UN Chief Urges Leaders To Heed Public Calls For Global Economic Justice

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today reiterated his call for the leaders of the world’s biggest economies to restore public confidence in the global economic system, saying that mass protests in numerous cities around the world are the result of frustrations with inequality.

Responding to a reporter’s question in Bern after a meeting with Switzerland’s President Micheline Calmy-Rey, Mr. Ban said the forthcoming summit of the Group of 20 (G-20) developed and emerging economies in Cannes, France, should strive to find solutions for the entire global economy and not just discuss the financial concerns of Member States.

That is what the people are hoping to see. That is what you are seeing all around the world, starting from Wall Street. People are showing their frustrations by trying to send a very clear and unambiguous message to the world.

“G-20 leaders have a very broad and important, crucial, responsibility to perform, not only their own economies, but the global economies. That is why I said to restore confidence and trust from the people, from the market. The leaders should look beyond their national borders. They have to come out with a broader perspective to save this world.

He said the G-20 leaders should not lose sight of the plight of billions of people across the world who have been affected by the global economic crisis.

“That is my message which I’m trying to convey before I attend this Cannes summit meeting,” he said. The summit will be held on 3-4 November.