UNITED NATIONS, July 7 (InnerCityPro.com) - The UN emailed out a read-out of Ban Ki-moon in China, below since it did not immediately go on the UN's website. It differs from what Ban Ki-moon's spokesman said in response to ICP's questions about North Korea, which Reuters reported as their own. First from the UN transcript, then the UN read-out:
Inner City Press: the Secretary-General has invite… well, first, does he have any comment on the US sanctions on DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) and Kim Jong-un in particular as an individual that were announced yesterday?
Spokesman: Obviously, we’re aware of the recent round of sanctions imposed by the United States on the DPRK. Unilateral sanctions are a matter for the States concerned. As far as the Secretary-General is concerned, the Security Council has discussed the human rights situation in the DPRK several times, based, I think, on what… the very powerful report by the independent Commission of Inquiry two years ago. The UN system has also been working to follow up on these findings and recommendations of the report. The Secretary-General believes that discussion of human rights concerns allow for a more comprehensive assessment and action when addressing security and stability concerns on the Korean Peninsula, and he hopes that Member States including China uses its influence to encourage the DPRK authorities to cooperate with international human rights mechanisms.
Inner City Press: Okay. Thanks. And I wanted to know, can you confirm, at least two papers in South Korea have reported that the Secretary-General has announ… has invited Kim Jong-un to attend this world conference on sustainable transport in Ashkebad, Turkmenistan, in November. Is that the case?
Spokesman: I’m not aware of the particular invitation. I know of the conference. And as the Secretary-General for these international conferences invites all the Heads of State and leaders to attend, but I don’t have the particular invitation.
Inner City Press: At least both the stories that I’ve seen report this as some attempt by him to bring the two countries together.
Spokesman: I’ve said what I can safely say and what I know.
This is strange, since the Korea Times story was in the UN's UN clips, which Ban has said his spokesman always reads.
Here now the UN's read-out:
Readout of the Secretary-General’s meetings with
H.E. Mr. Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China and H.E. Mr. Wang Yi, Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China
The Secretary-General had respective meetings on 7 June with H.E. Mr. Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China and with H.E. Mr. Wang Yi, Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China.
The Secretary-General extended his condolences for the lives lost during the recent hurricane and heavy rainfalls that brought devastation to many provinces and commended the Government of China’s relief efforts.
The Secretary-General welcomed China's strong support for the work of the Organisation. He noted that under the leadership of President Xi, cooperation between the United Nations and China had further accelerated, citing among others, China's generous financial and peacekeeping pledges at last year's General Assembly. He greatly valued China's troop contributions to UN missions in complex and challenging environments and expressed his condolences for the recent death of a Chinese peacekeeper in Mali.
The Secretary-General also valued China's contributions to promote peace and security in Syria, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Sudan and South Sudan and encouraged China to remain seized on these issues. As the meetings followed the Secretary-General’s visit to a training base for helicopter crews committed to joining the Peacekeeping force in Darfur, he made particular mention of this Chinese peacekeeping support.
The interlocutors also discussed the situation on the Korean Peninsula and they exchanged views on ways to de-escalate the heightened tensions and find a path for denuclearization through dialogue.
Noting China's impressive development during the last decade, the Secretary-General recognized the country’s critical role in advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, at home and abroad, including with its inclusion in the G20 meeting agenda in September. He also expressed appreciation for China’s leadership on climate change, particularly its support for ratification of the Paris Agreement.
The Secretary-General reiterated the readiness of the United Nations system to continue to work with the Government of China to advance all three pillars of the UN Charter, peace and security, development and human rights.
In addition to the meetings with President Xi and Foreign Minister Wang, the Secretary-General met with H.E. Mr. Wang Yong, State Councillor of the People’s Republic of China prior to his participation in the 10th Anniversary Meeting of the Adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Secretary-General commended China on its commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and for its inclusion in its development planning.
7 July 2016, Beijing