Activities of Secretary-General in Jordan, 21-22 October

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Amman by helicopter from Ramallah on Wednesday afternoon, 21 October.

That evening, he briefed a Security Council consultations session in New York by videoconference about his meetings in the region.

The Secretary-General met on Thursday morning with His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan in Amman.  The Secretary-General briefed the King about his meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, in which he appealed to them to put an end to the continuing violence in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Israel.

The Secretary-General noted the responsibility of Arab leaders to encourage calm and to ensure that this crisis does not get out of control.  He reiterated the importance of reducing tensions at the holy places in Jerusalem and called for upholding the status quo in line with previous understandings between Israel and Jordan, and with respect to Jordan's special role.

He departed Amman at lunchtime and arrived back in New York on Thursday evening.