their voices, to their views, so that we can understand the challenges that they are facing through their eyes. and we need to learn from their experiences and from their expertise. you see, these young people are developing all kinds of new technologies and social media strategies to address problems that our generation hasn't yet solved. whether it is an app to fight cervical cancer or a new approach to clean energy, they are coming up with solutions that we never could have dreamed of. so the question is, can we in our governments learn from them and follow their lead? can we embrace their ideas and incorporate them into policies and strategies? and in our work as first ladies, first spouses, can we find new ways to be more inclusive of these young people and show them that we truly value their voices?

and so many of you are already embracing young leaders through your work, whether it's improving girls education or fighting cervical cancer or hiv or supporting micro-finance, you all have the potential to inspire millions across the globe. so it is my hope that today, we will rededicate ourselves to these efforts and commit to new efforts to lift up our young people. and i hope that you all will have a chance today to really connect with each other and learn from each other. and hopefully be inspired by each other. with that, it is now my pleasure to begin a conversation with the first lady who has long been an inspiration to me. laura bush set a high bar for me during her time in the white house, and she has continued to do outstanding work around the world since she and her husband

left washington. i consider her not just a role model but also a friend. i'm thrilled that our conversation today will be moderated by another woman who i greatly respect and admire, one of america's leading journalists, our friend, cokie roberts. with that, i will have them come out to the stage so that we can begin our conversation. thank you so much for joining us. enjoy the rest of the day. [applause] >> well, i am so excited that we get to do this again. >> we did this last summer. >> we did it in tanzania and i would like to thank you so much for that.

it was a wonderful, wonderful experience for all of us to be there with you. thank you for hosting us last year. and thank you for hosting us this year. so here we are. >> our pleasure. >> it is -- i remember, i recall last year you were still getting blow-back about your bangs. >> yeah, that's over. let's see what they say about this one. >> my goodness, you have bangs from the program, i have to say. since then your daughter has turned 16. >> hmm. >> yes. but i have to tell you i'm envious to anyone who has a daughter turn 16, envious to have it happen in the white house where you kind of can keep an eye on her. >> we can share the experience with the world. all of the pain and pleasure that goes along with it. >> i remember lucy johnson, president johnson's daughter saying when she turned 16 in the white house and got a driver's license, she said, it was permission to drive a motor vehicle. that's all it was.

for most people a driver's license is freedom. >> that's right. >> but you're experiencing it well. >> the girls are growing up and as laura and the president know, it is a true testament to the parents to raise wonderful young people through this experience. we have had some terrific role models. jenna and barbara are just amazing young women who are doing extraordinary things, not just in this country but around the globe. and once again, they're setting a high bar. but the girls are doing great. i'm very proud of them. >> and you have a grand baby. >> that's right. a girl. we have our first grand baby. exactly. our darling -- [applause] -- our darling little mila. george and i are just gaga over our baby. >> how old is she now? >> 16 months. >> oh, she's doing real things.

>> yes. >> 16 months. she's doing great. >> so we just saw that very important video and mrs. obama, you spoke last week to the young african leaders and you were very strong in your statements about the need for educating girls and treating women and girls with dignity and equality. why did you choose to do that? >> well, so often what we find in our positions is you can -- you have to change attitudes before you can change behaviors. one of the things i said to the young people, we can talk about the need for more resources when it concerns girls' education, the need for school fees, and need to improve transportation, but the bottom line is that until men, leaders, women, until we value women and girls, we won't tackle those other

problems. until we prioritize our girls and understand that they are as important and their education is as important as the education of our sons. then we will have lots of work to do. and i wanted to just implant that notion in the minds of these young leaders because they have to approach their work with a whole new attitude. and one of the things i asked the young men is that you have to be introspective and ask yourselves whether you truly believe women can be your equal. and in sharing my story, just understanding the power of having men in my life who valued me and put me first and treated me with respect and didn't abuse me and didn't talk down to me. i want young men around the world to understand that they have a role to play alongside of women who are fighting for these rights and i want our young men to understand this at an early age. [applause]

>> mrs. bush, you have been working on this issue for a long time, particularly with women of afghanistan. are you still doing that? tell us about where you are now. >> yes, we're still working on that. after september 11, when the spotlight turned to afghanistan, and we in the united states looked at the way women in afghanistan were treated, many, many people, women and men in the u.s. were concerned. and that's when i first started working with women in afghanistan. and mrs. obama is right, in fact one person said to me one time, why are you working with women? it's men that have the problems. [laughter] i think we do need to make sure worldwide that all humans are valued. women and men are valued, girls and boys are valued and that human life is valued. i think that's really the most important thing we can do. all of us can do, try to

increase that knowledge worldwide that every life is precious. >> of course, on this question, the question of girls' education and women's health and all of that, we have so much data now that shows that if you educate a girl, you save a country. are you finding that you're able to keep working on that? is that something you're able -- one of the questions i got last year after you all finished talking and i stayed for a couple of days, from these wonderful women was how do you keep it going? >> one of the things we have done, george and i have done, obviously when you live in the white house, you have a platform. but former first ladies and former presidents continue to have a platform and a convening power. and we tried to do that with the first ladies' initiative that we started last summer with the first conference. and that is to bring together really first ladies from around

