Activities of Secretary-General in Belgium, 26-28 May
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, accompanied by Madam Ban Soon-taek, arrived in Brussels, Belgium, from Dublin, Ireland, in the afternoon of Tuesday, 26 May.
His first engagement in the Belgian capital was a meeting with the heads of United Nations agencies in the country, followed by a meeting with William L. Swing, Director-General of the International Organization for Migration.
The Secretary-General then attended a working dinner, hosted by Federica Mogherini, the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, with Ministers of Development of European Union member States.
They discussed progress and challenges ahead of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development in Addis Ababa in July and the Summit on Sustainable Development in New York in September. On climate change, the Secretary-General applauded the European Union’s leadership on the issue, calling for its continued strong support towards reaching a meaningful, universal agreement in Paris in December.
On Wednesday, 27 May, the Secretary-General attended a breakfast meeting with Ms. Mogherini. He applauded the collective decision by European Union member States to achieve the 0.7 per cent of the Gross National Income as their official development assistance target, commending Ms. Mogherini for her strong leadership in creating the conditions to achieve that agreement. He also welcomed a proposal by the European Commission for the relocation of 40,000 asylum seekers as a step in the right direction and expressed hope that it will be accepted by European Union member States.
The Secretary-General and Madam Ban had an audience with Their Royal Highnesses King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium.
The Secretary-General was then interviewed by Jens Franssen and 10-year-old child reporter Doaa Boukabous of VRT, the national public-service broadcaster for the Flemish region and community of Belgium, which broadcasts in Flemish. With Mr. Franssen, the Secretary-General discussed the situations in Syria, as well as migration and climate change, while with Ms. Boukabous, he underlined how the ideas, actions and decisions can help to make the world a better place.
He then attended an event for the “Tomorrowland” Music Festival, where he thanked the organizers for inviting him to carve a message of peace on behalf of the United Nations on the One World bridge. He said that the bridge and the festival “symbolize some of the core values the United Nations strives to uphold every day around the world: dignity, respect, diversity and solidarity”. (See Press Release SG/SM/16795.)
The Secretary-General met with Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, before attending a lunch hosted by Mr. Juncker with the College of European Commissioners.
Afterwards, they took part in a press conference, where the Secretary-General said that our response to the complex challenges of migration and refugee protection must be “comprehensive, focusing on countries of destination, transit and origin. We need to crack down on smugglers while saving lives and upholding human rights and international law.”
The Secretary-General then addressed the Plenary of the European Parliament. In his remarks, he said that the body “represents a wide diversity of cultures and traditions bound by a common belief that we are stronger and better when we work together”. (See Press Release SG/SM/16796.)
The Secretary-General added that the Parliament plays an important role across every aspect of the United Nations agenda, adding that “the United Nations simply could not do what it does without the support and engagement of the European Union.”
Following his speech, he met with Martin Schulz, President of European Parliament. The Secretary-General thanked Mr. Schulz for the European Union’s leadership in promoting human rights and sustainable development. They agreed that parliaments have a critical role to play in the implementation of the post-2015 development agenda.
That day, he also met with Donald Tusk, President of the European Council.
In the evening, the Secretary-General attended an event at the Palais des Beaux Arts, “Our World, Our Dignity, Our Future: The post-2015 Agenda and the Role of Youth”, hosted by Neven Mimica, European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development.
Speaking to the hundreds of young people in attendance, as well as to the thousands joining by social media, the Secretary-General said they have a critical role to play in ending poverty, inequality, hunger and environmental degradation and that “your actions will be central in ushering in an era in which no one is left behind.” (See Press Release SG/SM/16799.)
The Secretary-General answered questions from young people on topics including youth unemployment, climate change, sanitation and gender equality.
He began the next day, Thursday, 28 May, with a breakfast meeting with Belgium’s Prime Minister Charles Michel, Foreign Minister Didier J.L. Reynders, and Development Cooperation Minister Alexander de Croo.
The Secretary-General and Mr. Michel jointly addressed the press. The Secretary-General said that the United Nations relied heavily on the strong support of the Belgian Government on issues ranging from promoting peace in the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the situations in Burundi, Libya, Syria and Yemen.
He then met with Dimitris Avramopoulos, European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship. They discussed the plight of migrants risking their lives to cross the Mediterranean and ways to address that problem in a way that takes into account humanitarian, political, security and development considerations, with saving lives being the top priority.
The Secretary-General was awarded an honorary degree from the Catholic University of Leuven and, in his remarks, said that this was also a “recognition of the work of the United Nations around the world for our work on peace, development and human rights. I accept this honour on behalf of the many dedicated UN staff who bring the UN Charter to life.” (See Press Release SG/SM/16800.)
His final stop before departing Belgium in the afternoon was a visit to the University’s library, where he saw ancient texts as well as photos of visits to Leuven by previous United Nations Secretaries-General.
The Secretary-General arrived in New York on Thursday evening, 28 May.