- Title: HONDURAS-UN/BAN KI-MOON UN's Ban in official Honduras visit
- Date: 15th January 2015
- Summary: TEGUCIGALPA, HONDURAS (JANUARY 14, 2015) (REUTERS) HONOUR GUARD MARCHING HONDURAS PRESIDENT JUAN HERNANDEZ AND ANA GARCIA DE HERNANDEZ WAITING TO GREET UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON BAN GETTING OUT OF CAR BAN SHAKING HANDS WITH HERNANDEZ HONOUR GUARD VARIOUS OF BAN AND HERNANDEZ WAVING BAN AND HERNANDEZ ENTERING PRESIDENTIAL PALACE BAN AND HERNANDEZ COMING OUT FOR JOINT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON, SAYING: "The United Nations has been following with grave concern the situation of citizen security in Honduras and its neighbours and the impact of drug trafficking and organised crimes. I take note of the governments measures to improve the security situation." BAN AND HERNANDEZ AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON, SAYING: "President Hernandez and I also discussed the concerns of the impact of violence on the human rights situation. This is of particular importance with respect to the right to life, violence against women, as well as targeted killings of journalists, human rights defenders and union leaders. Impunity remains a challenge. NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON, SAYING: "I am pleased that we will soon open the first ever U.N. human rights office in Honduras. This office will offer full protection and will investigate mandate and security guarantees." END OF NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 30th January 2015 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Honduras
- Country: Honduras
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA514S8U88KO00DNPX70LNHR8U6
- Story Text: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Honduras Wednesday (January 14) where he plans to meet with leaders in the violence-ravaged country over the next two days to examine hostility and human rights issues.
Upon arrival Ban was welcomed by honour guard and greeted by Honduran President Juan Hernandez and First Lady Ana Garcia de Hernandez.
A recent United Nations report ranked the Central American country as having the highest murder rate in the world, mostly due to drug violence.
Drug-related violence in Honduras has increased since Mexico's drug cartels expanded into the country, enlisting local street gangs and using its Caribbean coast to transport South American cocaine to the United States.
Ban said the U.N. has been keeping an eye on the situation and he was in the country to gather information about what is happening on the ground.
"The United Nations has been following with grave concern the situation of citizen security in Honduras and its neighbours and the impact of drug trafficking and organised crimes. I take note of the governments measures to improve the security situation," Ban said after meeting with Hernandez.
"President Hernandez and I also discussed the concerns of the impact of violence on the human rights situation. This is of particular importance with respect to the right to life, violence against women, as well as targeted killings of journalists, human rights defenders and union leaders. Impunity remains a challenge," he added.
Ban said plans to create a U.N. human rights office in Honduras will help bring more security to the country.
"I am pleased that we will soon open the first ever U.N. human rights office in Honduras. This office will offer full protection and will investigate mandate and security guarantees," said Ban.
During his trip Ban will also meet with local human rights workers as well as congressional and judicial leaders in the country.
From here he will be travelling to neighbouring El Salvador. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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