[Mr. President,] Excellencies, [Ladies and Gentlemen] It is an honour to join you [at this important event]. I [am pleased] to share the United Nations Secretary-General’s message to mark this International Day to Combat Islamophobia: As Muslims around the world come together to mark the holy month of Ramadan, many do so in fear – fear of discrimination, exclusion, and even violence. We are witnessing a disturbing rise in anti-Muslim bigotry:                                              From racial profiling and discriminatory policies that violate human rights and dignity, to outright violence against individuals and places of worship. This is part of a wider scourge of intolerance, extremist ideologies, and attacks against religious groups and vulnerable populations. When one group is attacked, the rights and freedoms of all are at risk. As a global community, we must reject and eradicate bigotry. Governments must foster social cohesion and protect religious freedom.  Online platforms must curb hate speech and harassment. And we must all speak out against bigotry, xenophobia, and discrimination. On this International Day to Combat Islamophobia, let us work together to uphold equality, human rights and dignity, and build inclusive societies where everyone, regardless of their faith, can live in peace and harmony. Thank you.

Our world is facing challenges on every front. Since the United Nations reflects that world in all its aspects, we feel it in all our work. These are times of intense uncertainty and unpredictability.  And yet certain truths have [never] been more clear:  The United Nations has never been more needed.  Our values have never been more relevant.  And the needs have never been greater. At the same time, we know the more the UN does together to address big challenges around the world, the less the burden on individual countries to do it alone. The United Nations stands out as the essential one-of-a-kind meeting ground to advance peace, sustainable development and human rights. But resources are shrinking across the board – and they have been for a long time.  For example, for at least the past seven years, the United Nations has faced a liquidity crisis because not all Member States pay in full, and many also do not pay on time. From day one of my mandate, we embarked on an ambitious reform agenda to strengthen how we work and deliver. To be more effective and cost-effective.  To simplify procedures and decentralize decisions.  To enhance transparency and accountability.  To shift capacities to areas such as data and digital. And, significantly, the Pact for the Future and UN 2.0 are exactly about updating the UN for the 21st century.  These efforts are not ends in themselves.  They are about better serving people whose very lives depend on us.    They are about hardworking taxpayers around the world who underwrite everything we do.  And they are about ensuring the right conditions for everyone serving under the UN flag as they undertake their critical work.  For all these reasons, it is essential that an organizational system as complex and crucial as the United Nations – subjects itself to rigorous and regular scrutiny to assess its fitness for purpose in carrying out its goals efficiently. And this 80th anniversary year of the United Nations is a prime moment to expand all our efforts, recognizing the need for even greater urgency and ambition.  That is why I have informed yesterday UN Member States that I am officially launching what we call the UN80 Initiative. I have appointed a dedicated internal Task Force led by Under-Secretary-General Guy Ryder – and composed of principals representing the entire UN system. The objective will be to present to Member States proposals in three areas:  First, rapidly identifying efficiencies and improvements in the way we work.   Second, thoroughly reviewing the implementation of all mandates given to us by Member States, which have significantly increased in recent years.    Third, a strategic review of deeper, more structural changes and programme realignment in the UN System. Under the leadership of the President of the General Assembly, I will consult closely and regularly with all Member States on the progress made, seeking guidance on the way forward and presenting concrete decisions for discussion and decision-making when appropriate. My objective is to move as soon as possible in areas where I have the authority – and to urge Member States to consider the many decisions that rest with them.  This goes far beyond the technical.  Budgets at the United Nations are not just numbers on a balance sheet – they are a matter of life and death for millions around the world.  We must ensure value for money while advancing shared values.  The need is great and the goal is clear:  an even stronger and more effective United Nations that delivers for people and is tuned to the 21st century. And I thank you.  *** Q: Secretary-General, on Ukraine – Ukraine has agreed in principle to the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire.  