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STORY: UN / BAN KI-MOON
TRT: 2.47
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 19 DECEMBER 2012, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters
19 DECEMBER 2012, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, dais,
3. Wide shot, audience
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General:
"A tumultuous year is coming to a close. 2012 saw tension from Syria to the Sahel, and from Eastern Congo to the Middle East. Turmoil tested us, once again, on our founding obligation: to stop conflict and build peace.”
5. Med shot, reporters
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General:
"The killings of health workers in Pakistan were cruel, senseless and inexcusable acts that I condemn in the strongest terms. Those killed were among thousands across Pakistan, especially women, who are working selflessly to achieve the historic goal of polio eradication. I call on the all concerned to do their utmost to create the secure environment needed to provide life-saving health services to Pakistan’s children.”
7. Med shot, dais
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General:
"The exodus has reached more than 500,000 people. It will grow in number as fighting rages and in intensity as winter takes hold. Neighbouring countries face a huge financial burden in sheltering and caring for them. The increasing peril faced by Palestinian refugees in Syria is another growing concern.”
9. Wide shot, audience
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General:
"I am deeply concerned by heightened settlement activity in the West Bank, in particular around Jerusalem. This gravely threatens efforts to establish a viable Palestinian state. I call on Israel to refrain from continuing on this dangerous path, which will undermine the prospects of a resumption of dialogue and a peaceful future for Palestinians and Israelis alike.”
11. Wide shot, audience
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General:
"When the time comes, when appropriate conditions is created, I am ready to visit myself Pyongyang to discuss with the leaders of DPRK on all the issues; to help facilitate, first of all, dialogue and exchanges in cooperation between the two parties of Korea. And I will do whatever I can.”
13. Wide shot, end of conference
Looking back at what he described at a “tumultuous” period, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today (19 December) opened his end-of-year news conference saying that the world body had been repeatedly tested in 2012 in its efforts “to stop conflict and build peace.”
Ban said the killings over the past days of health workers distributing polio vaccines in Pakistan were “cruel, senseless and inexcusable acts”, which he condemned in the strongest terms, in addition to calling on all concerned to do their utmost to create “a secure environment to provide life-saving health services to Pakistan’s children.”
On the issue of Syria – where at least 20,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began some 21 months ago, Ban expressed his deep concern over the increasing militarization of the conflict and the potential for atrocities being committed along sectarian lines.
He noted that the conflict has displaced more than 500,000 people, and the exodus “will grow in number as fighting rages and in intensity as winter takes hold.”
The UN chief noted that he is considering convening an international donor conference, in close coordination with key partners, early next year.
On the Middle East peace process, the Secretary-General stated that the two sides – Israelis and Palestinians – seemed more polarized than ever, and a two-State solution farther away than at any time since the Oslo process on the matter began in 1993.
He said he was “deeply concerned by heightened settlement activity in the West Bank, in particular around Jerusalem” which “gravely threatens efforts to establish a viable Palestinian state.”
He called on Israel “to refrain from continuing on this dangerous path, which will undermine the prospects a resumption of dialogue and a peaceful future for Palestinians and Israelis alike.”
Referring to a recent rocket launch by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Secretary-General observed that the act had raised regional concerns and defied the international community, and that he looked forward to the outcome of Security Council consultations on an appropriate response.
He said "when the time comes” and “appropriate conditions” are created, he was ready to visit the DPRK’s capital Pyongyang “to discuss with the leaders of DPRK on all the issues; to help facilitate, first of all, dialogue and exchanges in cooperation between the two parties of Korea.”
The Secretary-General also made note of the political transitions taking hold in Libya, Myanmar, Somalia and Yemen, as well as the successful holding of elections in Sierra Leone last month and the impending end of the UN peacekeeping mandate in Timor-Leste at the close of 2012.
He described the closure of the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) as a measure of the south-east Asian nation’s progress on the path from fragility to stability.
He made particular mention of the situation in Mali, which he described as urgent and noted that the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remains the scene of instability, including sexual violence committed by combatants on all sides.
