Bold Leadership, Determined Action Will Help Turn Today’s Problems into Tomorrow’s

Opportunities, Secretary-General Tells ‘Delivering as One’ Forum

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s video message to the opening session of the Fifth High-level Intergovernmental Conference on Delivering as One in Tirana, Albania, on 27 June:

Prime Minister [Sali] Berisha, United Nations Development Programme Administrator Ms. Helen Clark, Excellencies, distinguished participants,

Welcome to the Fifth Intergovernmental High-level Conference on Delivering as One.  I thank Albania for their important initiative.

I am just back from the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.  It included tens of thousands of participants — and more than 120 Heads of State and Government.  They were all there to address major problems facing our world — poverty, disease, hunger, inequality and environmental degradation.

Rio+20 set the world on course toward the future we want.  Delivering as One will help us get there.  The next few months are critical.  We have to join forces to turn the problems of today into the opportunities of tomorrow.  The United Nations can foster progress that cuts across different areas, from human rights to the economy, from social justice to the environment.

I applaud the Delivering as One countries for their vision, leadership and determination.  Now that the pilot phase is coming to an end, we have to carry reform to the next level.  That will require bold leadership and determined action.  I count on all of you to be part of this important drive for progress.

When we deliver as one, we can deliver better for all.  I wish you great success at this meeting and beyond.  Let us continue to deliver results for the peoples of our world.

Thank you.

* *** *

For information media • not an official record