the world. we started with african first ladies but we're interested in engaging first ladies from every country to talk about the very unique platform that the spouses of world leaders have to help the women in their countries to make sure that everyone is paying attention to the education of boys and girls in their country. and that we're making sure that women have the opportunity to be involved in the economic lives of their country. because only countries where all people are involved can be successful. when we look around the world and we see countries where half the population is marginalized or left out, then we usually see countries that are failing. so it's important to keep talking about that. >> and it's important as i said in my opening remarks to make room for the next generation of leaders. because one of the things that the young people said to me as i mentioned is that they -- they

asked me to ask the first spouses to make room for them because they're looking for a place at the table. and they specifically said that when you meet with the spouses of our country, tell them that we want to help. we want a voice. and that we're looking to them, they're looking to all of us to provide that seat. and that's where that platform that mrs. bush speaks of, why it's so important. because these young people, they believe that they get their inspiration from us. they're looking to us, they still don't quite know that they have the expertise and skills already. they think we know more. >> yes, we do. >> we do. [laughter] we do, we do. >> but when you listen to just the opening speakers, when you think about social media, just listening to the hashtags and twitter accounts, i mean, that

was a little nutty. but it's how you can continue the conversation. >> and globalize. >> and globalize it. and young people are more adept at that. as i tease my kids, i tell them i want them to use instagram to take a picture of something really important rather than their food. you know, but young people can be a support to us. i mean no one really cares what you have for lunch. >> you both talked last year when we were having this conversation about shining a light on an issue. and that you are in this unique position, you have the opportunity to shine the light, at some point people stop looking at what you're wearing and see what you're aiming at. one of the questions i get all the time is how do you choose? how do you choose what issue to shine the light on? you knew when you came in you wanted to do something about military families but it was kind of -- you expected to do something about early childhood cognition and september 11

changed all of that. how do you put it together to decide exactly what you're going to do? >> i think you look at yourself and see what your expertise is. when i came to the white house, i was -- i had been a librarian. i loved to read. i had been a teacher. so education and literacy were very, very obvious interests of mine and expertise of mine. so that's what i started with. then also you look at what appears. and there are ways you can take advantage of different things that happen to go in another way. i got a phone call, for instance, from the head of the national heart, lung and blood institute here in washington. she said, did you know heart disease is the leading cause of death among american women? and i didn't know that. i just assumed cancer was the leading cause of death among american women.

i knew if i didn't know heart disease was the leading cause of death, that many american women didn't know that either. so i was presented with the opportunity to talk about the heart truth and to get the word out to american women that heart disease was the leading cause of death so they could start doing things. because heart disease is often preventable. but also if you know that you might have a heart attack, it wouldn't just be your husband that had a heart attack, you can rush to the hospital yourself and get the kind of treatment that you would demand for your husband but you might not realize you would need yourself. so i think there are both ways, both look to your own expertise and just take advantage of other interests that come up and see if you can make a difference in your countries. >> also, where your passions lie. because i found that i have been

most effective when i am uniquely authentic. there's a sort of -- there's authenticity to what i say, so that means i have to really believe passionately in the causes that i take on. and that lends itself to more power, more effectiveness. it just makes you a better advocate because this is something you care deeply about. this was true when it came to the issue of educating our young people, i just started an initiative this year, reach higher. because one of the things i'm deeply passionate about is the role education has to play in the lives of our young people. and my story is the story that i try to share with young people to motivate them. there's nothing in my life that would indicate that i would be sitting here on this stage with a former first lady and one of the of the most renowned journalists, and every first spouse in africa. nothing in my life indicated that. but my parents believed in the value of education, even though

they were not educated themselves. and they pushed my brother and i to do the best that we could do. so what i want young people in america to understand is that we are blessed in this country to have public education, to have opportunities that many girls around the world are putting their lives at risk to achieve. so it's incumbent upon us here in america to take advantage of every opportunity, and young people have to own their education. i can do that because i believe it. it is my story. it is why i'm sitting here. and my hope is that i can start a national conversation about igniting that hunger for education in our young people and using that to talk about the issues that our girls around the world are facing with 60 million girls today not in school. 30 million of those in sub-saharan africa. i want our people across the

globe to be talking about, how do we fix that? that's just an example that i'm clearly passionate about. >> one of the things we're going to do today in the various panels is how to, essentially. and you all have done the how to. and part of that is private, public partnerships. and on all of your initiatives, it seems to me you have both done that. you have brought in universities, companies, foundations, whatever combination of things works. can you talk about it, for instance, with helping america's youth? >> helping america's youth was one of my initiatives and i traveled around the country and had summits actually, conferences, in many parts of the united states with all of the youth-servicing agencies, types of agencies from individual foundations that

people had to individuals themselves. two men, for instance, who used sports to teach character building in seattle. and worked with sports groups because they knew they could attract boys. and then they attracted their mothers there because their mothers would bring the boys to their sports practices so they would talk about sportsmanship in a way that really talked about life, and the way people can use all of the characteristics of a good sport to also be a good person. but what they discovered then was their mothers were, in many cases, single mothers. they didn't have a community really of their own and so they started after the sports games, they would have barbecues so mothers could meet each other and be with each other and really, they were out to help the boys but found out they helped the whole family. with this one agency or one foundation that these two men

started. and that's just one example of many, many others that were part of helping america's youth. >> and helping people get off drugs or not get into drugs. and there seems to be in some ways you have built on that with let's move. i mean, it is -- it is being preventatively healthy all along. talk to us a little about the about how you put that together. >> for those of you who don't know, let's move is my initiative to end childhood obesity in a generation. and we have really relied greatly on public-private partnerships because what we all have to understand is government has limits. limited resources, limited base of power. people look to government and think government can do everything but many of the solutions that we're trying to achieve require the involvement of nonprofit sector and the private sector.

