秘書英語演講稿(9篇)

第1篇 聯(lián)合國秘書長2022年國際婦女節(jié)電視英語演講稿

the fight for women’s rights is central to the un’s global mission.

為婦女權(quán)利的斗爭是聯(lián)合國的全球使命的中心。

fifteen years ago, in beijing, governments committed themselves to equality, development and peace for all women, in all countries. the beijing declaration was a landmark on the road to women’s empowerment. it has guided policy making.it has inspired women and girls to strive for equality and opportunity, and reminded everyone that this is their right.

2022年前在北京，各國政府承諾為造福世界各地所有婦女而推進(jìn)平等、發(fā)展與和平。《北京宣言》是賦予婦女權(quán)利進(jìn)程中的一個(gè)里程碑。它為制定政策提供了指南，它鼓舞著婦女和女童爭取平等和機(jī)會(huì)，并提醒大家，這是她們的權(quán)利。

we have seen progress. girls are now more likely to receive an education. women are now more likely to run businesses or participate in government. but much work remains. death in childbirth is still too common. too few women have access to family planning. violence against women remains a cause of global shame, and se_ual violence in war is endemic. i have just appointed a special representative to mobilize international action to address these crimes. at the united nations itself, we have more women in senior posts than at any time in history.

我們已經(jīng)看到進(jìn)展，現(xiàn)在，多數(shù)女孩可以接受教育，更多的婦女更有可能經(jīng)營生意或擔(dān)任公職。盡管如此，仍有大量工作要做。孕婦死亡率仍然高居不下，令人無法接受;可獲得計(jì)劃生育服務(wù)的婦女仍然寥寥無幾;暴力侵害婦女行為仍遍及全球，令人蒙羞。尤其是，沖突期間的性暴力行為非常普遍。我剛剛?cè)蚊晃惶貏e代表，負(fù)責(zé)動(dòng)員國際社會(huì)打擊這些犯罪行為。在聯(lián)合國擔(dān)任高級崗位的女性達(dá)到歷史最高水平。

securing women’s rights is central to all our hopes for peace, security and sustainable development. as we look back on 15 years of achievement, let us look forward to a world of equality and progress for all.

保障婦女的權(quán)利是至關(guān)重要的，是所有促進(jìn)和平，安全和可持續(xù)發(fā)展的希望。讓我們認(rèn)真審視過去2022年所取得的成就，讓我們期待一個(gè)人利平等、機(jī)會(huì)均等并共享進(jìn)步的美好未來!

第2篇 聯(lián)合國秘書長潘基文2022年索契冬奧會(huì)開幕式英語演講稿

dobriy viecher sochi!

i am ban ki-moon, secretary-general of the united nations.

my warmest greetings to ioc president honorable thomas bach and all those gathered for the22nd winter olympic games!

the olympics and paralympics bring out the best in athletic achievement.

the olympic flame also illuminates hope for our common humanity.

even in the cold winter weather, barriers between people melt away.

the olympic spirit prevails: fair play. mutual respect. friendly competition.

let us take that spirit and spread it around the world.

for peace – and a truce between all warring parties around the world. for human rights and anend to discrimination. for a life of dignity for all.

together, let us celebrate sports and solidarity.

spasiba. thank you.

第3篇 國際電聯(lián)秘書長圖埃博士在2022年世界電信大會(huì)英語演講稿

it is a great pleasure to be with you here in dubai today. let me offer my sincere thanks andappreciation to the united arab emirates for all its efforts in the e_cellent organization andfacilities for this conference. i would like to e_press my thanks to the local authorities of dubaifor their very kind hospitality.

ladies and gentlemen,

i think we are all well aware of the importance of this si_th wtdc, and i am encouraged to seesuch a high level of participation.

what we decide and define here over the ne_t two weeks will shape not just the future of ictdevelopment over the ne_t four years, but the future shape of the very world we live in.

in today’s fast-moving ict sector, four years is a very long time. to see how long that really is,let’s look back to 2022, when we last held the wtdc, in hyderabad, india.

since then the ict landscape has changed in e_traordinary and une_pected ways.

we have seen the number of fi_ed-line subscriptions continue to fall, and there are now around82 million fewer fi_ed-line subscriptions than there were at the beginning of 2022.

this fall in fi_ed lines has been massively more than compensated for by mobile growth over thesame period – with net additions of almost 2.2 billion mobile cellular subscriptions since thebeginning of 2022.

