Secretary-General: 'Hope is not a refuge but a duty' in Normandy message

The Secretary-General told the Normandy World Peace Forum that at a time when 'geopolitical upheavals, wars, inequality, and the climate crisis are shaking our world to its core,' peace must be built through justice, solidarity, humanitarian access and trust between peoples.

"Hope is not a refuge but a duty," the Secretary-General said, urging states and citizens alike "to defend international law against the law of power, to protect human rights against abuses, and to uphold human dignity against indifference." The message emphasized the need for listening and compromise and drew on Europe's postwar experience of reconciliation as an example.

The statement framed peace as an active, public responsibility rather than a passive state. The Secretary-General said Normandy "knows the cost of war" and the "power of reconciliation and collective commitment" that helped rebuild Europe after World War II, calling on all parties to draw on that memory when addressing current crises.

The briefing did not announce new UN measures tied to the Normandy remarks; the spokesman said the message was intended to underscore the Secretary-General's priorities for diplomacy, humanitarian access, and upholding international legal norms amid multiple conflicts.

The press briefing moved next to operational updates from UN departments and the day's diplomatic engagements, including work by the Secretary-General's personal envoy for the Middle East.