Activities of Secretary-General in Burkina Faso, 2-3 March
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Ouagadougou from Madrid on Wednesday afternoon, 2 March.
On arrival, the Secretary-General held a town hall meeting with United Nations staff. He thanked them for their work and acknowledged the recent difficulties they had to work through, from terrorist attacks to political upheaval.
He especially noted the work that had been done by the United Nations system to support the political transition, especially the recent elections.
The Secretary-General and his delegation were then hosted by President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré at an official dinner. The working dinner was attended by Government officials, members of the diplomatic corps and the United Nations country team.
The next morning, the Secretary-General started his day with a meeting with President Kaboré. The President was joined by the Foreign Minister, Alpha Barry. Immediately afterwards, they held a joint press encounter.
The Secretary-General told the media that during this — his third visit to the country — he was able to see the remarkable progress. “Thanks to the determination and resilience of its people, Burkina Faso has completed a political transition and held free and fair elections,” he said.
Mr. Ban added that he was deeply concerned about terrorist attacks across the region. He reiterated that a comprehensive response was needed but one that fully respects human rights and international humanitarian law.
Later in the morning, the Secretary-General also held separate meetings with Prime Minister Paul Kaba Thieba and Salif Diallo, President of the National Parliament of Burkina Faso.
In his meeting with the Prime Minister, which also included other members of the Cabinet, they discussed efforts to consolidate democracy and promote sustainable development. The Secretary-General commended the Government’s efforts to meet sustainable development goals, and its particular focus on youth employment. The Secretary-General reiterated the commitment of the United Nations in support of Burkina Faso’s efforts to consolidate stability, advance democratic governance, and promote development.
A short while later, in his meeting with the President of the National Assembly, they discussed efforts to advance democratic governance in Burkina Faso, including through continued dialogue among political parties and with civil society.
The Secretary-General then visited a centre for malnourished children at the Schiphra Faso hospital. The Centre, which is supported by United Nations agencies, receives acutely malnourished children from Ouagadougou and neighbouring towns and villages. It has a capacity for treating 36 inpatient children.
The Secretary-General told reporters that he was very impressed by what he had seen and thanked the staff for their dedicated work.
He also noted that the Government had helped to reduce malnutrition under the framework of the United Nations Scaling Up Nutrition initiative. In fact, the number of acutely malnourished children benefiting has tripled from 40,000 in 2011 to 120,000 last year. Thousands of lives are saved each year which prevents terrible human suffering and it helps secure the future of this great country, he added.
The Secretary-General then hosted a lunch for the leaders of the United Nations country team before visiting another field project: the paediatric HIV Support Unit of Saint Camille Health Centre.
Speaking to the media, the Secretary-General said that he had been moved by the work done at the Centre. He expressed his gratitude to the Government of Burkina Faso for its full engagement in the fight against AIDS at the national level. He added that while progress had been made, there was still a lot to be done since, at the current rate, Burkina Faso would not meet the objectives set for the next five years.
He also noted that although homosexuality may be a taboo subject for some, it is also an issue of public health. “No one should have to hide because of who they are or who they love — especially if that puts them at risk. Let us advance with compassion and care,” he added.
The Secretary-General left Ouagadougou later in the afternoon for Nouakchott in Mauritania.