What’s your message to Russia at this time? And can we also get your reaction to the growing global trade war? SG: First of all, in relation to the ceasefire, we of course will welcome a ceasefire in Ukraine.  Too many people have died. A ceasefire is indeed a positive thing, and we hope that it will materialize. And we hope that it will pave the way for peace, a just peace. And you know what are the parameters that we consider relevant for a just peace: the Charter, international law and the resolutions of the General Assembly. Q: And on the trade war? SG: I think we live in a global economy.  Everything is interlinked. And obviously, one of the great advantages of having a situation of free trade is to create the conditions for all countries to benefit. When we enter into a trade war, I believe all will lose. Q: Secretary-General, good morning. Is this UN80 initiative a UN version of DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency we are seeing in Washington?  Do you anticipate significant UN staff cuts? SG: First of all, nothing to do with that kind of initiative. We are talking about completely different processes, methodologies and objectives. This is a continuation and an intensification of work that we have always been doing.  I’ll give you just an example:  We have been investing in Nairobi, creating the conditions for Nairobi to receive services that are now in more expensive locations. And UNICEF will be transferring soon some of the functions to Nairobi. And UNFPA will be essentially moving to Nairobi.  And I can give you many other examples of things that are being done and correspond to the idea that we must be effective and cost-effective. Now, the recent cuts that were made in relation to humanitarian aid and development cooperation – and not only by the United States, there were other cuts by other countries, even if in a smaller dimension – naturally have led to the need by the agencies that deliver those services to reduce staff, to shrink their dimension and to eliminate many activities. But again, this is not a problem for the United Nations. I mean, agencies are resilient and so, when necessary, they adjust to the circumstances. And indeed, thousands of staff have been laid off by several agencies. But the problem is not for the UN; the UN is resilient. The UN can adapt itself to the circumstances. The problem is for the people – I mean, if more people will die with HIV/AIDS or malaria or with TB. If [the cutoff of] humanitarian aid to fragile communities will make their life even more difficult and will have dramatic consequences, not only from a life-saving perspective but from the perspective of the most basic forms of well-being, that is something we cannot correct. We can adapt the UN, consolidate the UN, make the UN more effective and more cost-effective. What we cannot do is solve the problems of the people that we no longer are able to assist, for lack of resources. Q: Secretary-General, to quote you: The United Nations has faced a liquidity crisis because not all Member States pay in full and many do not also pay on time.  What is your message to these bad offenders against the United Nations? And you’re welcome to name and shame a few. SG: Pay in full and pay on time.  Thank you very much.  *****

When the doors of equal opportunity are open for women and girls, everyone wins. Equal societies are more prosperous and peaceful – and the foundation of sustainable development. On this International Women’s Day, we recognize thirty years of progress and achievement since the landmark United Nations conference in Beijing. This transformed the rights of women – and reaffirmed those rights as human rights. Since then, women and girls have shattered barriers, defied stereotypes, and demanded their rightful place. But we must be clear-eyed about the challenge. From pushback to rollback, women’s human rights are under attack. Age-old horrors – violence, discrimination and economic inequality – still plague societies. And newer threats such as biased algorithms are programming inequalities into online spaces, opening-up new arenas of harassment and abuse.   Instead of mainstreaming equal rights, we’re seeing the mainstreaming of misogyny. We must fight these outrages. And keep working to level the playing field for women and girls. We need action to unlock finance so countries can invest in equality – and to prioritize those investments. Action to open-up equal opportunities for decent work, close the gender pay gap, and tackle challenges around care work. Action to strengthen and implement laws to end all forms of violence against women and girls. Action to secure women’s full participation in decision-making, including in peacebuilding. And action to remove the obstacles to women and girls in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.  The United Nations Pact for the Future, and the Global Digital Compact offer blueprints to guide these actions. When women and girls can rise, we all thrive. Together, let’s stand firm in making rights, equality and empowerment a reality for all women and girls, for everyone, everywhere.

