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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.

Ban Ki-moon

Sustainable development and climate change are two sides of the same coin
BAN KI-MOON

Climate Inspiring Sides Two
The international community must offer short-term emergency measures to meet critical needs. But it must also make longer-term investments to promote food production and agricultural development, enhance food security and maintain and accelerate momentum towards the MDGs.
BAN KI-MOON

Community Emergency International Measure Need
The current model is global suicide. We need a revolution. Revolutionary thinking. Revolutionary action. Natural resources are becoming more and more scarce.
BAN KI-MOON

Business Suicide Thinking
Since [violence against women] is rooted in discrimination, impunity and complacency, we need to change attitudes and behavior – and we need to change laws and make sure they are enforced just like you are doing in Cuba.
BAN KI-MOON

Attitude Cuba Law
We must turn the greatest collective challenge facing humankind today – climate change – into the greatest opportunity for common progress towards a sustainable future.
BAN KI-MOON

Challenges Opportunity Progress
The longer we delay, the more we will pay.
BAN KI-MOON

Delay Longer More Pay
This is the moral challenge of our generation. Not only are the eyes of the world upon us. More important, succeeding generations depend on us. We cannot rob our children of their future.
BAN KI-MOON

Children Eye Our Generation
My observation is China is thinking more as a global player than regionally, in both politics and economics.
BAN KI-MOON

Economics Player Thinking
Energy is the golden thread that connects economic growth, increased social equity, and an environment that allows the world to thrive.
BAN KI-MOON

Energy Growth World
We must follow the wisdom of the Brundtland Report. We must pursue development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
BAN KI-MOON

Development Generations Needs
On this International Day for the Abolition of Slavery let us reaffirm the inherent dignity of all men, women and children. And let us redouble our efforts to build societies in which slavery truly is a term for the history books.
BAN KI-MOON

Book Children Men
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.
BAN KI-MOON

Opportunity People Profound
We have all heard of the web of life. The way we live threatens to trap us in a web of death.
BAN KI-MOON

Life Vegan Way Web
For my generation, coming of age at the height of the Cold War, fear of nuclear winter seemed the leading existential threat on the horizon. But the danger posed by war to all humanity-and to our planet-is at least matched by climate change.
BAN KI-MOON

Humanity War Winter
Climate change…is, simply, the greatest collective challenge we face as a human family.
BAN KI-MOON

Challenges Climate Faces
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-MOON

Death Execution Penalty Suffering
I strongly reject threats by any member state to destroy another or outrageous attempts to deny historical facts such as the Holocaust.
BAN KI-MOON

Country Destroy Historical Holocaust
As the young leaders of tomorrow, you have the passion and energy and commitment to make a difference. What I’d like to really urge you do is to have a global vision. Go beyond your country; go beyond your national boundaries
BAN KI-MOON

Commitment Country Passion
You have to take ownership and leadership of tomorrow. For that to be possible, you have to strengthen your capacity and widen your vision as a global citizen.
BAN KI-MOON

Citizen Tomorrow Vision
To measure the success of our societies, we should examine how well those with different abilities, including persons with autism, are integrated as full and valued members.
BAN KI-MOON

Autism Different Our Society
Today, we have more than 110,000 men and women deployed in conflict zones around the world. They come from nearly 120 countries … Thanks to their efforts, life-saving humanitarian assistance can be delivered and economic development can begin.
BAN KI-MOON

Country Effort Men
Saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty, advancing economic growth… these are one and the same fight. We must connect the dots between climate change, water scarcity, energy shortages, global health, food security and women’s empowerment. Solutions to one problem must be solutions for all.
BAN KI-MOON

Fighting People Water
It has been said that knowledge is power. We need to strengthen education systems so that young people can benefit from cultural diversity, and not be victimized by those who exploit differences.
BAN KI-MOON

Differences Diversity People
SUSTAINABLE PEACE IS POSSIBLE ONLY WITH WOMEN’S FULL PARTICIPATION, their perspectives, their leadership, their daily, equal presence wherever we seek to make and keep the peace.
BAN KI-MOON

Equal Participation Perspective
Every literate woman is a victory over poverty
BAN KI-MOON

Literate Poverty Victory
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.
BAN KI-MOON

Boys Girl Powerful
Gender equality and women’s empowerment have been a top priority for me from day one as Secretary-General. And I am committed to making sure that the U.N. leads by example.
BAN KI-MOON

Empowerment Example Priorities

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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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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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