SECRETARY-GENERAL, AT HIS FIRST SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING, ASSURES

MEMBERS OF HIS ‘DEEP SENSE OF MISSION’

 

Following is the text of remarks today by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in response to the President of the Security Council at the opening of the Council’s meeting on threats to international peace and security:

I am honoured to be here and I thank the President of the Council, His Excellency, Ambassador [Vitaly] Churkin, for this opportunity to meet with the distinguished members of the Security Council in this historic Chamber.

As this is my first meeting with you, let me pay tribute to all Council members and extend, in this new year, my best wishes to all of you for a most successful 2007.  In particular, let me acknowledge the presence of the new members, namely Panama, Italy, Indonesia, Belgium and South Africa, who have joined the Council at the same time as I joined the Organization.  We have much to learn together.

Allow me to assure all of you my deep sense of mission, duty and dedication, as I assume this high office.  You know, perhaps better than anyone, that I do so at a daunting time in world affairs.  The international community faces a range of challenges -- from Darfur to the Middle East, and other crises that trouble our world; from defending human rights, to the need to move forward in reaching the Millennium Development Goals.

I look forward to working closely with the Security Council to ensure that the Organization lives up to the considerable expectations the international community places on us.  As the Council considers the perspectives of the Member States on threats to international peace and security, I am here to listen to all of you.

* *** *

For information media • not an official record