At United Nations Day Concert, Secretary-General Pays Tribute to Staff Worldwide for Advancing Peace, Protecting Human Rights, Freedom

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at the United Nations Day concert, in New York today:

Your Excellency Mr. Peter Thomson, President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, Your Excellency Dr. László Szabó, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs [and Trade] of Hungary, Your Excellency Ms. Katalin Bogyay, Permanent Representative of Hungary, distinguished guests, performers from the Hungarian State Opera, ladies and gentlemen, good evening.

It is a great pleasure to welcome you to this special event to commemorate the seventy-first anniversary of the United Nations.  I thank the Permanent Mission of Hungary for bringing us together — the remarkably talented performers you are about to see and appreciate.

The United Nations Day Concert marks the birth of the United Nations in 1945 and offers an opportunity to reflect on the work of the Organization through the universal language of music.  Over the decades, we have advanced peace where there was conflict, promoted prosperity where there was poverty and championed dignity where there was abuse.

This year, we are emboldened by the rapid embrace of last year’s historic Paris Agreement on climate change, which will enter into force 11 days from now, that is 4 November — remarkably swift action on an accord of such complexity and ambition.  This is also the crucial first year of implementation of the landmark 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals, with 17 Goals.  I am encouraged to see momentum and mobilization continuing to build.

At the heart of the work of the United Nations has always been the desire to protect human rights.  Without freedom from fear and freedom from want, we will never uphold human dignity nor fulfil our promise to leave no one behind.  It is fitting, therefore, that the theme of this year’s concert is “Freedom First”.

This is the final time, last time, I will enjoy UN Day as Secretary-General.  With Hungary’s leading role in tonight’s concert, I vividly recall the moment, 60 years ago — I was just 12 years old at that time — when I read out a strong message on behalf of my elementary school students to then Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld.  As you may know, the people of Hungary were under the boots of communist oppression at that time and I thought that we should send a strong message and raise urgent support for all those people.  I didn’t know that 60 years later I would be elected — I would be elected as Secretary-General.  And I told the General Assembly that, while serving as Secretary-General, I hoped I would not receive such an appeal from young students to save them.  Sadly, unfortunately I have been receiving many, many such letters, even today, from many young people from around the world.  Many people, young people, are still suffering from this Syrian crisis — many crises are happening, in South Sudan, Yemen and elsewhere.

Ladies and gentlemen, 10 years ago, upon my election as Secretary-General, I reaffirmed and I pledged that I will make sure that this world will be a more peaceful and prosperous [place], where nobody’s human rights will be abused.  Sadly, again, there are still many women, girls and people of vulnerable groups — their human rights are being abused.  We have to make sure that, through upholding human rights principles and through implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, we have to make sure that no one is left behind.

As I prepare to leave office after 10 years of service, I pay tribute to its dedicated staff — many humanitarian and human rights workers, many volunteers around the world, many hundreds of thousands of peacekeepers.  These hardworking and courageous individuals prove the power of unity in diversity.  I am confident that they will continue to shine and that Secretary-General-designate António Guterres will ably guide the United Nations in its global mission of peace, sustainable development and human rights.

Although the leadership changes periodically, the values of the United Nations are timeless.  In an age when the global and the local are so closely intertwined, the international solutions forged at the United Nations are essential to progress.  Thank you for all your support and commitment for peace and prosperity and contributions.  I hope you will enjoy this evening.  Thank you very much.