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STORY: ECOSOC / INAUGURATION
TRT: 2.13
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 22 APRIL 2013, NEW YORK / FILE
FILE – RECENT – UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS
1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters
22 APRIL 2013, NEW YORK
2. Pan right, view of ECOSOC Chamber with delegates
3. Cutaway, audience at meeting
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Back in 1952 when the UN moved into this Headquarters, Secretary-General Trigve Lie told delegates to make the most of the building to deal with ‘the immense difficulties that confront you – political, social and economic.’ Of course the difficulties remain immense today. New challenges have emerged that we never could have imagined more than a half-century ago.”
5. Cutaway, delegates listening
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“I am encouraged that your first meeting in this renovated chamber is with UNCTAD, the World Trade Organization and the Bretton Woods Institutions. I deeply value this collaboration. I have just returned from a two-day trip to Washington, DC for the World Bank’s Spring Session. Our global partnership can advance progress on poverty, disease, environmental degradation – and the many other problems on ECOSOC’s agenda.”
7. Cutaway, delegates listening
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“This carries on the great tradition of Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld, who firmly believed that economic and social concerns were as important, if not more important, than political issues. He said “While the Security Council exists primarily for settling conflicts which have arisen, the Economic and Social Council exists primarily to eliminate the causes of conflicts.”
9. Cutaway, audience applauds
10. Wide shot, ribbon cutting
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today (22 April) re-opened the renovated ECOSOC chamber at headquarters, opening at the same time the first meeting hosted by the chamber, a meeting between the World Trade Organization (WTO), UNCTAD, and the Bretton Wood institutions on financing for development.
Ban recalled that back in 1952, when the United Nations had just moved into its headquarters in New York, then Secretary-General Trigve Lie had asked delegates to make the most of the new site to deal with “the immense difficulties that confront you – political, social and economic.” Ban added: “Of course the difficulties remain immense today. New challenges have emerged that we never could have imagined more than a half-century ago.”
Ban, who has just returned from a trip to Washington where he met with World Bank leader Jim Yong Kim last Friday (19 April), also told delegates that he was encouraged that the first meeting in the renovated ECOSOC chamber was with the WTO, UNCTAD, and the Bretton Woods Institutions.
Regarding his trip and talks with the World Bank, Ban said that “our global partnership can advance progress on poverty, disease, environmental degradation – and the many other problems on ECOSOC’s agenda.”
The Secretary-Geenral ended his statement with a quote from former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld: “While the Security Council exists primarily for settling conflicts which have arisen, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) exists primarily to eliminate the causes of conflicts.”
The Economic and Social Council, under the overall authority of the General Assembly, coordinates the economic and social work of the UN and its family of organizations. As the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues and for formulating policy recommendations, the Council plays a key role in fostering international cooperation for development. It also consults with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), thereby maintaining a vital link between the United Nations and civil society.