and the great news for this conference is that almost all of this growth has been in thedeveloping world, which accounted for 90% of the net additions – very close to two billion newmobile cellular subscriptions have been added in the past four years.

the same pattern is true of the growth in internet users, where 817 million of the one billionnew internet users over the past four years have come from the developing world.

we have also seen social media continue to skyrocket. when we met in hyderabad, four yearsago, there were around 30 million users of twitter, and 400 million users of facebook. todayhundreds of millions of tweets are sent every day, and facebook has over 1.2 billion users.

does that mean our job is finished?

of course not!

and that’s why we’re all here.

while over three quarters of people in the developed world now have access to the internet,more than two thirds of people in the developing world still do not.

in the developed world, fi_ed and mobile broadband penetration rates at the beginning of 2022stood at 27.2% and 74.8% respectively. in the developing world, they stood at 6.1% and19.8%.

distinguished delegates,

these are powerful numbers, but they also demonstrate the e_traordinary opportunities thatlie ahead.

icts – and in particular broadband networks – offer perhaps the greatest opportunity wehave ever had to make rapid and profound advances in global social and economicdevelopment.

this is of tremendous and timely importance, as we approach the cusp between the mdgsne_t year, and the beginning of the post-2022 development process.

and this of course is why ‘broadband for sustainable development’ has been chosen as thetheme for wtdc this year.

like you, i am convinced that by e_tending access to broadband, countries will quicklyaccelerate sustainable social and economic progress.

by delivering efficiencies across so many areas – from education and healthcare totransportation, water and energy – broadband networks can quickly pay for themselves,creating a virtuous circle of investment, productivity and human development.

to help world leaders see the ways that broadband can accelerate the achievement of themdgs, itu and unesco launched the broadband commission for digital development in 2022,just a few weeks before we last met, in hyderabad.

in this conte_t, and in the conte_t of this conference, it is especially gratifying to seebroadband access growing so rapidly in the developing world – with penetration in thedeveloping world in terms of mobile broadband growing an incredible 50% between thebeginning of 2022 and the beginning of 2022.

ladies and gentlemen,

i am an optimist, and i have tremendous faith that the public and private sectors will worktogether to invest in, and to roll-out, the necessary infrastructure.

they did this so well in the creation of mobile cellular networks in the developing world, and ie_pect to see the pattern continued for broadband.

i am also convinced that in partnership, they will also help create the necessary services thatpeople need, and that we will quickly see enriched content developed and created that will startoff a virtuous circle in stimulating demand.

as this happens, we will rapidly see broadband reach the remotest corners of our planet.

we must make sure that we do not just bring broadband to the people, but that we do soresponsibly. that we preserve cyberpeace and deliver cybersecurity in a world that is alwaysconnected, and always online.

distinguished delegates,

the output from this conference will be fed into the itu strategic plan which will be endorsedby the itu’s plenipotentiary conference in korea in october.

and i hope that many of you will be there to help shape our future as an organization – and tomake sure we adopt a sound strategic and financial plan for the ne_t four years.

so over the ne_t two weeks, let’s dream big!

let’s think about how technological advances might shape the future;

let’s think about what can be done with massive increases in computational power and ever-cheaper memory;

let’s think about what can we do with the cloud, to make the world a better place;

and let’s think about how can we put ever-smarter, ever-more affordable smartphones to useacross the developing world.

let’s be bold!

let’s work together to develop the programmes and projects that will ensure icts really dodeliver a better quality of life – for all the world’s people!

thank you.

第4篇 聯(lián)合國秘書長世界難民日英語演講稿

on this observance of world refugee day, we must note a troubling trend: the decline in the number of refugees who are able to go home.

在紀(jì)念世界難民日之際，我們必須注意到一個(gè)令人不安的趨勢：能夠返回家園的難民人數(shù)在下降。

in __, more than a million people returned to their own country on a voluntary basis. last year, only 250,000 did so - the lowest number in two decades. the reasons for this include prolonged instability in afghanistan, the democratic republic of congo and southern sudan.

__年，一百多萬人自愿返回了自己的國家。去年，只有25萬人這樣做，這是二十年來的最低數(shù)字。出現(xiàn)這種現(xiàn)象的原因包括阿富汗、剛果民 主共和國和蘇丹南部的長期動(dòng)蕩。

the theme of this year's observance -- “home” -- highlights the plight of the world's 15 million refugees, more than three-quarters of them in the developing world, who have been uprooted from their homes by conflict or persecution.

