Activities of Secretary-General in France, 22-23 June

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon travelled on Monday, 22 June, from Luxembourg to Strasbourg, France.  Upon arrival in the evening, he attended a dinner hosted by Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe.

The next morning, he had a working breakfast with Mr. Jagland, with whom he discussed the plight of migrants risking their lives to cross the Mediterranean and noted the need for creating a political environment that sustainably addresses discrimination and intolerance faced by migrants and their families.

He then met at the Palais de l’Europe with Anne Brasseur, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.  In a joint press stakeout with Ms. Brasseur, he said that they discussed how to continue to work closely together to promote sustainable development, counter violent extremism and address the grave humanitarian situation of migrants travelling through the Mediterranean and elsewhere in South-East Asia in the Andaman Sea.

He then addressed the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.  He told the Assembly about the immense suffering taking place in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, South Sudan and elsewhere.  He added that we must raise our voices against those who block non-governmental organizations and human rights defenders.  Following his address, he participated in a question-and-answer session with the Parliamentarians.  (See Press Release SG/SM/16867.)

Before leaving the Palais de l’Europe, he also met with Igor Crnadak, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina and President of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.  They discussed the human rights situation in Europe, including increasing racism and xenophobia.

That day he was also interviewed by France 24 and spoke on migration, climate change, Yemen, Libya, Iran and Burundi, among other topics.

The Secretary-General then left Strasbourg by train to Paris, where he departed for New York on Tuesday afternoon.