SECRETARY-GENERAL, IN MESSAGE TO STUDENT PEACE DAY OBSERVANCE, SAYS YOUNG PEOPLE

ALREADY KNOW BETTER THAN TO REPEAT MISTAKES OF PAST

 

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks to the student observance of the International Day of Peace, in New York today, 21 September:

Dear young friends from all around the world, distinguished Messengers of Peace, Vice-President of the General Assembly.

I am delighted to be among you this morning.  This room is full of excitement, promise and hope.  You are the owners of our future generations -- those of you here in New York and those of you who have linked up by video around the world.  How are you?  Good morning.

In this building we often talk about succeeding generations and how best to serve them. Yet it is a rare pleasure to come face to face with those succeeding generations – to welcome some of tomorrow’s leaders to today’s UN.

Around me, I can see the next generation of scientists, business leaders, politicians, journalists, artists and civil society activists -- perhaps even a future Secretary-General of the United Nations!  One of you, I hope, will be elected as Secretary-General of the United Nations or President of the General Assembly.  In all of you, I can see the future of the United Nations and of our world.

Your energy and idealism make that future look bright.  By participating in this International Day of Peace, you are demonstrating that you already know better than to repeat the mistakes of the past.  You will choose to talk rather than fight.  You will listen rather than shout.  You will cooperate rather than condemn.  You will protect our environment rather than over-exploit it.

In this way, you will come to represent not only succeeding generations, but the generation that succeeds in making every day a day of peace.

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For information media • not an official record