Document Library

Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General regarding Prime Minister Netanyahu’s comments about the occupied West Bank

The Secretary-General is concerned by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s statement declaring his intention, if elected, to annex the Jordan Valley and northern Dead Sea as a first step to applying Israeli sovereignty over all settlements and other areas in the occupied West Bank.

Such steps, if implemented, would constitute a serious violation of international law. They would be devastating to the potential of reviving negotiations and regional peace, while severely undermining the viability of the two-State solution.

The United Nations remains committed to supporting Palestinians and Israelis to resolve the conflict on the basis of relevant United Nations resolutions, the Madrid terms of reference, including the principle of land for peace, the Arab Peace Initiative and the Quartet Road Map, as well as in compliance with prior agreements between the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, and realizing the vision of two states -- Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous and viable Palestinian State -- living side by side in peace and security within recognized borders, on the basis of the pre-1967 borders.

Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General

New York, 11 September 2019

Bookmark the Spokesperson’s website:http://www.un.org/sg/en/spokesperson

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

REMARKS TO UNRWA PLEDGING CONFERENCE

New York, 25 June 2019

[as delivered]

I am pleased to join you again for this year’s pledging conference for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

When we gathered last year at this meeting, we feared the worst – UNRWA schools not opening, food for refugees running out, clinics closing.

Fortunately, that did not happen because in 2018 many of you stepped up to assert that Palestine refugees deserved the assistance, dignity and hope that UNRWA provides.

You spoke forcefully of how supporting UNRWA meant maintaining regional stability, protecting humanitarian space and preserving global solidarity regarding one of the world’s most difficult situations.

And together, through your generosity and UNRWA’s hard work, we lived up to the United Nations values of supporting those in need and leaving no one behind.

For nearly seven decades, UNRWA has faithfully and effectively fulfilled its mandate to assist Palestine refugees until a just and lasting solution is found.

It is tragic that a political solution has not yet been reached that satisfies the needs and aspirations of both Palestinians and Israelis.

I reiterate the importance of continuing to pursue peace efforts to realise the vision of two States, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security.

In the meantime, the continued work of UNRWA should be viewed not only as our common responsibility, but as our common success.

Millions of children have benefitted from an UNRWA education.

When I visited UNRWA schools in Gaza and Jordan, I was struck by the positive energy and attitudes of the children, who learn UN values of human rights and tolerance, and who want to be positive citizens of this world.

At this meeting today, you will hear yourself from two students, as the President of the General Assembly already mentioned, Hanan and Hatem, who represent UNRWA’s student parliament in the West Bank and Gaza, and who practice democracy and conflict resolution every day in their work.

UNRWA’s innovative health care services maintain high standards and are remarkably cost-effective.

Its emergency and social services address the fundamental needs of millions.

In Gaza alone, one million Palestine refugees depend on UNRWA for food.

If we are proud of these accomplishments, we need to support them in concrete ways.

UNRWA has maintained its operations through nearly half of 2019 thanks to generous contributions from Member States and others.

By the end of this month, however, UNRWA faces its first funding shortfall, which will continue to grow unless you act soon.

Let me stress that UNRWA has taken extraordinary reform and cost-control measures to reduce inefficient spending.

Over the past five years, UNRWA has saved $500 million through these internal measures.

At the same time, it has diversified its donor base.

This includes significant efforts to ensure individual and institutional charitable funding.

In March, the Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation decided to launch an endowment fund for UNRWA at the Islamic Development Bank.

I applaud this decision that will contribute for UNRWA to count on solid and predictable financial support.

However, many of these new efforts will still take several years to show significant financial results.

Therefore, at the present moment, we still depend on Member States to provide the bulk of the funding.

Today, I humbly ask all donors to maintain their support for UNRWA at last year’s level.

We know what is at risk: education for a half million children; 8 million health care visits a year; emergency relief for 1.5 million.

From our experience in 2018, we also know that it is possible to find the resources to keep UNRWA operational.

So today, given what is at stake at the human level, at the political and security level, and at the multilateral level, we must rise to the challenge and empower UNRWA to continue its important and impressive work.

Listen to the Palestine refugee students, Hanan and Hatem.

Their dreams and determination should be our inspiration.

Let us pledge today to keep them and their fellow UNRWA students in school through the year and well beyond.

They are the future and they deserve our support.

