Secretary-General, Marking United Nations Day, Hails Spain’s Active, Wide-Ranging Engagement in Shared Efforts to Build Better World for All
Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message, delivered by Under-Secretary-General Susana Malcorra, Chef de Cabinet, to the event marking United Nations Day, today in Madrid:
It gives me great pleasure to convey by warm greetings to all who have gathered in the Conde Duque Centre to mark the seventieth anniversary of the United Nations. I thank the UN family in Spain for organizing this event, and I especially express my great appreciation to the Government and people of Spain for their strong commitment to the United Nations over the six decades of the country’s membership in the Organization.
Spain is a major contributor to UN peacekeeping, and has helped to advance the global fight against poverty, hunger and disease, including through generous financial contributions. Spain is home to the vitally important UN logistics base in Valencia, and to the headquarters of the UN World Tourism Organization. Spain is deeply engaged in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, and in advancing the empowerment of the world’s women, as we saw earlier this month when Prime Minister [Mariano] Rajoy chaired an important meeting of the UN Security Council on strengthening the role of women in the maintenance of international peace and security.
And of course, the Royal Family supports UN causes in many ways. His Majesty Felipe VI and Her Majesty Queen Letizia have focused attention on the areas of sustainable development and human rights, including through Queen Letizia’s work as a UN Special Ambassador on Nutrition. And for decades before that, His Majesty King Juan Carlos and Her Majesty Queen Sofia were similarly involved, including through Queen Sofía’s work to promote the rights of persons with disabilities.
Through this active and wide-ranging engagement, Spain has made an important impact on our shared efforts to build a better world for all. Spain’s global citizenship is especially welcome today, at a time when the world faces multiple crises, from armed conflict to climate change to the largest flows of refugees since the Second World War.
No single country or organization can address today’s challenges alone. On United Nations Day, we recognize the enduring value of the United Nations. The Organization’s blue flag was a banner of hope for me growing up in wartime Korea. Seven decades after its founding, the United Nations remains a beacon for all humanity.
Every day, the United Nations feeds the hungry and shelters millions of people driven from their homes. The United Nations vaccinates children who would otherwise die from preventable diseases. The United Nations defends human rights for all, regardless of race, religion, nationality, gender or sexual orientation. Our peacekeepers are on the frontlines of conflict; our mediators bring warriors to the peace table; our relief workers brave treacherous environments to deliver life-saving assistance. The United Nations works for the entire human family of 7 billion people, and cares for the Earth, our one and only home.
The seventieth anniversary is also a moment to recognize the dedication of the diverse and talented staff of the United Nations who help bring the Charter to life — including the many Spanish nationals who have served and serve today with distinction. This is also an occasion on which we honour the many — included 36 Spanish personnel — who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty serving the cause of peace.
On this year’s observance of United Nations Day, monuments and buildings across the world are being illuminated in UN blue. Here in Spain, the light is stretching from City Hall here in Madrid to Barcelona, Grenada, Segovia, Seville, Toledo and beyond.
As we shine a light on this milestone anniversary, let us reaffirm our commitment to a brighter future for all. The United Nations will continue to count on Spain to mobilize behind the newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals, and to help combat common threats while seizing shared opportunities. Thank you for decades of support. The United Nations family in Spain looks forward to delivering as one with and for the people of Spain, and to deepening our already close partnership to build a future of dignity for all.