so we have really enlisted companies to market food differently to kids so that they are not marketing unhealthy products. we have enlisted sports organizations to get kids up and moving. try to invest in more sports and communities that are underserved, whether it's the u.s. tennis association or the -- the nba or what have you. many of these private players have been very eager to step up and partner with us to achieve this goal because we all have an interest in making sure that the next generation is as healthy as possible. we spend billions of dollars in covering obesity-related illnesses and all of these illnesses are completely preventable with good diet and nutrition, exercise. so what we have said to many of our partners is we all have an interest in this.

there's a way can he can all do well by doing good. you know, we can -- companies can still be profitable by creating foods and educating parents and families to help them make better choices about what they feed their kids. >> i must say with teenage daughters though, it must be -- i would suspect that sometimes they say to you, let's move, mom! [laughter] >> yeah, sitting at our dining room table, cokie, yes. well, you know, every teenager has a little smart aleck in them, that's true. but one of the things we found in our household is that kids listen. they take on these new messages even when we don't think they're paying attention. and that's one of the things we try to tell parents is that they don't -- you don't know they're listening but i see how my children make different decisions about what they eat

now as teenagers now that they have control because they have the information about how food affects their overall health and ability to perform. but it's our job to empower the choices that are best for them. >> you have gotten some blowback from it -- >> surprising! >> i don't know. >> that was just where i was headed. it is -- i know that you both get into these things and you're doing them for the good of the country. and suddenly you get criticized for it and it must be such a shock in a way. >> i was not that shocked. remember, we have somebody that lived in the white house that we watch very closely that we love. president bush and barbara bush. so i was very aware when george ran for president that you're always going to be characterized

in a way that you aren't really. so i don't think it was any big surprise to me. that doesn't make it any less hurtful, but on the other hand, i think anyone who's in a leadership position of any sort knows you will be criticized and a target really for criticism. >> that's absolutely true. and that's really the role of leadership. it's not about amassing power. it's taking some of those hits and continuing to do the work even when it's painful and sometimes unappreciated. but that's why it's important for all of us to have a vision as first spouses. when you have your vision and you know what you're passionate about and you know what direction you're going in, then all of the arrows and spears and criticisms, they just bounce off

of you because you keep doing the work every day. and -- >> they might pinch. >> they might pinch a little bit. you might get shot in the eye. go to the doctor, patch yourself up and get back in the game. >> that's an important message for people to hear. it's hard to do what you all are doing. you talked about -- it's not about amassing power. it's certainly not for the spouses, right? it's not being in that role and still you get the criticism. so it's important to say that can live through it. >> and everyone comes to these positions with different temperaments. you know, watching mrs. bush, she's been able to traverse all of this with a level of grace and kindness and compassion, you know, just seeing how our transition worked. we talked about this in tanzania, that people are who

they are. i said this in my convention speech about the president. being president doesn't change who you are, it reveals who you are and that's true for first spouses as well. you come to this with a temperament. some people are shy and never want the limelight. other people are much more outgoing and maybe a bit more aggressive and able to withstand the heat of the spotlight that shines on us. but i think that all of us, we have to bring what is uniquely us to the table and work within that. and that sometimes what people around the world don't understand. first spouses, we don't choose this position. we just happen to be in it. and we do the best -- >> right. and you can't be fired. >> can't be fired. >> certainly hope not. >> i guess we will see. >> you know, one of the things that is unique is your voice as women.

you both talked about that last year. i went back and looked, you were both quite eloquent about how important it is for women to use your voices and your power. i think mrs. obama you said, you're not complicated but we're complex. and i think that's a good way of putting it. but again, mrs. bush, why is it important for women -- for women's voices in this particular position to be heard? >> for the first lady? well, i think it's important because the first lady has an opportunity really to talk about what is most interesting to her and what she thinks she can help, the way she thinks she can help her country and the people in her country the best. i love to quote lady bird johnson, who said the first lady has the podium, and she intended to use it, and she did. she was another texas first lady and i admired her from a distance. i didn't know her then but got to know her later when george was governor and we lived in

austin. but she really did. she used what she loved. she happened to love the native flowers and the natural beauty of our country. she made a huge difference, daffodils you see blooming here along the george washington parkway were planted because of lady bird johnson. yes, she used education and civil rights and she was a southern first lady so it was very important for her to speak out about civil rights and she did. she campaigned all across the south for the civil rights laws that were passed and signed during president johnson's administration. >> once again, i always go back to young people. you know, we meet -- i know i do -- meet thousands of just wonderful young people in our countries and around the world. to walk, to have a 7-year-old, 12-year-old walk up to you or send you a letter and tell them,