If you had to guess the leading cause of death for children and young people globally, what would you say? Malaria? Pneumonia? Suicide? They’re all up there, but no, it’s road crashes. Cars have been around for over 120 years, and we know how to prevent these tragedies. Yet road crashes still claim more than two lives every minute, and nearly 1.2 million lives every year. If these deaths were caused by a virus, it would be called a pandemic and the world would scramble to develop vaccines to prevent them. And yet reducing road deaths has long been overlooked, misunderstood and underfunded. People will always make mistakes on the roads, but we have proven solutions that ensure our transport systems can absorb these errors in a way that significantly reduces the risk of death. As part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, the world has set an ambitious target of halving road deaths worldwide by 2030. Just ten countries - including some hard-hit low and middle-income countries – managed to reduce road deaths by more than 50% in a decade, and more than 30 countries are close behind.  This shows that the target can be met but it is nowhere near enough. We need urgent action. Key to meeting this goal is the decision to design and build our transport systems for people - not for motor vehicles - and to make safety paramount in all decisions and actions. This is especially important for the most vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcycle riders, who are often left dangerously exposed. Advancing road safety is crucial in itself, but it is also key to sustainable development overall. The world is going through an unprecedented wave of motorization. More than a billion vehicles are on the roads. This is unsustainable, so we must focus on moving people, not cars, motorbikes and trucks. Transport accounts for one quarter of global carbon emissions, and fuels congestion in our cities. Yet when mobility is made safe and accessible, people choose the greener options of public transport, walking and cycling.Designing cities around sustainable transport - with cycling lanes, pedestrian zones, and accessible public transport - also strengthens communities by making spaces safer and more livable, while improving access to adequate housing and basic services for all.Safe roads power economies. Road deaths can cost countries around 3 to 5% of GDP, and ensuring more people can move safely to their jobs, schools and vital services drives development. Safe, accessible and affordable transport also breaks down barriers to jobs, schools and opportunities for disadvantaged groups. This helps ensure everyone can reach their potential.The same holds true for gender equality, and in some countries up to 80% of women report suffering harassment on public transport, so we must make transport safe for women and girls.Road safety is everyone’s business and to succeed we need a range of sectors to be involved. Urban planners and engineers must ensure safety is built into infrastructure. Academia and civil society can generate evidence. The media can dig deeper into what works, what doesn’t and why. The private sector has tremendous influence. Businesses can contribute to safe and sustainable mobility by applying proven principles and practices throughout their value chains. They must only sell vehicles that meet United Nations safety standards.Yet the role of government is paramount. Governments must provide strategic and well-coordinated approaches, strong policy and legal frameworks that enforce safety standards and safe behaviors, and sufficient funding. Law enforcement and education are also key. This vision is right at the heart of the Global Plan for the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, which offers a blueprint for governments to reduce road deaths.This week, world leaders will meet for a Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Morocco. They will assess progress, share knowledge, and advance actions to halve road deaths by 2030.They are set to adopt a new Marrakech Declaration, which recognizes road safety as an urgent public health and development priority, and that our efforts must be guided by the principles of equity, accessibility, and sustainability. The Declaration calls on leaders to step up efforts to action the Global Plan for the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety. We need a step change in political will, a sense of urgency, evidenced-based, strategies that are costed and implemented, strong coordination and adequate financing.Road safety is a crisis that has gone on far too long. No road deaths are necessary or acceptable. Yet it is also much more than that. Safe and sustainable mobility can power a better future for us all.   Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHOJean Todt, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road SafetyAchim Steiner, Administrator of UNDPRabab Fatima, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing StatesInger Andersen, UN Under-Secretary-General & Executive Director of UNEPAnaclaudia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-HabitatFilippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)Jorge Moreira da Silva, Executive Director of UNOPSTatiana Molcean, UN Under-Secretary-General/Executive Secretary of UNECEArmida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of UNESCAPClaver Gatete, Executive Secretary of UNECARola Dashti, Executive Secretary of ESCWAJosé Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, Executive Secretary of UNECLACGilles Michaud, Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security (UNDSS)Felipe Paullier, Assistant Secretary-General for Youth AffairsLi Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).