Thank you.

Remarks to the Security Council on Cooperation between the United Nations and the League of Arab States

António Guterres

Saidi al Raiis,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

As salam alaikum.

I thank the Government of Kuwait for convening this discussion on “Issues of Priority to the League of Arab States and outcomes of the Arab Summit.”

I want to express my warm welcome to Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States. We have been working together on many of the most difficult dossiers that our two organizations confront, and it is for me an enormous pleasure to see you sitting in the Security Council.

From day one, I have prioritized cooperation with regional organizations to prevent conflict and sustain peace.

We know that no single organization or country can address the complex challenges our world faces today. Global problems require global solutions, and that is why partnerships remain essential to maximize our impact on people’s lives and advance a global order based on international law. And our cooperation with the League of Arab States is pivotal.

I was honoured to attend the Arab League Summit in Tunis in March – and appreciate the Tunis Declaration reaffirmation of the “lofty universal values and purpose of the United Nations Charter.”

Our two organisations share a common mission: to prevent conflict, resolve disputes and act in a spirit of solidarity and unity.

We work together to expand economic opportunity, advance respect for all human rights and build political inclusion.

Today, we recognize an expectation from the peoples of the region – indeed from people around the world -- for a new social contract for education, jobs, opportunities for young people, equality for women, respect for human rights and a fair share in national wealth.

We understand the impulse for a more inclusive vision rooted in cooperation, respect and dignity.

We appreciate all efforts to help break the vicious cycle of conflict while establishing a new security architecture.

Within the challenges [faced] by the region, lies the opportunity to build on the words and intentions of the charters of our two organizations for action that will bring real change to the peoples of the Arab world and beyond.

In relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, for example, we maintain our collective commitment to the vision of two States, based on relevant UN resolutions, long-held principles, previous agreements and international law.

As I have said before, there is no alternative to the two-state solution. There is no Plan B.

Ending the occupation that began in 1967 and achieving a negotiated two-state outcome is the only way to lay the foundations for enduring peace.

In Syria, deadly escalation in the country’s northwest has displaced hundreds of thousands, and if continued could result in broader humanitarian catastrophe for the three million people residing in greater Idlib.

After more than eight years of violence, Syria’s conflict continues to take a devastating toll on the country’s civilian population, impose burdens on neighbouring states, and threaten international peace and security.

I reiterate my appeal for full respect for international humanitarian law, which must prevail in all circumstances, including in combat against terrorism.

The alarming violence in Syria is a stark reminder of the urgent need to forge a political path to a sustainable peace for all Syrians.

This will require an inclusive and credible political solution, based on Security Council resolution 2254 in its entirety, including the convening of a constitutional committee that is credible, inclusive, and balanced.

The support and active engagement of the international community, including the Member States of the Arab League, will be essential.

And, of course, any solution must respect the territorial integrity of Syria, including the occupied Syrian Golan.

Regarding Libya, I would like to thank the League of Arab States and its Member States for its continued support to the efforts of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya and my Special Representative, including through the Libya Quartet.

However, I remain deeply concerned about the impact of the armed clashes on the country as well as on the region. There is no military solution, we need to work towards a ceasefire and a return to the negotiating table.

I welcome Iraq’s sustained and active outreach to strengthen its relations with neighbouring countries.

Conversely, Iraq needs the continued and sustained support from the region and the international community to help rebuild the country and overcome the trauma and impact of Da’esh.

Iraq’s Arab neighbours have a critical role to play.

The United Nations will continue to assist the Government of Iraq, including through stabilization and reconstruction support, as well as in facilitating regional dialogue and cooperation on border security, energy, environment, water, and refugees.

The League of Arab States is vital in supporting Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.

Let us do more to help Lebanon -- a country significantly affected by regional developments and the generous hosting of large numbers of refugees – in strengthening state institutions and upholding its international commitments and remain stable and secure.

In Yemen, we continue to work towards a resumption of negotiations leading to a sustainable political solution.

Every effort is being made to address the extraordinary suffering on the ground in what remains the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.

Implementation of the 2018 Stockholm Agreement will not only significantly improve humanitarian access, it will also pave the way toward a lasting political solution.

All these efforts require patience, good faith and a continued commitment by all of us to preserve and to build on gains.