今年紀(jì)念活動(dòng)的主題——“家園”——突顯了全世界由于沖突或迫害而離鄉(xiāng)背井的1500萬難民的困境，其中四分之三以上在發(fā)展中國家。

for many refugees today, rapid urbanization means that home is not a crowded camp run by an international humanitarian organization, but a makeshift shelter in a shantytown, outside a city in the developing world.

今天，對許多難民而言，快速城市化意味著家園不是一個(gè)由國際人道主義組織管理的擁擠的營地，而是位于發(fā)展中世界某個(gè)城市外圍某個(gè)棚戶區(qū)的某 個(gè)臨時(shí)收容所。

as these cities continue to e_perience spectacular growth, refugees are among their most vulnerable residents. they must struggle for the most basic services: sanitation, health and education. the impact of the global financial and economic crisis only increases the threat of marginalization and destitution.

隨著這些城市繼續(xù)以驚人的速度增長，難民成為城市中最弱勢的居民群體之一。他們必須為獲得環(huán)境衛(wèi)生、健康和教育等最基本的服務(wù)而掙扎。全球 金融和經(jīng)濟(jì)危機(jī)的影響更加劇了邊緣化和赤貧的威脅。

we in the humanitarian community must adapt our policies to this changing profile of need. this means working closely with host governments to deliver services, and intensifying our efforts to resolve conflicts so that refugees can return home.

我們?nèi)说乐髁x界必須調(diào)整政策，以適應(yīng)不斷變化的需求。這意味著與東道國政府密切合作以交付服務(wù)，并增強(qiáng)努力，解決沖突，以便難民返回家園。

on world refugee day, let us reaffirm the importance of solidarity and burden-sharing by the international community. refugees have been deprived of their homes, but they must not be deprived of their futures.

在世界難民日之際，讓我們重申國際社會(huì)必須團(tuán)結(jié)一致、分擔(dān)負(fù)擔(dān)。難民的家園已被剝奪，絕不能讓他們的未來也被剝奪。

第5篇 聯(lián)合國秘書長潘基文2022年世界難民日英語演講稿

the number of forcibly displaced people in the world continues to rise. there are now more than 45 million refugees and internally displaced people – the highest level in nearly 20 years. last year alone, someone was forced to abandon their home every four seconds.

世界上被強(qiáng)迫流離失所者的人數(shù)持續(xù)增加。目前有4 500多萬難民和境內(nèi)流離失所者——這是近20年來的最高數(shù)字。僅在去年，每四秒鐘就有一人被迫離開自己的家園。

war remains the dominant cause, with the crisis in syria a leading instance of major displacement. more than half of all refugees listed in a new report by the un high commissioner for refugees come from just five war-affected countries: afghanistan, somalia, iraq, syria and sudan. major new displacements have also been occurring in mali and the democratic republic of the congo.

戰(zhàn)爭仍是主要原因，而敘利亞危機(jī)是大規(guī)模流離失所的一個(gè)主要實(shí)例。僅五個(gè)受戰(zhàn)爭影響國家的難民就占了聯(lián)合國難民事務(wù)高級專員新的報(bào)告中所列全部難民的一半以上;這五個(gè)國家是：阿富汗、索馬里、伊拉克、敘利亞和蘇丹。大量新的流離失所現(xiàn)象也已在馬里和剛果民主共和國出現(xiàn)。

figures give only a glimpse of this enormous human tragedy. every day, conflict tears apart the lives of thousands of families. they may be forced to leave loved ones behind or become separated in the chaos of war. children suffer the most. nearly half of all refugees are below age 18, and a growing number are fleeing on their own.

數(shù)字只讓人們看到了這一巨大人類悲劇的一瞥。每一天，沖突撕裂了數(shù)千個(gè)家庭。他們可能被迫離開親人，也可能在戰(zhàn)爭的混亂局面中失散。兒童受苦最重。全部難民有近一半年齡不滿18歲，越來越多的孩子自己逃離。

forced displacement also has a significant economic, social and, at times, political impact on the communities that provide shelter. there is a growing and deep imbalance in the burden of hosting refugees, with poor countries taking in the vast majority of the world’s uprooted people. developing countries host 81 per cent of the world’s refugees, compared to 70 per cent a decade ago.

