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7836th Security Council Meeting: Tribute to Secretary-General
Honouring the eighth United Nations Secretary-General as he prepared to step down on 31 December after a decade at the head of the world body, the Security Council in a special tribute meeting praised Ban Ki-Moon this morning for his dedicated work on behalf of serving “We the people” above any other consideration.
Unanimously adopting resolution 2324 (2016) by acclamation amid applause, the Council paid tribute to the Secretary-General’s exceptional efforts to solve international problems in economic, social, environmental and cultural fields, as well as his endeavours to meet humanitarian needs and to promote and encourage respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all.
Recognizing the Secretary-General’s efforts to initiate reforms and the many proposals that he had made on the restructuring and strengthening of the role and functioning of the United Nations system, the Council also acknowledged his sustained efforts towards finding just and lasting solutions to various disputes and conflicts around the globe.
In his farewell statement to the Council, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon thanked the Security Council, saying that, during his tenure the Council’s innovative thinking had resulted in over a dozen peacekeeping and special political missions incorporating “novel approaches” to respond to complex situations. Some of those successes included the “path to stability” found in Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia.
However, he said his deepest regret on leaving office regarded “the continuing nightmare in Syria”. The Council was strongest when it was united. That unity had been demonstrated in the establishment of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism for the destruction of chemical weapons in Syria. However, when there was a lack of unity, such as in the case of South Sudan, results could be catastrophic, he stressed, pleading with Security Council members to cooperate and fulfil their collective responsibility to protect Syrian civilians.
Expressing the Council’s appreciation, its President for December, Román Oyarzun Marchesi (Spain), highlighted two remarkable successes of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, namely the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The Human Rights Council had been created under his leadership, another illustration of his embrace of the cause of human rights. Underscoring that today’s world was very different from that of ten years ago, he stated, “as Secretary-General, you have succeeded in ensuring that the Organization took advantage of the technological advances and prepared itself to meet the challenges of continued globalization, technological change and emerging new threats.”
The meeting began at 11:04 a.m. and ended at 11:18 a.m.
Summary of Council Tribute
ROMÁN OYARZUN MARCHESI (Spain), President of the Security Council for December, expressed on behalf of the Council its profound gratitude for the continuous support UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had provided in the discharge of the 15‑nation organ’s primary duty: the maintenance of international peace and security. He lauded the perseverance, devotion and flexibility which the Secretary-General had shown, as well as his unrelenting determination to serve “We the people” above any other consideration.
He went on to highlight two remarkable successes, namely the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, both stemming from the Secretary-General’s diplomatic acumen. Mr. Ban had also embraced the cause of human rights. Under his leadership, the Human Rights Council and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) had been established, along with the appointment of the first Special Envoy on Youth.
Mr. Ban had not only worked tirelessly to ensure that humanitarian aid reached those who needed it most, but had been at the forefront of placing the issue of refugees and migrants at the heart of the international community’s concerns, he continued. As well, under the Secretary-General’s leadership, the United Nations had undertaken multiple reforms, including the three reviews carried out in 2015 on peace operations, peacebuilding architecture and on the women, peace and security agenda. In addition, his determination in launching the zero tolerance policy with respect to sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers was much appreciated.
“As Secretary-General, you have succeeded in ensuring that the Organization took advantage of the technological advances and prepared itself to meet the challenges of continued globalization, technological change and emerging new threats,” he said, underscoring that today’s world was very different from that of ten years ago. Quoting Miguel de Cervantes, he added: “Good deeds never lack a reward.”