thank you for what you do. i look up to you. you inspire me, you know, that reminds us all that whether we like it or not, we are role models and as women, we have the young girls in our world, in our countries, they're looking to us. they're looking to us for how we should be, how we should think, how to use our voices. and as a result we have a responsibility to show them the way in whatever way we can. and that may be something as simple as embracing a child on the line and telling them that they're beautiful and that you're proud of them and that you know they're important and they're valued. i think about that because every time i meet a child i think who knows what's going on in her life? whether she's just bullied or whether she had a bad day at school or whether she lost a parent. that interaction that we have with that individual, that child, for that moment could change their life. so we can't waste the spotlight. it is temporary, and life is

short and change is needed. and women are smarter than men. [applause] >> that goes without saying. >> and the men can't complain because you're outnumbered today. [laughter] >> mrs. bush, you talked about that before too, it's a temporary spotlight. but you are now working hard to carry it on and i think that sense of continuity is very important. so you have the george w. bush first ladies initiative, global women's initiative, women of afghanistan, you're keeping going. >> we are continuing to work, both george and i are, through the george bush institute in dallas, the bush library and museum, and it gives both of us

a chance to keep working on the issues that were the most important to us. pink ribbon, red ribbon is our global health initiative. many of you already know about that. we launched in three countries in africa and we're going to hear about some more in a few minutes. but because pepfar was started while george was president, the president's emergency plan for aids relief, we wanted to be able to continue global health initiative that builds on pepfar. and when we looked at the cancer numbers across africa and really across the world and saw that cervical cancer, which is preventable, is the leading cause of cancer death among african women, we figured out there was a way we could use the platform that's already established and add the testing and treatment for cervical and breast cancer to pepfar. so that's our global health initiative. it's given us a way to keep building. and we have a number of terrific partners who are in the room.

so thank you all, to all of the partners and thanks to first ladies and countries where we already launched and where we're getting ready to launch. >> i thought that was such a smart initiative because it really does combine so many elements that are just sensible, which is another thing women are good at, the fact is that you had the pepfar clinics so the women were already coming in. but you needed -- since breast cancer isn't caused by the same diseases, you needed to get somebody else in. so you got susan g. komen and pharmaceutical companies in and it really now turned out to be a total women's health platform. >> it is really and it's partnering obviously with the u.s. government as well, using,

the u.s.a. as our partner because we're using the pepfar platform. and the great news is cervical cancer really can be treated. not when it's advanced, which is why it's so important that women come to be screened early on. and then be treated and the vaccination programs with h.p.v. vaccination is important and i think many african first ladies are trying now to manage these vaccination programs so that we really won't even have to worry about cervical cancer when girls who are vaccinated grow up. >> do you think about that, mrs. obama? i know you're still right in the middle of it -- >> i hope you're not thinking about that yet. >> not at all. not at all. >> but how you can carry on and some of these initiatives too. because you have done these private-public partnerships, particularly around military families. >> dr. biden and i have started joining forces, which is a nationwide effort to provide the support, respect to our men and

women in uniform and their families. we have worked with private companies to create jobs as these men and women transition to civilian life, working on making sure they get the education benefits. all of the support that they should expect having put their lives on the line in their families' lives on hold. >> and the medical schools you're working with medical schools? >> nurses are becoming trained to be able to identify and support men and women who may have posttraumatic stress disorder. just educating the entire country on what ptsd means. trying to destigmatize it so these men and women feel like they can seek help when they need it. all of that has been, you know, it is a passion for both jill and i. jill is a blue star mom and she proudly says that.

she has grandchildren who she has seen grow up while her grandson was deployed. it is really a passion for her. for me, this is something i am going to do long after we leave the white house. these needs will always be there. the platform continues. and that is something that i would encourage all of you to think about as well as how do you sort of laid down the foundation for the legacy you want to create for yourselves. as women, we shouldn't be afraid to talk about our legacies, what we want to leave behind in the work that we do. yes, there are so many important, symbolic importance is in our role, but there's nothing wrong about thinking about our legacy and what we

want to leave for the world. that takes planning. it takes coordination. it takes partnership. and i don't think we should be afraid as women to have those conversations. it's too soon for me to do it now. [laughter] but the time will come and i will embrace that because of what i have seen from the bush family. there is a level of freedom that also comes after you are out of the spotlight. it's a new spotlight. it is a different spotlight but i think that there is more that you are able to do outside of office oftentimes than you can do inside office. >> you could pick up the phone and get a member of congress and get something done. [laughter] i also want to come back because we are at an african summit. both of you have exhibited such a strong interest in africa. i think you have very much felt to shine a light on the

continent and caused us all to learn more about the great news that is going on in africa. i am kind of wondering how you got there. mrs. bush, i know you were in 75 countries when you are first lady, which was a lot, but why africa? >> obviously, it started with pepfar. people were dying every single day all across africa. it was a huge pandemic that would leave the continent orphaned if nobody did anything about it. george saw that it was important for the united states to be actively involved in helping in africa. it was important for us as a the wealthiest country in the world, both because we could and because we should and morally try to save as many lives as possible.