強(qiáng)迫流離失所還對收容社區(qū)產(chǎn)生了重大的經(jīng)濟(jì)和社會(huì)影響，有時(shí)還產(chǎn)生了重大的政治影響。在收容難民的負(fù)擔(dān)方面出現(xiàn)了日益嚴(yán)重的不平衡，窮國接收了世界上絕大多數(shù)流離失所者。發(fā)展中國家收容了世界難民中的81%，而十年前則為70%。

finding durable solutions for the displaced will require more solidarity and burden-sharing by the international community. on world refugee day, i call on the international community to intensify efforts to prevent and resolve conflicts, and to help achieve peace and security so that families can be reunited and refugees can return home.

要為流離失所者找到持久的解決辦法，就需要國際社會(huì)更加團(tuán)結(jié)一致，共同承受負(fù)擔(dān)。在世界難民日，我呼吁國際社會(huì)加緊努力，預(yù)防和解決沖突，幫助實(shí)現(xiàn)和平與安全，以便使家庭能夠團(tuán)聚，難民能夠返回家園。

第6篇 聯(lián)合國秘書長潘基文2022年世界反對死刑日英語演講稿

your e_cellency, mr. maurizio enrico luigi serra, permanent representative of italy to the united nations office in geneva;e_cellencies,distinguished human rights officials,ladies and gentlemen,

i thank the european union and the italian government for this commemoration of the worldday against the death penalty.

since the general assembly adopted its first resolution on a moratorium seven years ago,more states acknowledge that the death penalty undermines human dignity. it fails todeter crimes more than other punishments. abolition – or at least a moratorium – contributesto human rights.

the taking of life is too irreversible for one person to inflict on another.

we must continue arguing strongly that the death penalty is unjust and incompatible withfundamental human rights.

i urge leaders where the death penalty still is used to legally commute or pardon deathsentences – and to impose moratoriums on e_ecutions.

the death penalty has no place in the 21st century.

i call on states that have not yet done so to ratify the second optional protocol of theinternational covenant on civil and political rights aiming at abolition of the death penalty.

i hope to see many more ratifications during the protocol’s 25th anniversary this year.

the united nations will continue working to end this cruel punishment.

第7篇 聯(lián)合國秘書長潘基文在國際埃博拉恢復(fù)會(huì)議英語演講稿

thank you, helen clark, administrator of undp, for moderating this very important meeting.

i would like to thank the presidents of the affected african countries – the president of guinea,the president of liberia, and the president of sierra leone – and i would also like to thankpresident mugabe who is participating in his capacity as president of the african union.

and i would also like to thank dr. margaret chan, director general of the who for herleadership.

thank you all ministers and dignitaries who have taken such very valuable time to be with us,to be with the people of africa particularly affected by ebola.

i think we can overcome this one, and i think we are now overcoming it but we have to gountil the end, until we see the last patient cured and there will be no further cases.

i would also like to thank the world bank president, and the imf managing director and themany international and regional development banks, including the african development bankand the islamic development bank, and the european union.

it is a great honour to have you. thank you for accepting my invitation to participate and toshow your solidarity for the people affected by this ebola virus.

e_cellence, mesdames et messieurs,

merci de participer à cette conférence internationale sur le relèvement après l'ebola.

la tâche qui nous attend est immense: il s'agit de concrétiser nos promesses de solidaritéconcrete, tournés vers l'action.

je vous demande de vous joindre à moi pour apporter un soutien durable au_ populations despays touchés par l'ebola.

let me begin by thanking the many donors who have come together, along with governments,civil society organizations, national and international responders, development banks andfoundations, as part of a broad-based global coalition to support the nationally-led responseefforts.

i applaud the african union and its plan to convene an international conference on africa'sfight against ebola later this month in malabo.

i commend the african union for galvanizing african leaders, businesses and communities insolidarity with the affected countries. this regional unity has been essential to bringing theoutbreak under control – and will be critical to effective recovery. i commend the morethan 800 african volunteers who deployed through the au ebola support mechanism.

i also thank the countries that answered my call to send in logistical support, medical teams,crisis managers and aid for safe and dignified burials.

thousands of women and men from within and outside the countries put their lives on the lineto slow the advance of this disease.

thanks to these partners – and too many others to name – we have come a long way incontaining the outbreak.

the general assembly took decisive action, endorsing the un mission for ebola emergencyresponse – unmeer. i thank his e_cellency sam kutesa, president of the general assembly, forhis continued leadership in keeping the membership seized with this issue.

as unmeer prepares to close ne_t month, the un will maintain the dedicated high-levelleadership under who together with the un country teams, in its support to help the affectedcountries get to zero.

the strategy to end the outbreak is working – but the final stretch of the response remainsparticularly challenging.

cases in guinea and sierra leone have been reduced considerably. the response is being fine-tuned to focus on increasing engagement, awareness and contact tracing in the remainingaffected communities.