I note with deep concern this morning’s security incident in the Strait of Hormuz. I strongly condemn any attack against civilian vessels. Facts must be established, and responsibilities clarified.

If there is something the world cannot afford, it is a major confrontation in the Gulf region.

In Somalia, the international community must remain united to support political progress and the development of security institutions. The League of Arab States is a key partner -- both as an organization and through its individual members -- for political support and economic development.

Sudan is going through a delicate transition. The United Nations is working with regional partners, especially the African Union, in supporting this process with the objective of enabling the Sudanese parties to reach agreement on an inclusive, civilian-led transitional authority.

On all these efforts and more, we continue to invest in building our engagement with regional and sub-regional organizations, including through regular consultations and collaboration.

Such activities with the Arab League include our biennial General Cooperation meetings, sectoral meetings, capacity building exercises and staff exchanges.

With this in mind, I am pleased to inform you that the UN Liaison Office to the League of Arab States in Cairo will become operational this very month.

I am very grateful to the government of Egypt for its support and hospitality.

I fully expect this Liaison Office -- the first funded by the UN regular budget – and will improve the effectiveness of cooperation between our two organizations.

I intend to continue this fruitful engagement and deepen our collaboration to advance the vision set out in the UN Charter, in the interest of the peoples we collectively serve.

As we look ahead together, you can continue to count on my full and active support.

Shukran.

Secretary-General’s remarks at press encounter with H.E. Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States

SECRETARY-GENERAL: I want to say how delighted I am to have in the UN again the Arab League Secretary-General, my good friend, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and to say that the relationship between the Arab League and the UN is, at the present moment, witnessing a quantum leap – not only because we have decided to open an office in Cairo from this month onwards, but especially because we have been working together, more and more closely, namely in trying to address some of the most difficult conflicts in the region…

SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE ARAB LEAGUE: In the world, Secretary-General.

In the world. And I am extremely grateful for, namely, the support that the Arab League has been providing for our Special Representatives in countries as diverse as Syria or Yemen or Libya or Somalia, and we have decided that those Special Representatives and the Envoys of the UN will work more closely together with the Arab League in order to make sure that the strategies of the two organizations converge in the solution of so many difficult problems.

On the other hand, I wanted to reaffirm our strong commitment to the two-state solution in relation to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. We believe that there is no Plan B. And we believe, we hope that, one day, we will have two states living in peace and security, side by side, both with Jerusalem as their capital.

And, at the same time, I want to say how worried I am with the recent developments in the Gulf. We believe that the truth needs to be clearly established in relation to these attacks. We believe that responsibilities need to be clearly defined. And, as I said to the Security Council, the world cannot afford a major confrontation in the Gulf.

The floor is yours.

[…]

Q: Thank you. My question is for the Secretary-General. Yesterday, you asked for the facts to be established regarding those attacks in the Gulf, but you didn’t go beyond that. Do you want an international investigation – independent and reliable – as called for by some Arab countries?

SG: As I said, it is very important to know the truth, and it is very important that responsibilities are clarified. Obviously, that can only be done if there is some independent entity that verifies those facts. So, whatever happens in the international community, we will be supportive of any initiative in this regard, provided it is truly independent.

Q: So, this is not going to be a UN investigation?
SG: The Secretary-General of the UN has not the right to launch investigations. Only the Security Council can do it. I am, in relation to that, obviously not the right person to answer your question.

Q: Secretary-General Guterres, we just heard you call for a truce to be established in the Gulf. Who have you spoken to from the United States or from Iran regarding such a truce? And what more do you think could be done by the United Nations to try and mediate this growing dispute between the United States and Iran? And, Mr. Secretary-General, yesterday you called for the Security Council to act. What do you want them to do?

SG: I didn’t mention a truce, because we only mention a truce when there is a war. What I said is that we condemn, we condemn clearly all the attacks that took place recently, and we believe there should be clearly a definition of responsibilities in relation to them, and that we believe it is very important to avoid, at all costs, a major confrontation in the Gulf.

Obviously, the good offices of the Secretary-General are always available, but the good offices of the Secretary-General – without a mandate from the bodies of the UN – can only be exercised with the full agreement of the parties.

Q: And who have you spoken with from the United States and Iran?

SG: We have been, obviously, talking to everybody, but, as I said, the good offices of the Secretary-General of the UN always depends on the will of the parties. At the present moment, we don’t see a mechanism of dialogue possible to be in place.

