UN / BAN KI-MOON

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon drops by the daily UN press briefing to "share his personal sadness" at the death of US Senator Edward Kennedy, and reacts to the leaked criticism by a Norwegian diplomat ahead of his upcoming trip to Norway and the North Pole. UNTV

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:02
• Production Date: 26 August 2009
• Asset Language: Original
• Subject Topical: INTERNATIONAL CIVIL SERVICE
• Geographic Subject: UNITED STATES
• MAMS Id: U090826f

Description

STORY: UN / BAN KI-MOON
TRT: 2.02
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 26 AUGUST 2009, NEW YORK CITY

Shotlist

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior UN building

3 NOVEMBER 2008, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon walking to podium
3. Med shot, reporters
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General:
“As a person, as a Senator, as a public servant, he will be long remembered in the minds, in the hearts of many people, particularly those people, vulnerable people, and those people whose human rights have been abused. He had been working tirelessly for the promotion and protection of human rights. He has been the voice of voiceless people and defender of many defenseless people.”
5. Med shot, journalists
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General:
“I was very much grateful to him and for his thoughtfulness of bringing all of these historical picture and text together with his own congratulations on my election. Then January, early January, first person whom I paid a visit was he.”
7. Over the shoulder shot, Ban with reporters in background
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General:
“I appreciated his press conference and his telephone call and as a matter of principle I welcome all these criticisms. Criticisms when they are constructive help me improve my work, my performance. I am very glad I will continue to work very closely, not only with member states, with media, journalists. You have the right to say what you believe and what you have seen in my job as a Secretary-General.”
9. Med shot, the Secretary-General exiting the room

Storyline

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today (26 August) paid tribute to Edward Kennedy, the United States senator who passed away yesterday at the age of 77 after battling brain cancer, lauding his support for the United Nations and his efforts to defend the rights of some of the world’s most vulnerable people.

Speaking to reporters at UN Headquarters, Ban said that Kennedy will be long remembered, particularly by “vulnerable people and those people whose human rights have been abused” as he has been “the voice of voiceless people and defender of many defenseless people.”

The Secretary-General recalled his personal memories of the US legislator and said that he was “very much grateful to him and for his thoughtfulness” after Kennedy gave him a gift consisting of a framed photograph of a young Ban Ki-moon visiting then President John Fitzgerald Kennedy at the White House in 1962, as well as the text of the President’s speech for that occasion.

Responding to a reporter’s question, Ban, who will be traveling to Austria and Norway as well as to the North Pole in the coming days, commented on the recently leaked internal memo by a Norwegian diplomat criticizing his performance. The Secretary-General said that he appreciated a press conference and a private phone call from Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere apologizing for the matter and said that “as a matter of principle” he welcomed constructive criticism, “not only with member states” but from the media as well.