so i went on the trip with george in 2003 when pepfar was launched and our daughter was as well. she has really made her life choices because of that trip. she is now the head of global health corp. she engages young people from every part of the world. she created global health corps to encourage people to work in the health field and in africa and the united states. because of that first trip them because of pepfar, i just got a huge interest in africa and traveled there many times. i have traveled there many time since we went home. we had a wonderful trip this last march, a private trip, not a business trip, to ethiopia to visit the christian sites. so africa has become an important continent to us, partly because of that, because

of pepfar, but because of our experiences there. >> africa is important to the rest of the world. its success is integral to the success of this nation, the united states, and the world. it is an undervalued, underappreciated continent. so it is incumbent upon the world to have a better understanding of what africa has to offer. the importance of africa is very personal to me because, as the president said last night in his toast, you know, africa is home for us. his family is there. we have relatives there. we have visited the continent on several occasions. we have taken our daughters back to his grandfathers village and

they have seen a part of themselves. so the partnership with this continent means a great deal to us. and we have seen the power, the potential. to meet these young leaders and to see how hungry they are to take their countries to a new level, that kind of passion is infectious. and it's something that people here should know and understand. we want people from america to travel to africa, understand its languages and different cultures, and not see it as a monolith. and to truly see the investment opportunities which is one of the reasons this summit has been so important. it hasn't just been a conversation with world leaders but some of the nation's most powerful businesses are here. some of the most prestigious nonprofits are here.

that is why today's session is so important. our success as a nation is directly tied to the success of africa. now it is time for the united states as a whole to embrace that reality. this is the beginning of a lot of work that needs to be done. but we are encouraged and we are optimistic. >> i think this has been very instructive for the whole country. i really do. it was wonderful to be in africa. but to have african leaders here in the united states is educating the country about what is going on there. i will end where we began, which is as good as the news is coming out of much of africa, it will not be as good as it can be until we do more about the girls.

>> that's right. >> if you would like to say finishing word on that subject -- >> thank you very much. thank you michelle and thank you to president obama for hosting the african leaders summit here and thank you for inviting the bush institute to be a part of the first ladies initiative. and thanks to all the first ladies who have joined us. thank you for all the great work you are already doing in your countries, which we will hear about in a few minutes. thank you for all the good work you will do. [applause] >> well, thank you. back at you. absolutely. we are here today because of the example that was set in tanzania

through the summit that the bush institute organized and my chief of staff stated that when we learned this was they organize we jumped at the chance to do something similar and continue the conversation and come together as first spouses and to continue to be inspired by each other. what i would say, just in closing, is that we have to fight for our girls. there should never be a girl in this world who has to fear getting educated. that should be something that is intolerable to all of us. i can only think of my own girls and i think we all have to see our daughters in these young girls. we want the best for our daughters. we want them to be smart and empowered and loved. we want them to be healthy. we want them to be mentally sound. and if it is good enough for our girls, it is good enough for every single girl in the world. but it will take leadership like

us, women like us speaking up in our countries and making sure that young girls are not subject to abuse and that they are loved and valued. and until we do that, we will not solve these problems. investing in our women, the people who raise our children, the people who take care of families, they have to be healthy and whole. that is the most important work that we do, whether we talk about clean energy or economic empowerment. until we start to value women and girls, we will continue to struggle on this planet. but i have high hopes when i look around this room that we won't tolerate that. not anywhere on the planet. and if we continue to work together and continue to lift up our young people who are fighting for a better future, then i think we will see some

progress on these issues. so i look forward to working with all of you in the years ahead. so thank you all and i hope you enjoy the rest of the conference. cokie, thank you as well. [applause] >> thank you both so much for the work you are doing, first of all, for coming together. i keep saying you set such a good example for the men. [laughter] but also for allowing me to participate in this conversation. thank you both very much. [applause] then this part of u.s.-africa leaders summit, george w. bush spoke about efforts to fight hiv in africa and a program to fund cervical and breast cancer. this is 40 minutes. [applause]

>> thank you. thank you. it is an honor to be with you. i note that this is called the first spouses event. [laughter] not the first ladies event. because there are a few men in the audience whose wives are more famous than they are. [laughter] i am one and rightly so. i suspect president obama would say the same thing. michelle and laura, i thank you for the great example that you bring to the office of the first lady. it is great to see friends again. i also want to give a shout out to our daughter, barbara. not many things have convinced

me to come back to washington. [laughter] the first ladies summit is one. the other is he able to dine with our dear daughter who is a fabulous young woman making a big difference in global health around the world. i love you, baby. [applause] it was an honor to see dr. biden again. i am pleased to see shri blair. margaret spellings, secretary of education. if there are members of congress here, thank you for coming. if not, why not? [laughter] i also want to thank lisa carty

and ambassador deb berks, the cochairs of pink ribbon red ribbon. i thank you for your exceptional work on behalf of african women. i appreciate our founding fathers. michael sidibe. i have a little more time on my hands these days. surprising to some, i am painting. [laughter] but that doesn't cause me not to have enthusiasm for the future. and as a father of two wonderful girls and now the grandfather of the world's smartest granddaughter -- [laughter] i am more concerned about the future nonetheless. to the bush institute, laura and i are engaged in issues and many of the priorities and proposals are involved in one thing.