new cases in liberia show the need for continued vigilance given the regional risks. theliberian government's proactive actions also underscore how the response strategy haseffectively reinforced national capacities and knowledge to be activated for future outbreaks.

but the impacts of the ebola crisis have been far-reaching and much work is needed to supportthe countries.

the outbreak has eroded progress on peace and development. it has disrupted health andsocial services.

many major economic sectors have been affected: agriculture, mining, trade, tourism,transport, fisheries and livestock. the functioning of schools, hospitals and other publicinfrastructure has suffered.

all of these disruptions have had a negative impact on the economies of all three countries –which were, prior to the ebola outbreak, on a positive growth trajectory.

this negative impact – on economies, livelihoods and more importantly lives – demands thatthe global community continues to prioritize recovery from ebola even long after the crisissubsides. this will be essential to “stay at zero” in order to strengthen resilience towithstand future shocks.

your continued generosity will help the affected countries carry out their plans for recoveryover the ne_t two years.

our shared goal is to build back stronger, safer and more resilient capacities for preventionand response. that means access to health services everywhere – not just in capitals. it meanshealth services equipped to not only respond to e_traordinary outbreaks like ebola, but toaddress malaria, cholera and other common ailments.

investing in guinea, sierra leone and liberia will yield global dividends in preventing localoutbreaks from becoming national emergencies and regional pandemics.

that is why today is about more than speeches and pledges – it is a chance to forge apartnership for a better future – a future that is full of opportunity and free of ebola.

our task is also to learn from our shortcomings and translate the lessons learned from this crisisin building back better. to do anything less would compound the tragedy.

i particularly welcome who's lessons learned process and its plans for reform. just this week,who welcomed the report from the independent ebola interim assessment panel. who hasindicated that it is already moving forward to implement a number of the panel'srecommendations.

in addition, i have appointed a high-level panel on the global response to health crises,headed by his e_cellency president kikwete of the united republic of tanzania.

the panel is now working on the pressing question of how to strengthen national andinternational systems to prevent and manage future health crises. i look forward to itsrecommendations.

more broadly, we have to learn from the ebola outbreak responding to the crisis phase is notenough. with any outbreak, we have to do more than end the caseload. we must lay thefoundation for true health security by going the e_tra distance – as we pledge today – tocreate strong health systems that can prevent any recurrence and withstand any futureoutbreak.

presidents condé, koroma and johnson sirleaf have shown admirable statesmanship.

thanks to your support, we can largely be proud of what we have achieved in responding to thisunprecedented crisis.

yet we cannot breathe a sigh of relief – instead, let us collectively take a deep breath andresolve to finish the job.

i call on you to be part of this historic push to end the ebola outbreak in west africa andsupport the leaders and people of guinea, liberia and sierra leone in returning to a path ofsustainable development.

together, let us jumpstart a robust recovery over the ne_t two years, and usher in a betterfuture for generations to come.

thank you for your support and leadership. thank you very much.

第8篇 潘基文秘書長在巴黎氣候變化大會(huì)上英語演講稿

潘基文作為聯(lián)合國的秘書長，在巴黎氣候變化大會(huì)上會(huì)演講什么?以下是小編幫你解答!

your e_cellency mr. françois hollande, president of france, distinguished heads of state and government, your e_cellency mr. laurent fabius, president of cop21, e_cellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

you are here today to write the script for a new future, a future of hope and promise, ofincreased prosperity, security and dignity for all.

in september, at the united nations, you adopted an inspiring, new sustainable developmentagenda with 17 sustainable development goals, endorsed by all the people of the world.

you showed your commitment to act for the common good.

it is now time to do so again.

more than 150 world leaders have come to paris and are here together in one place, at the sametime, with one purpose.

we have never faced such a test. a political moment like this may not come again.

but neither have we encountered such a great opportunity at this time.

you have the power to secure the well-being of this and succeeding generations.

i urge you, distinguished leaders, to instruct your ministers and negotiators to choose thepath of compromise and consensus and if necessary, fle_ibility. bold climate action is in thenational interest of every single country represented at this conference.

the time for brinksmanship is over.

let us build a durable climate regime with a clear rule of the roads that all countries can agreeto follow.

paris must mark a decisively turning point.

we need the world to know that we are headed to a low-emissions, climate-resilient future,and that there is no going back.

the national climate plans submitted by more than 180 countries as ours today, cover close to100 percent of global emissions.

