UN chief urges world leaders to answer demands of their people for dignity, development

25 Sept.2013: Declaring that “leadership makes the difference,” United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday, urged heads of State and Government gathered in New York to “hear the call of history” and, through hard work, commitment and integrity, answer the just demands of their people for human dignity and sustainable development. “We come together not to preserve the status quo, but to drive our world forward,” said Ban, delivering his annual report on the work of the Organization and challenging Member States to take bold steps and work together to tackle a host of concerns – from agreeing on a new climate change regime and bringing parties in Syria to the negotiating table to end nearly three years of bloodshed. With our fates ever more entwined, our future must be one of ever deeper cooperation, he said. The rights of women and girls must be at the heart of all such efforts, he continued, calling for the 21st century to be the century of women.
Ban noted that the pressures on the planet are rising. Young people are without jobs; the world's climate is warming; and scattered conflicts remained unresolved. Let us find new ways of governing, partnering and problem-solving, he added.
We must listen to the demands of the world's peoples and heed the call of history. We speak often of hope. Our duty is to turn hope into action, through hard work, commitment, skill and integrity. With passion, but most of all compassion, we can build the future the people want and that our world needs,” said the UN chief.
Source: Sedoc