Secretary-General Tells Iberoamerican Creative Summit in Spain ‘Spotlight

 

Is in Your Hands’ to Shed Light on Current Global Challenges

 

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s video message to the Iberoamerican Creative Summit, 21 July, in Avilés, Spain:

Señoras y señores, buenos días.

Welcome to the Iberoamerican Creative Summit.  I wish I could join you today.  You are artists.  I am a diplomat.  But we all feel pain when we hear about a father killed in war, or a mother lost to disease, or a child who dies of hunger.  We all want to stop these tragedies in our world.  I am doing my part as Secretary-General, but only you can reach mass audiences.

That is why I am so grateful to our friends at the Niemeyer Centre for organizing this meeting.  You are discussing some of the most important issues on the United Nations agenda — women’s rights, the environment, organized crime, drug trafficking.  Please use your visual sense, your narrative touch, your imaginative gifts to find new ways to tackle old problems.

We will never solve these challenges unless we shed light on them.  The spotlight is in your hands.  We can provide the stories — true stories of tragedy and triumph, real-life dramas in the fight for what is right.  My staff works in places where no one dares to go.  They put their lives at risk every day.  Together we can inform, inspire and change the world.

Thank you.  Muchas gracias.  Muito obrigado.

* *** *

For information media • not an official record