State of the whole 193 that has stood above the law.  The United Nations tells that State:  do not build settlements.  They don't listen and they build settlements.  The United Nations tells that State:  do not build the separation wall.  They don't listen.  They continue building the separation wall.  The United Nations tells them:  join NPT [Non Proliferation Treaty].  They don't join NPT.  The United Nations tells them you cannot have whole 6,000 prisoners and detainees.  They don't listen.  The United Nations condemns them when they…

Spokesman:  If I could ask you to find a question mark, please, with respect.  Thank you.

Question:  Why that State stands out above the law?  What can you do to tell that State to abide by the law, by international law?  Thank you.

Secretary-General:  The fundamental principle is that all the Member States of the United Nations, they have obligation to abide by all the resolutions and decisions of the Member States, and there is no country above the law.  That is a fundamental principle, like human rights.  Every human being is equal.  All the Member States are equal.  We have seen some countries who have been late or who have not been implementing or abiding by the resolutions.  The Security Council has been acting on this, trying to take some punitive measures through the imposition of sanctions and some other issues.  But, as you said, I agree with your point.  There are some countries who have not been faithfully implementing all these resolutions.  That is why it's important that we help all the Israelis and all Palestinians so that they can sit down together.  Again, on the margins of this General Assembly, we are going to have Quartet principals’ meeting, together with some key Arab countries, and I'm… we are going to discuss this matter very, very seriously.

/…

For information media. Not an official record.

http://www.un.org/press/en/2015/sgsm17079.doc.htm