Readout of the President’s Drop-By with Outgoing United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

President Obama dropped by a meeting today between National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice and outgoing Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon. The President thanked Secretary-General Ban for his valuable leadership of the United Nations over the past decade. The two leaders discussed the accomplishments the United States and the United Nations have made together since 2009 to strengthen international action on a wide range of global threats and challenges, including climate change, preventing and ending armed conflicts, protecting universal human rights, advancing sustainable global economic development and reducing inequality, and addressing the threat posed by Iran and North Korea’s nuclear and missile activities. President Obama conveyed the importance of a strong partnership between the United States and the United Nations, and urged continued efforts to reform and strengthen the UN to better address the unprecedented demands for United Nations action on a broad set of international challenges.