18 June 2016 – On a visit to Greece, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today discussed the refugee crisis with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, urging States to address the root causes of displacement and more evenly share the responsibility for the welfare of migrants and refugees.
“The main topic of discussion at this time is of course the tremendous challenges you are facing in addressing the needs of so many desperate people fleeing war and persecution,” Mr. Ban said in a press conference held in the country's capital, Athens.
Mr. Ban's two-day visit to Greece came just ahead of the World Refugee Day on 20 June, and in the runup to UN General Assembly's High-Level Meeting to address the large movements of refugees and migrants on 19 September.
The UN chief acknowledged Greece's important contributions to the United Nations across the international agenda, and thanked the people of Greece for their global citizenship.
“Despite the country's own economic troubles, Greece has been generous in saving lives,” he said. However, “Greece should not be left to address this challenge on its own,” he added.
“I remained deeply distressed at the high number of deaths in the Mediterranean. We must work together to protect people and address the root causes of displacement. I continue to call for greater sharing of this responsibility across Europe and, indeed, across the world,” he said.