UN-BAN/ITALY Ban Ki-moon calls high level U.N. assembly to discuss violent extremism
Record ID:
565917
UN-BAN/ITALY Ban Ki-moon calls high level U.N. assembly to discuss violent extremism
- Title: UN-BAN/ITALY Ban Ki-moon calls high level U.N. assembly to discuss violent extremism
- Date: 18th March 2015
- Summary: ROME, ITALY (MARCH 18, 2015) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** UNITED NATIONS (U.N.) SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON AND ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER PAOLO GENTILONI ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERAS (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON SAYING: "Daesh or ISIL have committed unspeakable brutality by beheading and putting minority groups, women and girls to horrifying human rights violations. At the same time it is important for the United Nations and international community to continue to provide the humanitarian assistance. There are many areas where the U.N. and the humanitarian agencies can not have access because of these areas are controlled by armed groups or some terrorist groups, extremist groups. I am asking that all the groups or countries or whoever may have influence on those, should really help so that humanitarian groups can deliver life-saving daily assistance." JOURNALIST DURING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON SAYING: "Next month in the United Nations, the president of the General Assembly and I are co-convening a high level general assembly meeting to discuss on, addressing extreme, violent extremism and terrorism by addressing all the root causes by enhancing the level of tolerance, I am going to invite government leaders as well as world's religious and faith leaders." JOURNALISTS DURING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON SAYING: "I am horrified by the unscrupulous actions of smugglers who subject vulnerable migrants, asylum seekers and refugees to abuse and openly abandon them to die at sea. I commend the rescue efforts particularly by the Italian navy and coastguard, I urge the European Union and other countries to do far more to address this challenge. There is also an urgent need to address the root causes of this phenomenon." JOURNALIST DURING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER PAOLO GENTILONI SAYING: "I repeated to the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that Italy is ready to carry out a fundamental role in all activities that the United Nations decides to implement after an agreement is reached in Libya." MEDIA BAN KI-MOON AND GENTILONI SHAKING HANDS AND LEAVING THE NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 2nd April 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Italy
- Country: Italy
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAB92PL24W2BZ1HXFZ75PQ2XBF6
- Story Text: The United Nation's Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Wednesday (March 18) that he will call a high level general assembly at the United Nations next month to discuss violent extremism.
Speaking at a news conference with the Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni in Rome, Ban Ki-moon said it is vital that humanitarian assistance to people in Syria, Iraq and Libya reach those in need.
"Daesh or ISIL have committed unspeakable brutality by beheading and putting minority groups, women and girls to horrifying human rights violations. At the same time it is important for the United Nations and international community to continue to provide the humanitarian assistance," he said.
"There are many areas where the U.N. and the humanitarian agencies can not have access because of these areas are controlled by armed groups or some terrorist groups, extremist groups. I am asking that all the groups or countries or whoever may have influence on those, should really help so that humanitarian groups can deliver life-saving daily assistance," he added.
Special U.N. envoys are currently working in Libya and Syria to set up dialogue between differing groups in order to allow humanitarian aid to through some of these areas. But growing international concern over the violence of Islamic State has encouraged the United Nations to hold a special assembly in order to discuss the phenomenon.
"Next month in the United Nations, the President of the General Assembly and I are co-convening a high level general assembly meeting to discuss on, addressing extreme violent extremism and terrorism by addressing all the root causes by enhancing the level of tolerance, I am going to invite government leaders as well as worlds' religious and faith leaders," he said.
Ban Ki-moon also discussed the growing problem of thousands of migrants trying to reach Italy by boat from the coastline of Libya.
"I am horrified by the unscrupulous actions of smugglers who subject vulnerable migrants, asylum seekers and refugees to abuse and openly abandon them to die at sea," he said.
"I commend the rescue efforts particularly by the Italian navy and coastguard, I urge the European Union and other countries to do far more to address this challenge. There is also an urgent need to address the root causes of this phenomenon," Ban Ki-moon said.
Italy has been urging the EU to strenghten its search and rescue capacity along the Mediterrenean.
The Italian foreign minister said top of the talks agenda had been the security situation in Libya, a former colony of Italy with which it still has strong trade links.
"I repeated to the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that Italy is ready to carry out a fundamental role in all activities that the United Nations decides to implement after an agreement is reached in Libya," Gentiloni said.
Ban Ki-moon is in Italy to take part in the annual U.N. retreat in Turin, where issues such as security, development and peace are discussed. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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