the success of any nation is impossible without the political participation, the economic empowerment, the education and health of women. a decade ago, the healthy emergency for women and for everyone was an uncontrolled aids pandemic in parts of africa. some of you probably have family stories of tragedy and loss. but together, we witnessed one of the brighter chapters in the human story. a combination of global resources and local courage has demonstrated two points. disease can be defeated. and people living with aids refused to be defeated. they are holding jobs, raising crops, starting small businesses, raising children and contributing each day to african success. the american commitment to the fight against global aids has reached across two administrations.

thanks to pepfar and global funds and the resources of african governments, more than 9 million men, women, and children are on aids treatment in sub-saharan africa. [applause] a generation on the verge of being lost has been found. life expectancy is up. health care systems have grown stronger. many more people in their most productive years, from their 20's to their 40's, are contributing to africa's growth. and many of the first ladies, first spouses, have led efforts to end mother-child transmission. we started the battle against aids with a broad emergency response and there was really no

alternative. but the great need and hope that this stage of the fight is to focus our efforts and resources. better data, better treatment options, and better prevention approaches health officials to reach and help the highest risk regions and groups. applied with clear goals and accountability, this saturation approach presents an amazing opportunity, the beginning of the end of aids. it also requires something from the rest of us. it is impossible to direct help where it is needed most when any group is targeted for legal discrimination and stigma. compassionate tolerance are important medicines. one group that requires -- [applause] one group that requires our particular attention is women and girls. we know young women are particularly vulnerable to hiv aids because they are particularly vulnerable to poverty and violence.

they are more likely to develop cervical cancer because their bodies have a reduced ability to fight infection such as hpv. this link between hiv and cervical cancer can be broken and it is our job to break it. cervical and breast cancer are the number one killers of women in africa. diseases surrounded with stigma and ignorance. this spreads across generations. when a mother dies young, her children are less likely to be healthy and educated and more likely to die young as well. one of the best ways to help children is to help their mothers live and raise them. three years ago, the bush institute launched pink ribbon red ribbon which is a partnership that combats women's cancer with a simple commitment -- people living with aids should not be dying from preventable and treatable diseases.

by bringing together a broad partnership of government, corporations, foundations and multilateral organizations, we set out to raise awareness, screen high-risk populations, provide hpv vaccinations and treat those with lesions through simple low-cost methods. we work to lift the shadow of stigma from the cancers that target women. our role is not to build a bureaucracy, but to build a broad, shared, practical commitment. and we took the pepfar approach as our model. we work to show that a program can work and increase capacity and bring it to scale. in the three countries where pink ribbon red ribbon started, we are seeing results. more than 100,000 women have

thus far been screened for cervical and breast cancer. [applause] the first lady of zambia has been a champion fighting against false rumors against the hpv vaccine, something that needs to be done here in america as well. [applause] the first lady of tanzania led the mobilization for mass screenings. [applause] first spouses are leading the way and all of us thank you for doing really what you should be doing. [laughter] laura and i have seen the outcome. we spent time in zambia helping to refurbish and reopen health clinics. i was in charge of painting. [laughter] she was in charge of going over the spots i missed. [laughter] she had a lot of work cut out

for her but in my defense i was beginning to study the impressionist movement. [laughter] whenever we want an example of kindness and hospitality, we always think of the zambian people. [applause] besides dancing with the women, this is what i remember most. [laughter] by the way, it was forgettable dancing. the women were nervous at first. they were nervous to be screened. but then they became joyous. joyous to know that people cared about them and joyous to know that their government wanted them to be healthy. so far, in 2013, the people of zambia have screened 43,000 women for cervical cancer. about a third of those tested

positive for precancerous cervical cells. in other words, the screening was a matter of survival. i know the process can be seen as intimidating, but it is truly a source of life and hope. and by the way, for the first ladies, if you are worried about your husband's clinical future, taking care of women is good politics. [applause] many share the work and credit of pink ribbon red ribbon. i want to thank them for demonstrating a moral commitment to human dignity that unites our country. i deeply appreciate our corporation members, many of whom are here, for the consistent dedication to women and girls in africa. it is also a partnership with the countries in which we operate. these programs survive and thrive when local leaders take ownership and commit their

resources as we have seen in tanzania, zambia, and botswana. goal is to create models that can incorporate into their national plans. it has always been my approach to develop partnership, not paternalism. i am pleased to announce that think ribbon red ribbon is expanding to include namibia and ethiopia. [applause] i am particularly grateful to glaxosmithklein, ge, and the american cancer society for their willingness to work in those two countries. by providing educating, vaccination must inning and treatment. today, we will announce as well a distinguished group of ambassadors who will take this

important message across the continent of africa. i would say their last names but i am confident i would mispronounce them. [laughter] we are thrilled that they are ambassadors. the truth of the matter is that first ladies out to be ambassadors as well. the first spouses have the opportunity to impact your country in remarkable ways. you can work to build political will. you can save women from cancer. you are uniquely positioned. here is one of the problems we have. people die of stigma. there are too many people now t being treated because of false rumors. and the first ladies, while stigma may seem like an unbridgeable wall, you've got to realize that it is really made of glass. and through your leadership, it

can be broken by being outspoken and by being honest and by being compassionate for the sake of mothers and grandmothers. it doesn't take a lot to -- i mean, it takes a lot to get me to leave dallas. this conference surely is one reason why i came. this is great and we thank the white house. i thank the bush institute and their team for helping prepare this important conference. i will now invite the first lady of ethiopia, the first lady of namibia to join me on the stage. god bless you all. [applause]

