Activities of the Secretary-General in Washington, D.C., 13-14 November

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in Washington, D.C., from New York early on Tuesday afternoon, 13 November.

On Tuesday evening, at the Washington National Cathedral, the Secretary-General spoke at the ceremony in which the 2018 Templeton Prize was awarded to King Abdullah of Jordan.  (See Press Release SG/SM/19343.)

The Secretary-General said that King Abdullah’s promotion of peace within Islam, and between Muslims and people of other beliefs, has contributed to global peace and progress in many ways in our world.

He added that King Abdullah calls on us to do far more than tolerate each other; his message is one of respect, solidarity and love.  The Secretary-General expressed his hope that the Templeton award will help to spread that message of respect, solidarity, and love even more widely.

The Secretary-General also met separately with King Abdullah, with whom he discussed the situation in the Middle East, including the importance of maintaining support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

While in Washington, the Secretary-General also met with United Nations agency officials and staff based there.

The Secretary-General departed Washington for New York on Wednesday morning, 14 November.