UN's Ban Ki-moon urges need to "invest in humanity"
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged to cut the number of displaced people in half by 2030, and find better solution for refugees.
"We need to invest in humanity, " Ban Ki-moon said at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul on May 23.
Ban Ki-moon said that humanity has shared responsibilities. He then thanked the government and people of Turkey.
"I proposed this summit four years ago. Today, the urgency has only grown. A record number of people, 130 million, need aid to survive. Over the next two days, people of the world are looking at us for commitment. First, conflict prevention and resolution. We must do more to prevent conflicts that takes up more than 80% of humanitarian funding. That requires greater political will, leadership and perseverance. Second, strengthening protection of civilians who are under attack as never before. It is time to impose international humanitarian and human rights law," he said.
First World Humanitarian Summit is being held by an initiative of the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon with the organizational support of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The summit involves representatives of 177 countries, including 125 heads of state and governments.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili, President of Macedonia Gjorge Ivanov, President of Mali Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, the 5th Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah IV Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of Lebanon Tammam Salam, as well as leaders of other countries are taking part in the summit.
The purpose of the summit is to strengthen the international humanitarian system.
It is not a coincidence that Istanbul was chosen as a venue to host the summit, since Turkey received the largest number of refugees.
The summit will continue its work May 23-24.
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