Q: Have you viewed the video that the United States released last night, and what is your assessment of it? Perhaps, did the US Ambassador come, Secretary-General Guterres, and walk you through it, or have you had any sort of briefing from the Americans? So, what is your assessment of that video?

SG: I have not seen the video and I have not received any briefing. I have just seen what is in the media.

Thank you very much. Shukran.

Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

On the situation in the Golan

The Secretary-General is concerned by the developments in the Golan on 27 May.

He calls on the parties to the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement to respect the terms of the Agreement and to closely liaise with the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) to prevent any further incidents and escalation of the situation.

Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General

New York, 28 May 2019

Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on the situation in Gaza

The Secretary-General is following with deep concern the latest security developments in Gaza, and the risk of yet another dangerous escalation and further loss of life on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan.

He condemns in the strongest terms the launching of rockets from Gaza into Israel, particularly the targeting of civilian population centres. He urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint, immediately de-escalate and return to the understandings of the past few months.

His Special Coordinator, Nickolay Mladenov, is working closely with Egypt and all concerned parties to restore calm.

https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2019-05-05/statement-attributable-the-spokesman-for-the-secretary-general-the-situation-gaza

Spokesman for the Secretary-General

New York, 5 May 2019

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

--

REMARKS TO THE SUMMIT OF THE LEAGUE OF ARAB STATES

Tunis, 31 March 2019

Monsieur le Président, merci infiniment pour l’invitation. Je remercie le peuple tunisien de son hospitalité.

Your Majesties,

Your Royal Highnesses,

Excellencies,

As salaam alaikum.

I am here to further deepen the relationship between the United Nations, the League of Arab States and the peoples of the Arab world.

North Africa and the Middle East are home to remarkable dynamism and potential. It is a region long-striving to build peace and prosperity. I believe it is vital for this region to assume that destiny.

The United Nations has no other agenda than to support those aspirations in a spirit of solidarity and unity.

And I am also here as someone with deep appreciation for the profound contributions of the Arab world to global civilization.

Our world is forever indebted to the enormous creativity and influence of Arab culture over the centuries.

From the ancient House of Wisdom (Bayt al-Hikma) in Baghdad, to the intellectual riches of Córdoba, and reaching as far as the medieval centres of learning in Timbuktu, the Arab world helped to ensure the flow of ideas and scholarship, preserved vital texts and opened the door to a world of epic discoveries and possibilities.

Indeed, we see it from the arts to architecture – from medicine to mathematics – from philosophy to astronomy.

My admiration is not just rooted in history. It is also grounded in my experience as UN High Commissioner for Refugees, where I witnessed so many Arab countries extending remarkable hospitality to wave upon wave of refugees in a context where, unfortunately, many other borders were closing.

As Secretary-General, we have been working closely together to advance the key role of the Arab world and the role it can play and must play today in the face of turbulent winds.

The citizens of the Arab World have watched carefully the devastating images of the wars in Yemen and Syria, the rise and fall of Daesh and the persistent denial of the right to self-determination for the Palestinian people.

I strongly appeal for the unity of the Arab world as a fundamental condition for peace and prosperity in the region, and to avoid leaving the region vulnerable to interference by foreign parties with destabilizing effects.

As it is the case elsewhere, we know that regional visions rooted in cooperation, respect and mutual interest have the best chance of success.

We need to mobilize our efforts to untangle the Gordian knot of insecurity, allow no space for sectarianism, and deliver the peace, stability and effective, responsive governance that the people of the region deserve.

Across the region, we also see growing demands to create jobs and economic opportunities, to uphold human rights, advance gender equality and women’s empowerment and promote the rule-of law, diversity, fundamental freedoms and democratic values.

Allow me to touch upon several current developments and situations in the region which could benefit from a comprehensive regional approach.

The first imperative must be the two-State solution, for Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders, and with Jerusalem as capital of both States, as I have always emphasized.

There is no Plan B. Without two states, there is no solution.

The ongoing violence in Gaza is a tragic reminder of the fragility of the situation.

Thank you for your critical support for the vital role of UNRWA – I appeal for your continued strong assistance.

Together, we are making progress towards bringing the suffering in Yemen to an end.