[applause] >> excellencies, first ladies, distinguished guests, thank you for your service. let me take this opportunity on behalf of the government and people to express my profound gratitude to pink ribbon red ribbon for choosing ethiopia as a new country of engagement. the studies and reports indicate that cancer in all its forms is a critical public health problem in the developing world. in africa, cervical and breast cancers are found to be the

leading cancers among women. owing to the overwhelming burden of communicable diseases, they have not been adequately addressed in ethiopia in the past. taking into account the increasing burden of cancer, ethiopia has taken a number of initiatives in preventing and controlling cancer. it is included in the national reproductive health strategy. in ethiopia currently, there are 25 health facilities treating cancer through visual inspection.

early detection, and palliative care. tos committee reached out the parcel amen tarrians to advocate for increased funding .or women's cancer in ethiopia our government plans to regional centers for cancer treatment across the by 2016. while we will be working hard to provide the services to treat cancer, we also need to work dill generally towards the prevention of cancer because it's the most cost effective and theainable way of reducing national cancer burden in the

long term. interventions must be made available, through andss to information education about cancer at the primary care level. effective cancer prevention begins with a national cancer control plan. inre are so many challenges ethiopia. one of the challenges is a low awareness among the .ommunity

minimal technical expertise have also been hindering the effectiveness of most cancer interventions in our country. it's my earnest hope and indeed the expectation of all women who from the burden of cancers in ethiopia, that the men will work in partnership with the government and other stake --ders breast cancer education and seeking by our women like never before. building up on existing health and alto forms infrastructure. i want to assure you that your will yieldn unprecedented results, we'll forward to partnering with

you. listening.or [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the of namibia. [applause] sits ladies and gentlemen, i am honored to be in our futureing leader summitrica and i am delighted that my country, the republic of will be one of the next for --ntries

investing in and committing to of thisre, the theme summit is a noble goal that all embrace.must part of the strategy for this goal must be women.ing all we are here today to witness a a commitment to the of 1.1 million women and and -- cervical cancer is a growing health problem in our country. as the second most frequently diagnosed cancer among women. is number one.

every year, 172 that minutian women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and half of them from the disease. in any country, losing one woman for concern. but in our country with our population, the impact is devastating. as a nurse by profession, i experienced this firsthand while for namibian women and years.amilies over many these statistics are playing out our cities and towns, in families all across our

country. and because of the special of women and girls because women moreh.i.v. are so much vulnerable to developing cancer be than the problem istive, the even more pressing. is that cervical disease, an avoidable through screening and programs. for thegrateful committee. thanks to their work with our and local ngo's,

and nursesctors already receive training in serving our women. fact, during the third week this newly trained show 259 women, 15 tested positive for precancerous lesions, eleven of were treated the same day, were -- women, these are women who unscreened might have cancer.d women who who benefited from this treatment were able to know status, and return to their families with hope for future.

inspireduraged and that our government is committed to women's health, and particularly its efforts on preventing cervical cancer, includes the introduction girlscination for young against the human papilloma virus that causes the disease. are aware that we need to build the capacity of our health to do this. able.ey are ready and i saw our country's raeness to tackle this disease head on, as we brought together leaders from 20 to 22e world from

of july to discuss how to end cervical cancer by 2050. [applause] i believe that namibia can be a fight againstthe cervical cancer. successful in controlling the burden of h.i.v. from theing death disease, thanks in large part the americanrom through -- we can do the same with cervical must., and we will and we are standingers with us in this bats as part of collective preventative for all women. working together i am strongly can reducehat we

death from h.i.v. and women's cancer. your attention. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome pink ribbon, red ribbon ambassadors. [applause] >> your excellency, lady and heard todaye have cervical and breast cancer are manyng short of lives too women. red ribbonbbon and is making studies to combat preventible and treatable diseases. will live today with provision and screen option. theirrs of today and

mothers may never have to face possibility of cancer, breast cancer.and cervical this is important, not only for citizens but our also for the health of our economy. power of the economic our women is key to strong and the world.ca, and we are truly thrilled to be a appearbbon and reribbon bass doors. we are eager to use our voices, raisence, and to awareness of these diseases. dream all weted to can be, a voice of hearing, healing and hope to the women of continentuntries and

as a whole. you. [applause] excellencies, ladies and i thank her for her comments. i want to echo her remarks and i'm also truly grateful for represent pink ribbon, red ribbon as an ambassador. all of us gathered here today the womenassadors for of africa. usncourage you to join with in our mission. ladies, you can use your unique platform and to create awareness of the championnd

preventive solutions. the leader of an ngo or a can partner with byby bidding capacity or financial donations. individual, you can use the power of the knowledge you now have on the, to share what network andh your within your fields of influence. and here i want to commit myself with that rich experience to the women of africa once on behalf of ring andon and reribbon partners the secretary, i want to thank to in advance for joining us save the lives of the

the rest ofand women on our con tin en africa, we are getful to be working alongside with you. thank u. [applause] please welcome the second lady of the united states, dr. jill biden. tall on this. so . think i should push it aside

