9 May 2012

GA / BAN SYRIA

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressed the General Assembly on the latest developments in Syria and his recent trips to Myanmar and India. UNTV

Posted at: May 9, 2012 5:18 pm

Duration: 02:42

Available in: SD

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Full script

STORY: GA / BAN SYRIA
TRT: 2.46
SOURCE: UNTV 
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 9 MAY 2012, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters

9 MAY 2012, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, dais
3. Med shot, delegates
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General:
"The government and all elements of the opposition must realize that we have a brief window to stop the violence, a brief opportunity to create an opening for political engagement between the government and those seeking change. If this opportunity is not seized, I fear that what Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan has warned about will come to pass, a full-scale civil war with catastrophic affects within Syria and across the region."
5. Wide shot, dais
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General:
"We cannot continue the same approach and expect different results. This negotiating period will be the last opportunity to realize the document and there is much work ahead. The time has come to shift gears to reach our destination in time. We must be determined to confront the hard issues now, 100 percent of the issues, instead of kicking the can to Rio. Quite simply, we need a negotiated outcome document before Rio to ensure the high-level participation that we have worked so hard to generate."
7. Med shot, delegates
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General:
"The Government of Sudan must address legitimate political and economic aspirations of its people in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile where humanitarian access should be immediately granted and a cessation of hostilities negotiated. The Government of South Sudan must address grievances behind inter-communal violence and gain the full trust of its population. It is imperative that both sides stop any and all warfare by proxy, before it become too late."
9. Med shot, Myanmar delegation
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General:
"The international community is responding positively to the reforms. Many countries have announced the lifting or suspension of economic sanctions, but much more needs to be done to enable Myanmar's transition to succeed. The United Nations is committed to doing its part.  During my visit, we agreed to strengthen our partnership in a number of concrete, practical ways, including through my continued good offices." 
11. Med shot, India delegation
12. Zoom out, General Assembly

STORYLINE:

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today (9 May) condemned a bomb explosion which occurred in the vicinity of a convoy of UN observers in Syria today, injuring several Syrian soldiers accompanying the delegation.

The observers, part of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS), were on their way from Damascus for a visit to the southern city of Dar'a, under Syrian army escort. They had crossed a military checkpoint on the road approaching the town when the improvised explosive device detonated, shortly before midday.

Speaking to the General Assembly upon his return from his visit to India and Myanmar, the Secretary-General urged the Syrian Government and the opposition to "realize that we have a brief window to stop the violence, a brief opportunity to create an opening for political engagement between the government and those seeking change."

He added that if this opportunity is not seized, there is a clear possibility of "a full-scale civil war with catastrophic affects within Syria and across the region."

Turning his attention to the upcoming Rio + 20 Conference on Sustainable Development, Ban urged participation at the highest levels and highlighted the need for a negotiated outcome document before Rio.

He said that "we cannot continue the same approach and expect different results" and stressed that "this negotiating period will be the last opportunity to realize the document."

Ban also announced that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia; President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia; and Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom have accepted his invitation to serve as co-chairs of a High Level Panel on Post-2015 Development Planning, to follow up on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

On the ongoing conflict between Sudan and South Sudan, the Secretary-General said that "the Government of Sudan must address legitimate political and economic aspirations of its people in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile where humanitarian access should be immediately granted and a cessation of hostilities negotiated."

Meanwhile, the Government of South Sudan "must address grievances behind inter-communal violence and gain the full trust of its population."

He stressed that it was "imperative that both sides stop any and all warfare by proxy, before it become too late."

Finally, the Secretary-General reported on his third visit to Myanmar and his meetings with President Thein Sein and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

He warned that despite the progress the country has made, the process remains fragile.

Ban noted the positive response from the international community and that "many countries have announced the lifting or suspension of economic sanctions."

He expressed commitment from the United Nations to "enable Myanmar's transition to succeed."

In April, Myanmar citizens headed to the polls to vote for representatives of 48 parliamentary seats, with Suu Kyi winning a position in the lower house of parliament. The by-elections were part of a series of democratic reforms led by President Sein, which began last year.