Secretary-General, at American Publishers Meeting, Says Industry Essential for Promoting Sustainable Development, Global Perspectives in Education

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s video message for the General Annual Meeting of the Association of American Publishers, in New York today:

It is a pleasure to greet the Association of American Publishers.  Thank you for inviting the United Nations to take part in your proceedings.

Thank you as well for your interest in helping to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, our new blueprint for ending poverty and building peaceful societies.  The 2030 Agenda adopted last September is the world’s Declaration of Interdependence.  The Paris Agreement on climate change adopted last December is our peace pact with the planet.

The publishing industry has a valuable role to play in translating these agreements into action. 

Sustainable Development Goal 4 calls on us to ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning.  Education is central to all 17 goals, from ending poverty to empowering women to promoting peace and economic growth.

Publishers can help make knowledge accessible to all, especially the marginalized.   You can expand the reach of on-line learning, and ensure that textbooks contain global perspectives.  This will promote global citizenship for life in an interconnected world.

People worry about the next extreme storm, terrorist attack, financial shock or outbreak of deadly disease.  Yet at this time of uncommon challenge, world leaders found common cause.  I look forward to working with publishers to meet the tests of our time.

Thank you again for supporting the United Nations.