Davos 2012 - Press conference briefing with ban ki - Moon, secretary - General, united nations

Good morning ladies and gentlemen. I'm Adrian Monck at the World Economic Forum. And it's my great pleasure to introduce and open this Press Conference, with Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki-moon. Mr. Moon will speak with some introductory remarks. And then he'll take questions. We have around 20 minutes for this Press Conference. So we will keep it on strict Swiss time. My apologies for opening three minutes late, that's my fault I'm afraid. And without further ado, I'll hand over to Mr. Ban. Thank you for your introduction. Good morning ladies and gentlemen. It's a great pleasure to see you again this year. The world has changed dramatically since last year's World Economic Forum. Revolutions have swept across North Africa and the Middle East, bringing new freedoms and democracy, but also new challenges as well. Issues of economic inequality and social justice, have come to dominate the global debate. From North Africa to New York, Athens to Abidjan, the people everywhere are demanding change. They call out for dignity, they demand justice, a better and more fair deal. They want jobs, opportunities and global markets, that work for all people, not just elite. Ladies and gentlemen, just recently, the world's population reached seven billion. Five years from now, that figure will grow by 500 million. That means food, water, energy, jobs, sanititation, a half a billion people will need, on top of current needs. And this is a huge challenge, and we must rise to it. During the events of the Arab Spring, the United Nations called loudly on the region's leaders to listen to their people. I urged them to be bold, to change, to reform before it was too late. Some did and benefitted, others did not and they have wrecked the whole world. Today I call on the leaders gathered in Davos to listen as well. I call on them to hear the voices of their people. And I urge them to do more, to address their legitimate aspirations. To do much more. Two days ago at UN Headquarters in New York, I presented to the Member States of the United Nations, a comprehensive agenda for action, for my second term, as a Secretary General, and also beyond. It is grounded in five imperatives, five generational opportunities to create the future we want. Even though you must have already read them, I'd like just to briefly repeat. First, by promoting sustainable development. Second, by systematically privileging prevention of conflict, human right abuses, and the impact of natural disasters. Third, innovating on our core business of peace and security, humanitarian work, democracy and human rights. And fourth, by supporting nations in transition. And fifth, by working with and for, women and young people. These are five areas where opportunity and need, come together like never before. If we act together, we can wipe out the death, from five of the world's biggest killers over the next five years. Malaria, polio, new pediatric *** infections, maternal and neonatal tetanus, and measles. This unpresented feat is truly possible. We can set the foundations for a new generation, of sustainable development goals, building on the millennium development goals, advancing our development agenda beyond 2015. My meetings in Davos have focused on energy, health, and the upcoming G-20 Conference. Our goal is to mobilize global action and galvanize the power of global partnership. The CEO's and entrepreneurs at the World Economic Forum, are key players. That's why United Nations has cut the ribbon, on a dual relationship with the private sector. We declare ourselves open for business. Businesses around the world are putting sustainability and social issues, higher, on their corporate agenda. We have promising work on the way on energy, access health, water scarcity, human rights, gender equality and anti-corruption, much of it supported by the private sector. But we are far from the transformation needed. I urge the chief executives here in Davos and everywhere, to join us. There is a (inaudible) model emerging in the United Nations where governments, private sector, finance, philanthropists and civil society, come together to solve public problems. By working together, by dedicating our energies and resources to our common cause, We have the chance today to move the needle for generations to come. We can create the future we want. Thank you for your attention, and I'll be happy to answer your questions. Thank you. Thank you Secretary General. Can I just get a sense in the room of how many questions there are? Can you just raise your hand if you've got a question, And then when I come to you, if you can just give us your name and your news organization. That would be fantastic. We'll start with the lady in the first row. Thank you very much. Ing Chingow (ph) from China Business News. It seems to me that we are facing a chaotic world after the crisis, especially in 2012. In terms of economic situation. In terms of the political co-operation between the different stakeholders. But I think the big scene of the Winter Davos give us a kind of solution. A sign on the solution, we have to find the new models. So in terms of the global governors, do you see any sign that we have found some clues of the new models in global governence? Thank you very much. Sir. Certainly, we are living in an era of uncertainty. The global economic growth has been slowing since middle of last year 2011. And I'm afraid to say that all the predictions say that this trend may continue well beyond 2012, creating significant challenges for the wellbeing of millions, even billions of people around the world, particularly in the poorest countries. This is what we have to do. The people have been discussing about how we have to address these challenges. Davos Forum is a very good venue where government leaders, business CEO's, NGO's, they come together and discuss about dual models, and the responses to these changing situations. That's why I'm here and I'm meeting, a lot of government officials and business CEO's, how we can strengthen our partnership, how we can work together in coping with this. You have seen the G-20 meetings have been addressing these issues. But there were also concerns that the G-20 countries have been dealing with their own economic problems. That's why I have been urging G-20 leaders, that while I welcome strongly for their stimulus packages to overcome this financial crisis, they should never lose sight over the plight and challenges of the developing world. Now this was the message that I have been delivering to world leaders. First we have to do all to save our planet, to revitalize our economy, to address all this social injustice, social inequality. These are the calls from many countries, both developed and developing world. You have seen Occupy Wall Street Occupy All Europe or whatever. These are coming from even the developed world now. Not only from the developing world. That is why I am urging that we need to invest in sustainable development. That is why the UN takes sustainable development, as top priority in addressing these issues. There are many issues like climate change, food crisis, water scarcity, energy shortages and gender empowerment, oceans and cities. All these are interconnected issues and therefore in investing sustainable energy, sustainable development, that will help revitalize economy, that will help protect this planed earth, that will spread this benefit of this modern technologies and development. That is my message. Thank you. Can I get a sense, we haven't got a huge amount of time. Just looking around the room of where questions are. So we'll try