Following last December’s breakthrough in Stockholm, we continue to work closely with the parties to achieve progress towards the redeployment of forces in Hudaydah and the opening of humanitarian corridors on the way to a political solution for Yemen.

And thanks to generous pledges from you and others, we have raised $2.6 billion of the $4 billion needed to ensure that humanitarian operations in Yemen for them to be sustained and scaled up throughout 2019.

And I strongly appeal to all donors here and in other parts of the world due to the dramatic impact of hunger, cholera and the suffering of the population, in a moment in which humanitarian agencies are running out of cash, to expedite the pledges that were made in order to be able to respond to the dramatic needs of the Yemeni population.

In Libya, I am encouraged by recent progress towards building political consensus for convening the National Conference.

I am hopeful that further progress can be achieved with a Libyan-led and Libyan-owned political process with the support of the international community within the framework of the UN Action Plan and the roadmap established with other partners and other regional organizations here with us.

It is high time that Libya achieves unified institutions and concludes the transitional stages in line with the objective to reach, at the right moment, general elections.

In Syria, millions of Syrians remain displaced and in need, tens of thousands are arbitrarily detained, and the risk of an even deeper humanitarian catastrophe still looms, in particular in northern Syria. We must keep working to forge a political path to a sustainable peace in which all Syrians are heard, grievances are addressed, and needs are met.

Any resolution of the Syrian conflict must guarantee the unity, the territorial integrity of Syria, including the occupied Golan.

My new Special Envoy has outlined priorities toward establishing an inclusive and credible political solution, based on Security Council Resolution 2254 in its entirety, including the convening of a constitutional committee credible, inclusive, and balanced.

The full support of the international community, and especially of the League of Arab States and its membership, will be essential.

Your Majesties,

Your Royal Highnesses,

Excellencies,

The Arab Region and its people have made enormous sacrifices to fight terrorism - and have paid the highest price for this.

The United Nations is stepping up support for the efforts of the Arab States in this struggle – including through an agreement to develop an Arab Regional Counter Terrorism Strategy in line with the UN.

These, and other efforts by the League of Arab States, help open the door for Arab solutions to Arab problems.

We welcome that. I am pleased that we will soon open a new Liaison Office to the League of Arab States in Cairo to help us best support you.

This includes working together to build on the significant progress in Iraq with support, full support, to help consolidate gains, particularly in relations to the institutions of the country, to improve basic services, create jobs and diversify the economy, and foster quality education for all Iraqis that deserve it and that have made considerable progress in the recent past.

In Lebanon, the formation of the Government in January provides a critical opportunity to address challenges to stability, in line with the road map of the 2018 international support conferences and for the benefit of the whole country. In Algeria, I welcome the efforts towards a peaceful and democratic transition process to address the concerns of the Algerian people in a timely way.

In Somalia, it is important to recognize progress in economic stabilization, and to stand united behind Somalia’s efforts and collective work to promote an inclusive political dialogue and invest in Somalia’s economic recovery.

Finally, I want to add my gratitude to many of you who continue providing generous political and financial support to the United Nations, an invaluable tool for our conflict prevention and resolution activities.

Let us work ever closer together to unleash the full potential of this vital region, respond to the aspirations of the youth and build a better future for all.

Shukran.

Secretary-General's remarks to Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People [as delivered]

I am honoured to participate in your first meeting of the year.

I congratulate the Chair, Ambassador Cheikh Niang, and other members of the Bureau on your election.

And I commend your efforts and commitment towards a peaceful and just solution of the Palestinian question.

This can only be achieved through realization of the vision of two States, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States, based on relevant UN resolutions, long-held principles, previous agreements and international law.

Unfortunately, over this past year, the situation has not moved in that direction.

Protests in Gaza resulted in hundreds dead and thousands wounded by Israeli security forces.

Security incidents and provocations by Hamas and other militants in Gaza, including the launching of rockets and incendiary kites, dangerously escalated the situation.

Thanks to UN and Egyptian mediation efforts, a major escalation was avoided.

I appeal to Hamas authorities in Gaza to prevent provocations, and under International Humanitarian Law, Israel, too, has a responsibility to exercise maximum restraint and to not use lethal force, except as foreseen in international law, as a last resort against imminent threat of death or serious injury.

The United Nations stands firmly in support of Palestinian reconciliation and the return of the legitimate Palestinian Government to Gaza.

