The taking of life is too absolute, too irreversible, for one human being to inflict on another, even when backed by legal process. Where the death penalty persists, conditions for those awaiting execution are often horrifying, leading to aggravated suffering.
BAN KI-MOONOne of my earliest memories is walking up a muddy road into the mountains. It was raining. Behind me, my village was burning. When there was school, it was under a tree. Then the United Nations came. They fed me, my family, my community.
More Ban Ki-moon Quotes
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Climate change is destroying our path to sustainability. Ours is a world of looming challenges and increasingly limited resources. Sustainable development offers the best chance to adjust our course.
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A deal must include an equitable global governance structure. All countries must have a voice in how resources are deployed and managed.
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National boundaries these days are not that important because of transformative technological development. Now we are talking about the fourth industrial revolution.
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We hold the future in our hands, together, we must ensure that our grandchildren will not have to ask why we failed to do the right thing, and let them suffer the consequences.
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I call on men and boys everywhere to join us. Violence against women and girls will not be eradicated until all of us – men and boys – refuse to tolerate it.
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The world is over-armed and peace is under-funded.
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Sustainable development and climate change are two sides of the same coin
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Our atmosphere can’t tell the difference between emissions from an Asian factory, the exhaust from a North American SUV, or deforestation in South America or Africa.
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Saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty, advancing economic growth – these are one and the same fight.
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The power of the leader is given to him by the people, so he has a duty to engage and listen more attentively and carefully to the aspirations of the people.
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Millions of people in nearly 80 countries still live in fear of landmines and explosive remnants of war, which take an unacceptable toll on lives and limbs, and people’s livelihoods
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I have been urging the leaders to listen to the aspirations and challenges of their own people, and engage in dialogue and take very bold measures. Normally, to their regret, these measures and bold reforms come too late, too little.
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Between now and 2015, we must make sure that promises made become promises kept. The consequences of doing otherwise are profound: death, illness and despair, needless suffering, lost opportunities for millions upon millions of people.
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Reason doesn’t mean very much in a country like North Korea.
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To achieve a Green Revolution, African farmers, must have access to land and security of tenure. They also need access to markets, technology and improved infrastructure.
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