this is a very good start. but we need to go much faster, much farther if we are to limit theglobal temperature rise to below 2 degrees celsius.

the science has made it plainly clear.

even a 2-degree celsius rise will have serious consequences for food and water security,economic stability and international peace and security.

that is why we need a universal, meaningful and robust agreement here in paris.

i see four criteria for success.

first, the agreement must be durable.

it must send a clear signal to markets that the low-emissions transformation of the globaleconomy is inevitable, beneficial and already under way.

it must provide a long-term vision that anchors the below-2-degree-celsius goal, and recognizesthe imperative to strengthen resilience.

the world’s small island developing states have even less room to manoeuvre, and aredesperately asking the world to keep temperature rise to 1.5 degrees.

second, the agreement must be dynamic.

it must be able to accommodate changes in the global economy, and not have to becontinually renegotiated.

differentiation can and should be applied in a varied manner across the many elements of theagreement, in a way that does not undermine the integrity of the collective effort.

the agreement must strike a balance between the leadership role of developed countries andthe increasing responsibility of developing countries, in line with their capabilities and respectivelevels of development.

ladies and gentlemen,

the third requirement for success is an agreement that embodies solidarity with the poor andmost vulnerable.

it must ensure sufficient and balanced adaptation and mitigation support for developingcountries.

fourth, the agreement must be credible.

current ambition must be the floor, not the ceiling, for future efforts.

five-year cycles, beginning before 2022, are crucial.

all countries should agree to move toward quantified, economy-wide emission reductiontargets over time, with the fle_ibility for developing countries with a limited capacity.

developed countries must keep their promises to mobilize $100 billion dollars a year by 2022.

this same amount should serve as the floor for post-2022 finance commitments.

a new agreement must also include a single transparent framework for measuring,monitoring and reporting progress.

and countries with low capacity should receive fle_ibility and support so they can meet therequirements of this new system.

distinguished heads of state and government, e_cellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

this is a pivotal moment for the future of your countries, your people and our common home,our planet.

you can no longer delay.

let me be clear: the fate of a paris agreement rests with you. the future of the people, thefuture of the people of the world, the future of our planet world is in your hands.

we cannot afford indecision, half measures or merely gradual approaches. our goal must be atransformation.

the transition has begun. enlightened investors and innovative businesses are striving tocreate a climate-friendly economy. but they need your help and your vision in accelerating thisessential spirit and essential shift.

the peoples of the world are also on the move. they have taken to the streets, in cities andtowns across the world, in a mass mobilization for change.

we have seen such mass mobilization in new york in 2022, last year. we have seen, despitethe security concerns, many citizens coming out to the streets – sending their voices to theleaders. i sincerely hope that you listen very carefully and sincerely to the voices andaspirations of our people.

i met with several key civil society groups yesterday. and it is clear to me that they have cometo paris filled with energy and emotion – and that they e_pect each and every one of the leadersof this world today, who are here today, to show your leadership equal to the test. you have themoral and political responsibility for this world and for us and succeeding generations.

history is calling.

i urge you to answer with courage and vision. and i count on your strong leadership andcommitment to make this world better for all.

merci beaucoup.

thank you very much.

第9篇 潘基文秘書長在荷蘭萊頓大學(xué)英語演講稿

thank you for your warm welcome.it is a privilege and honour to be invited to addressthis prestigious academicinstitution. i would also like to thank the other co-hosts, the city ofleidenand the leiden university medical center.

leiden university is aninternationally renowned hub of learning and research with ahistory thatstretches back many centuries.

indeed, one of the pioneers ofinternational law and the principles that guide the unitednations began hisstudies here more than 400 years ago, the legendary jurist hugo grotius.

many distinguished scholars havefollowed. today, each of you is carrying forward thatproud tradition.

i thank you for your commitmentand want to single out for special praise your university’sglobal focus andapproach to education.

ladies and gentlemen,

we are here to talk aboutfreedom. i can think of no better time or place.

leiden is synonymous with freedom.

leiden university’s credo is“bastion of liberty”, and the city itself carries the motto “for thesake offreedom”.

this is also a very special day.earlier today, i took part in events marking the 100thanniversary of the peacepalace in the hague. and on this date fifty years ago, dr. martin lutherking,jr. delivered his monumental “i have a dream” speech.

dr. king spoke of the “riches offreedom and the security of justice”. he reminded theworld that the rights ofany minority should be the cause of all.

as he said, “their freedom isine_tricably bound to our freedom”.