We welcome the efforts made by Egypt in this regard.

Gaza is an integral part of a future Palestinian state and Palestinian unity is needed for a politically stable, economically viable, sovereign and independent State of Palestine.

The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza must also be immediately addressed.

Approximately two million Palestinians remain mired in increasing poverty and unemployment, with limited access to adequate health, education, water and electricity.

Young people see little prospect of a better future.

I urge Israel to lift restrictions on the movement of people and goods, which also hamper the efforts of the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies, without naturally jeopardizing legitimate security concerns.

The international community must also significantly increase efforts to revitalize Gaza’s economy.

I commend UNRWA for its critical work in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and across the region.

This is despite an unprecedented financial crisis in 2018.

I thank those donors who have increased their commitments and enabled Palestinian refugees to continue to receive the essential services provided by UNRWA.

I ask them to maintain their support in the coming year and beyond.

There is also risk of further unrest in the West Bank.

The construction and planning of settlements by Israel have expanded deeper into Area C in the West Bank, including in East Jerusalem.

Settlements are illegal under international law.

They deepen the sense of mistrust and undermine the two-State solution.
Settler violence remains a very serious concern.

I was also shocked by the recent murder of an Israeli teenager, which has now been categorised as a terrorist act.

I also regret the decision by Israel not to renew the mandate of the Temporary International Presence in Hebron.

I hope an agreement can be found by the parties to preserve this long-standing and valuable arrangement.

Palestinians have endured more than a half-century of occupation and denial of their legitimate right to self-determination.

Israelis and Palestinians continue to suffer from deadly cycles of violence.

Leaders have a responsibility to their populations, not least the youth, to reverse this negative trajectory and pave the way toward peace, stability and reconciliation.

I commend the Committee for keeping the focus on the ultimate objective of a [just] and peaceful solution with two States coexisting in peace and security.

This is the only way to achieve the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.
As I have said repeatedly, there is no Plan B. Thank you.

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

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REMARKS AT UNITED NATIONS HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CEREMONY

New York, 28 January 2019

[as delivered]

We are here together to remember the victims of the Holocaust – the six million Jews and many others murdered during a period of unprecedented, calculated cruelty, when human dignity was cast aside for a racial ideology.

I extend a special welcome to the Holocaust survivors with us today, especially Mr. Marian Turski and Ms. Inge Auerbacher, who will share their testimony.

This International Day marks the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp 74 years ago yesterday. I also pay tribute to the veterans here today for their role in bringing the war and Holocaust to an end.

Yesterday was, by the way, also the 75^th anniversary of the lifting of the siege of Leningrad. That prolonged the blockade -- 872 days of siege, starvation and suffering – that was a horror within the horror.

As we remember, we also reaffirm our resolve to fight the hatred that still plagues our world today. In fact, it is necessary - more and more - that we sound an alarm.

It is just three months since a man armed to the teeth entered the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh shouting “all Jews must die”.

He murdered 11 worshippers observing Shabbat. It was the worst anti-Semitic attack in the history of the United States.

Last month at a Jewish cemetery near Strasbourg, in France, vandals smeared swastikas on dozens of tombstones and defaced a monument to Holocaust victims.

And just days ago in Bulgaria, stones were thrown through the window of Sofia’s central synagogue.

I would like to be able to say that these incidents were aberrations, or that they are only the last gasps of a prejudice that deserves to die.

But sadly, what we are instead seeing is the flame of a centuries-old fire gaining in intensity.

Not only is anti-Semitism still strong – it is getting worse.

We must rise up against rising anti-Semitism.

According to the Anti-Defamation League, anti-Semitic incidents in the United States increased by 57 per cent in 2017.

The European Union’s Fundamental Rights Agency reported last year that 28 per cent of Jews had experienced some form of harassment just for being Jewish. Many added that fears for their safety have led them to stay away from Jewish events – or even to contemplate emigrating.

Another poll in Europe by CNN revealed the strong persistence of classic anti-Semitic motifs.

In fact, the old anti-Semitism is back.

At the same time, we are seeing attempts to rewrite the history of the Holocaust, to distort its magnitude and to sanitize the wartime records of leaders, citizens and societies.

Meanwhile, neo-Nazi groups are proliferating.

