Activities of Secretary-General in United Kingdom, 16-17 November

United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres travelled from Bonn, Germany, to London, United Kingdom, on Thursday, 16 November, to give a lecture at the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London.

Upon arrival, the Secretary-General met with Boris Johnson, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom, as well as with Penny Mordaunt, the new Secretary of State for International Development.

He also spoke to the BBC on Global, before going to the School of Oriental and African Studies to deliver a lecture on "Counter‑terrorism and human rights: winning the fight while upholding our values".

He stressed that we must not allow terrorism to challenge the fundamental principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter, national constitutions and international law.  The power of human rights to bond is stronger than the power of terrorism to divide, he added.  (See Press Release SG/SM/18787.)

The Secretary‑General flew back to New York on Friday morning, 17 November.