in other words, we share a commonfuture with shared responsibilities.

that understanding is even truertoday.

our freedom … our possibilities…. our perils … are linked like never before.

the united nations charter speaksto our shared fate – and highlights the need “topromote social progress andbetter standards of life in larger freedom”.

the word “freedom” suffuses theuniversal declaration of human rights.

our work to deepen the meaning offreedom is built on three pillars: development -- orfreedom from want; peaceand security -- or freedom from fear; and human rights -- or simplythe freedomto enjoy and e_ercise the full body of human rights.

these pillars are interdependentand mutually reinforcing.

there can be no peace withoutdevelopment … no development without peace …and neithercan be achieved withoutfull respect for human rights and the rule of law.

today i would like to addressthose three dimensions of freedom.

let me begin with freedom fromwant.

at the dawn of this newmillennium, the international community set out on anunprecedented journey totackle freedom from want around the world.

the millennium development goalsare our touchstone for this effort. the eight goals andassociated targets makeup our blueprint to fight poverty and hunger, e_pand education andhealth,empower women and girls, and ensure environmental sustainability.

thanks to combined efforts fromgovernments to the grassroots, we have made importantprogress.

the proportion of people livingin e_treme poverty has been halved. fewer children arelosing their lives tomalaria and tuberculosis. and more than 2.1 billion people gained accesstoimproved sources of drinking water – a challenge on which the netherlands andking willem-ale_ander have been global leaders.

but there is much unfinishedbusiness.

nineteen thousand children underage five still die each day, most from preventablediseases.

two and a half billion peoplestill lack access to sanitation.

disparities between differentsocial groups are widening.

environmental sustainability isunder severe threat.

our planet is strained andstretched.

we must intensify our efforts intwo crucial ways.

first, with less than 1,000 daysbefore the deadline to achieve the mdgs, we mustaccelerate progress.

second, we must shape a globalagenda beyond 2022 with poverty eradication andsustainable development at itscore.

these twin challenges will befront and centre at the united nations ne_t month as worldleaders gather forthe opening of the general assembly.

we have already begun the vitaldiscussion on crafting a post-2022 agenda that isambitious, inspiring anduniversal – relevant to all people and all societies.

i will continue to stress theimportance of empowering women and girls.

societies cannot be free if halftheir citizens cannot pursue their full potential. at theunited nations, i amstriving to lead by e_ample. have nearly doubled the number of women inthemost senior un positions. our top officials for humanitarian affairs, humanrights, health,development and disarmament are women. so, too, is my chief ofstaff.

i am proud that for the firsttime in history, five un peacekeeping operations involving tensof thousands oftroops are led by women.

the empowerment of women is partof a wider effort to make sure that all people are able toe_ercise their rightto participate in the development process.

when people are engaged and takeownership, they can become a strong force to promotelocal governance --advance the rule of law -- deepen democracy, development and peace –and spreadfreedom.

but they need our support.

i know this is a time ofausterity. budgets are tight everywhere, including here in thenetherlands. butwe cannot short-change investments that are needed to lift the lives oftheworld’s most vulnerable people.

at the same time, i have stressedaccountability to ensure that governments everywhere dothe most with whateverthey have. budget priorities around the world must reflect people’spriorities.

and yet still every year, morethan a trillion dollars is drained on weapons of war. the timehas come tospend less on arsenals that destroy and more on tools that build.

ladies and gentlemen,

development and peace are twosides of the same coin. freedom from want goes hand inhand with freedom fromfear – building sustainable peace and security. this is the secondpillar.

earlier this year, i travelled tothe democratic republic of the congo with dr. jim kim,president of the worldbank.

it was the first-ever such jointvisit. we went to support a framework for peace andsecurity to end fighting inone of the most battle-scarred places on earth.

the un has tried to keep andbuild peace there for more than 50 years. but we aremodernizing our approach –engaging regional partners and civil society and putting an evengreater focuson improving the lives of people on the ground.

a peace deal must deliver a peacedividend.

people need to see the fruits ofpeace in their own lives – through schools, jobs, basicservices, theopportunities to live in freedom.

around the world, we arereinvigorating the united nations’ use of preventive diplomacyand mediation,peacekeeping and post-conflict peacebuilding to tackle 21st centurychallenges.

that is the way to buildsocieties founded on hope instead of fuelled by fear.

that leads me to the third pillarof freedom –the freedom to enjoy and e_ercise humanrights.

all states have committed toensuring their people freedom of opinion and e_pression …freedom of religionor belief … freedom of assembly and association … and freedom ofmovement.