A recent Public Broadcasting System Frontline programme conducted an in-depth exploration of one of the extremist and white supremacist organizations in the United States that promote hatred against Jews, and also other minorities, homosexuals and others.

Their views are right out of “Mein Kampf”. They have, by the way, a similar book written by their leader.

Their recruitment methods target the disaffected.

They seek out people with military experience – and encourage sympathizers to join the armed forces to gain weapons training.

And the massacre in Pittsburgh was precisely in keeping with their advocacy of violent, so-called “lone wolf” attacks.

Inevitably, where there is anti-Semitism, no one else is safe. Across the world, we are seeing a disturbing rise in other forms of bigotry.

Attacks on Muslims in several societies are on the rise, sometimes even outpacing other forms of hatred.

Rohingyas, Yazidis and many others have faced persecution simply for who they are.

Intolerance today spreads at lightning speed across the Internet and social media.

Perhaps most disturbingly, hate is moving into the mainstream – in liberal democracies and authoritarian systems alike.

We have seen this throughout the debate on human mobility, which has featured a stream of invective, falsely linking refugees and migrants to terrorism and scapegoating them for many of society’s ills.

Major political parties are incorporating ideas from the fringes in their propaganda and electoral campaigns.

Parties once rightly considered pariahs are gaining influence over governments.

And where once some political figures used the so-called “dog whistle” to signal their followers, today they also feel able to trumpet their noxious views for all to hear.

Political discourse is being coarsened.

And with each broken norm, the pillars of humanity are weakened.

That is part of what Hannah Arendt identified as the path towards totalitarianism. We should not exaggerate the comparisons to the 1930s. But equally let us not ignore the similarities.

We see some societies wanting to turn back the clock on diversity. Political establishments have a profound and growing trust deficit. The demonization of others rages on. Such hatred is easy to uncork, and very hard to put back in the bottle.

One urgent challenge today is to heed the lessons of history and the Holocaust.

First, by keeping memory alive. A recent poll in Europe found that one third of people say they know little or nothing about the Holocaust.

Among millennials, some two-thirds had no idea Auschwitz was a death camp.

As the number of survivors dwindles, it falls to us all to carry their testimony to future generations. This is our duty and we must make sure that what the memory of survivors is able to tell will persist forever.

Education is crucial – about the Holocaust, about genocide and crimes against humanity, about racism and the history of slavery.

The United Nations and the Holocaust Outreach Programme has activities in dozens of countries, and we are strongly committed to expanding its reach.

And, we must stand up to those who disseminate hatred.

I have asked my Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide to assess the efforts of the UN system in countering hate speech and to devise a global plan of action to deepen this essential work.

We had, just last Saturday in Park East Synagogue, a very moving testimony from Rabbi Schneier proposing that we should gather Ministers of Education all over the world to make sure that in schools these questions are clearly introduced in the curricula and that students will never be able to deny these facts.

Because indeed, countering hate speech is essential to preventing hate crimes.

That means rejecting hate in schools and workplaces, at sporting events and on the street.

And it means reaffirming universal values and equal rights.

Finally, we must bring those rights to life. Proclaiming principles is not enough.

Vilifying the violators is not enough.

We must go further by working for a fair globalization, by building democratic societies, and by addressing the roots of the anxieties and angers that make people susceptible to populism and demagoguery.

Governments and international organizations must show they care and make rights real in the lives of all.

One of the great shocks of the Second World War was how a society of such high attainment proved so ripe for Hitler’s venom.

In his diaries of the years from 1933 to 1945, Victor Klemperer wrote, and I quote:

“Curious: At the very moment modern technology annuls all frontiers and distances…, the most extreme nationalism is raging.” This was said in the ‘30s.

We are not immune to the same risks today.

Our response must be clear: to strengthen all we do to build the defences, the laws and the mindsets that will uphold the dignity of all, for all time, having the fight against anti-semitism in the front lines.

Thank you very much.

Bookmark the Spokesperson’s website:http://www.un.org/sg/en/spokesperson

Readout of the Secretary-General’s meeting with H.E. Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine

The Secretary-General met today with H.E. Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine.

The Secretary-General congratulated the State of Palestine for assuming the Chairmanship of the G-77. He expressed his wishes for a successful year for the Group.

The Secretary-General reiterated that the two-state solution is the only viable option to sustainable peace.

New York, 14 January 2019