Activities of Secretary-General in Honduras, 14-15 January
On Wednesday, 14 January, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon flew from India to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, for an official visit to the country.
Upon arrival, the Secretary-General was greeted by Arturo Corrales-Álvarez, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Honduras, before meeting with Juan Orlando Hernández-Alvarado, President of Honduras, for a working luncheon and a tête-à-tête.
They discussed Honduras’ social and economic issues, as well as concerns regarding the country’s security and human rights situation.
The two leaders then held a joint press conference, during which the Secretary-General welcomed the Government’s willingness to strengthen its relations with the United Nations through the opening of a local presence of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The Secretary-General then met with Roberto Herrera-Cáceres, National Commissioner for Human Rights of Honduras, and addressed the National Congress of Honduras. There, he received the highest distinction of the Congress, the Gran Cruz Extraordinaria con Placa de Oro.
In his speech, he called on the Congress to be a space to build consensus and effective responses to the big obstacles to opportunity that remain in Honduras, like poverty and inequality, violence, insecurity and impunity. (See Press Release SG/SM/16462.)
He then attended a dinner given in his honour by Mauricio Oliva-Herrera, President of the National Congress.
On Thursday, 15 January, the Secretary-General met with Jorge Alberto Rivera-Avilés, President of the Supreme Court of Honduras, as well as with civil society representatives and members of the United Nations country team.
He then visited a United Nations Citizen Security Project at the Municipality of Tegucigalpa, where he was made citizen of honour.
From there, he flew to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site of Copán Ruinas. After visiting the Mayan archaeological site, he left Honduras in the afternoon for San Salvador, El Salvador.