yet in far too many places, wesee opposition and obstacles to those freedoms.

it could come in the form ofcostly law enforcement machinery to sanction or spy on thosewho speak out.

it could be shutting downinternet and media outlets, or detaining dissidents, journalists orhumanrights defenders.

think of the reporter imprisonedfor having revealed corruption.

the woman not allowed to wear herheadscarf or another who is not allowed to show herhair.

the human rights ngo prohibitedfrom receiving funding.

the person with disabilities notallowed to vote.

the students forbidden frompeacefully demonstrating against misrule.

fear is often the driver forrestrictions of freedom.

fear of the new. fear of theunknown. fear of what is different. fear of allowing others a sayin thedecisions affecting their lives. or sometimes, simply, fear of the truth.

we see this in rising e_amples ofnational legislation that restrict human rights defendersand civil society.

there are a growing number oflaws being wrongly used to impede their work, includinganti-terrorism andnational security legislation; laws relating to public morals, defamationorblasphemy; cumbersome laws on the registration, functioning and funding ofassociations;official-secrets legislation; and legislation regulating internetaccess.

we see it in dozens of countriesthat still criminalize consensual, same-se_ relationships.

we see it in bans on minarets andother restrictions that drive wedges in society bytargeting minorities andmigrant communities.

we see it in arbitrary bans onpeaceful assemblies.

and we see it in surveillanceprogrammes that have grown ever more aggressive.

let me be clear. concerns aboutnational security and criminal activity may justifye_ceptional andnarrowly-tailored use of surveillance.

but surveillance withoutsafeguards to protect the right to privacy hampers fundamentalfreedoms.

people should feel secure in theknowledge that their private communications are not beingunduly or unjustlyscrutinised by the state.

those disclosing information onmatters that have implications for human rights need to beprotected.

although some in power mightclaim they need to curtail freedoms to preserve order, thisin fact could havethe opposite effect.

yes, protecting freedom is notfree. it requires investments. but curtailing freedom alsocarries a heavyprice.

when people do not have a meansto channel their grievances - when they are not allowedto speak out, protestpeacefully or e_ercise their democratic rights, stability will suffer.

look no further than the middleeast and north africa, where decades of oppressionbrought about uprisingswhich have now led to death and devastation. this morning, i spokeabout mydeep concerns regarding syria at the peace palace ceremony, i am alsocloselywatching the situation in egypt.i have offered one word of advice to leadersaround theworld:

listen.

listen to the concerns, demandsand hopes of your people.

if you do not listen to yourpeople, you will hear from them – in the streets, in the squares,or mosttragically on the battlefield.

is there a way out? yes.

the answer is more participation.more democracy. more understanding. more freedom.

i once again appeal to leadersacross the world to promote dialogue, reconciliation andsupport for inclusivepolitical transitions.

this is the way to build stable,democratic, free and united societies.

here in europe, which has servedas such a remarkable engine of integration, i make aspecial plea fortolerance, understanding and acceptance of diversity and the rights ofmigrantsand refugees.

ladies and gentlemen,

we have many challenges beforeus. but there are also many reasons to be hopeful.

again and again, we have seenthat when people are engaged on a local or global level,change can happen.restrictions on freedoms can be lifted.

for e_ample, over the past twodecades, thanks to human rights activism across the globe,nearly 40 countrieshave decriminalized same-se_ relations. the netherlands has been a pioneer–and i have sought to lead the way at the united nations as a proud defender oflgbt equality.

but the real credit belongs tothe voices and the activism of ordinary people who stand upand speak out.

we saw such e_traordinaryactivism twenty years ago at the world conference on humanrights in vienna. aninspiring assembly of governments and thousands of people from all overtheworld joined forces - mothers of the disappeared, indigenous peoples,minorities, migrants.

they came together to say humanrights are universal, indivisible, interdependent andinterrelated.

we are all “born free and equalin dignity and rights”. we all have a right to live in freedomand equality.

as grotius said more than 400years ago, states’ rights come from all of us as individuals;the power of thestate is the result of collective agreement.

with such sovereignty comesresponsibility.

a responsibility to make surethat no person – regardless of ethnicity, gender, geography,disability, raceor other status – is left behind, denied universal human rights orbasiceconomic opportunities.

a responsibility towards freedomof the individual, for development and peace to flourish.

we have e_amples that guide us …leaders that inspire us … and international standardsthat bind us.

let us draw on them to widen thecircle of freedom for one and all.

thank you.