and take two of three together, so if you can be brief with your question. Do you think that the companies needs to do more to take social responsibility? Okay, business and more social responsibility. Just moving towards the lady there. The US announced an oil embargo against Iran. How do you see these rising tensions? My name is Alexandra (inaudible) from the Austrian Daily Der Standard. Okay. Rising tensions all about Iran. And gentleman at the back, just behind. Thanks. The Secretary General spoke about some of the Arab leaders needing to be more... Sorry, Secretary General spoke about some of the Arab leaders needing to be more bold in their approach. Can you talk a little about the boldness you'd expect to see from president Assad and Syria. Okay. Sir, so that's business showing more social responsibility, comments on the Iranian oil embargo and on Syria. Business responsibility, what we call corporate responsibility. This has become one of the important agendas. I'm meeting today with many business CEO's who are the members of the UN Global Compact. There is a crucially important role to be played by business communities. They have the capacity, in terms of financial resources, they have the capacity to innovate technologies. And they have social and moral responsibility to spread all these messages of social equity as business CEO's. That's why I'm meeting them and I'm urging them to be part of United Nations drive to realize the social sustainable development. In fact, many companies, they have been investing a lot of money in renewable energy, in improving the efficiency of energy. This is the important part. I believe that energy is central to everything that we want to achieve, is central to everything we live in this world. That's one thing. This global compact has 10 principles. There's good management, including human rights, and social responsibility, anti-corruptions, transparency, accountability. All these are very good principles by which these businesses should operate. In this time of economic difficulties it's all the more important that business leaders, they should lead by example in addressing these issues. On Iran, I have been speaking out many times, publicly, privately. There are five Security Council Resolutions already adopted, including four resolutions on sanctions on Iran. What is important at this time is two things. First of all, Iran should fully comply with relevant Security Council Resolutions. All the member states of the United Nations have responsibility, political and legal, to fully comply with security council resolutions and they have not done yet. And they have to prove themselves that their nuclear development program is genuinely for peaceful purposes, which they have not done yet. I am deeply concerned by the report of the most recent IAEA, International Atomic Energy Agency report, indicating that there is a possibility of a military dimension in Iranian nuclear development programs, on which they say this is peaceful. Onus is on Iranian's side. At the same time I am urging (inaudible) and Iran engage in a dialogue. There are no other alternatives in addressing this crisis than peaceful resolution through a dialogue. And on this Arab Spring, last year we have seen the remarkable, remarkable situations. Many people came to the street and yearning for democracy, freedom and dignity. That is why I have made helping those countries in transition as one of my five generational opportunities. Because this kind of situation doesn't come often. It comes once in a generation or so. If you look at the history, beginning from the end of the Second World War, you will see almost once in a generation you have seen a focal historical development, starting from democratization process in Eastern Europe in the late 1950's. And in the 1960's, 70's in Asia, including my own country, And then you have seen the fall of the Berlin wall, collapse of Cold War in late 80's and 90's. Then it has come after a generation. So we have to seize this moment. We have to help these people because they have been oppressed so long without any way to depend up here. Now they have come out, women and young people. They are yearning for these aspirations. That's why I have been urging leaders to listen very sincerely, carefully, to their aspirations. I'm going to continue to do that, and I'm encouraging that when it comes to the Syrian situation, the League of Arab States have made the resolution, trying to resolve this issue through a political process. The Secretary General of the League of Arab States and the chairman of this the Catholic Prime Minister, are coming to UN Sectretary Council to brief them. I hope that the Security Council will be able to act in a coherent, in the same voice. Thank you. Mr Ban, thank you very much. I'm afraid to say we're almost at the limit of our time. Have you got time for a very brief, one minute. Just one more, one more. Okay, one more question. Lady just there with the blonde hair. You, ma'am. Jane Malsinson (phonetic) from the Guardian. Can you just say more about the position of women, which is one of your five agendas. Whether you're disappointed with international support for UN Women and how you go about pushing that agenda in places in the developing world or even places like China? One of the top priorities during my first term as a Secretary General, was improving this political, social and economic status of women. Women hold up half the sky. More than half of the population of the world are women. Therefore, fully utilizing the potentials of women can accelerate in addressing all these difficult challenges, including current economic and financial crisis. I believe that the least utilized resources of this world are women, women potentials. That's why UN has taken this and established UN Women. There is a very strong support from the international community, to this UN Women. But supporting any agency dealing with women is not enough. There must be fundamental changes in the mindset of the world leaders and all the world community. Particularly, we need the political leaders changes of their mindset. Otherwise it will not change. That's why as a Secretary General, I have been speaking out very strongly and I have been leading this by example. You come to United Nations and see how the UN has changed. There were very few senior women who were in the decision making process. I have appointed quite a number of women in undersecretary's positions. This is the highest senior-most positions. We have one Secretary General, one Deputy Secretary General, then most of the senior most, they're undersecretary generals. Now there are many, at least seven, women who are now commanding UN peacekeeping operations and political missions. In the field there were none. There were only two or three in the sixty years of history. So there's a huge change. But changes in the United Nations is not enough. They have to change all throughout the member states of the United Nations. Often, I've been challenging the leaders, publicly or privately. You must change your system to allow women to proceed and take a more important role in the decision-making process, particularly in political positions, like becoming parliamentarians, or ministers, or ambassadors. But, more importantly, I'm focusing on political opportunities so that they can be part of changing the systems. That I will continue and I need the support of journalist origin. You are the connectors of the United Nations and myself. These messages should be connected to all throughout the world, particularly to the leaders. And I count on your support. I thank you very much. Mr. Ban, ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much.