( laughter ) well, good afternoon, everyone. thank you for that warm welcome. it is a pleasure today to be here with my great friend and michelle obama. you have been a great example of firstofound difference ladies can make. so thank you, michelle, for your leadership and for your friendship. [applause] and it's wonderful to see and mrs. bush again. we had a great event together in earlier this year. thank you for the work you are post 9/11ehalf of the veterans through your military initiative. to all the african first ladies guestser distinguished here today, thank you for taking part in this historic summit, for adding your voice to this important conversation.

a teacher for over 30 years. in my own classroom and in my around the world, i have seen firsthand the difference a strong educational foundation can make. ago, i had the incredible opportunity to visit where ischool in kenya saw how education was providing a sense of hope. normalcy. and the chance for a better life. month, when i visited zambia, the democratic republic congo and sierra leone, i met with students who are exited to learn, who are dedicated to their studies, and who have big plans for their future. hallway outside a classroom in zambia, a colorful words our dreams caught my attention. theents had posted notes on

board describing what they growed to become when they up. mytors, lawyers, pilots, and personal favorite, teachers. boarddream posted on the had a common purpose, a desire help theirk, to community, and to move their country forward. is the spirit of the next generation in africa. possible, it means students,e that all boys and girls, have access to education. the united states is committed to making sure girls and young tools they need, not just to survive, but to in their communities. and we are here today because we oureve that it is responsibility, yours and mine, to provide the next generation women with the confidence and

the education they need to succeed, because we know that a nation cannot reach its full potential until its women meet theirs. thank you very much for being here. [applause] meezdies and gentlemen, well -- obama'selcome president mandela washington fellowship for young african leaders. [applause] >> honorable first ladies, ladies and gentlemen, my name is ilda, and i come from mozambique, from a very remote

part.e in the southern i am proud to be an african woman. of nine,om a family and the first girl child in my family to earn a degree. was fortunate because i had a scholarship to study. and sisters didn't have the same opportunities, and challenges.ore and especially for girls to go myschool is very rare in village. girls don't have a voice. don't make decisions. people say that girls should husbands and raise children. to describe to you a more common experience of girl.r during ofth gray she's forced with an old man of 351 -- 51, already with two wives and

11 children. sick with father is h.i.v. and aids. and the only solution to take his health is to give his daughter to this old man. will receive form ofgold, money, in dowry. the innocent girl has no option but to accept the parents' idea as a sign of respect, and obedience. the girl is now 22 years and has children to take care of. the old man she married to is dead. as well as both of her parents. think we can all imagine the future of this young girl, and cousin.l is my for girls to fight aucation was motivated by story. i wish to start an organization

where i bring girls like my back to school, because i believe they still have a future. i believe they still have a future. skills,ir hands, the with their knowledge, they can up in life.ves move ladiesle first ladies, and gentlemen, if it's not now, then when? not us, if it's not you, will support girl child education in our communities? take action. thank you very much. [applause] andonorable ladies

gentlemen, girls face many problems and challenges to finish school. nay are traumatized, they are neglected, and abandoned girls.cause they are my name is meriam, from the of congo. republic today i want to share with you my story. attackedmy family was at night by rebels, they first.d our neighbors they killed all the seven children, and their father. and theye 25 rebels, they -- screams anding the tears of our friends much the next-door was ours. entered in our house, they told us to make a line and to not look at them. at that time i was 9 years old

afraid.dn't feel i was looking at their commander eyes.t shaking my he pushed me and said young don't you know that i can finish you in a second? said yes, i know, but i'm not afraid. us,ow you're going to kill but you'll also pay for what you've done. asked,ed at me and what's your name? name is meray and i'm not afraid. he said i've killed many people, girls and boys, but i've never seen someone resisting me like you. me.have surprised i wanted to kill your family, i wanted to move away from here. since that day i grew up with for humann, fighting

rights and for girls education. [applause] i continued my studies, i saw many of my classmates killed which guns. i graduated last year, and i was boys to pass among with honors. [cheers and applause] i decided to start a project to and girlste women victim of sexual violence in the rural areas. i ask you to join me without any fear, because fear the little death. girls,ays i ask all the all over the world, to take out the --r and to take out

>> an estimated 900 people in have died, after contracting the ebola virus and two americans are now being the disease in atlanta. today the house foreign affairs on africa and global health will look at the threat from ebola and what can contain the disease. the c. d. c. director is scheduled to testify. begins at 2:00 p.m. on c-span. while congress is in recess this prime timean's programming continues at 8:00 p.m. eastern on friday with summittern conservative in denver. condoay robert gates, rice. >> this month c-span presents

dates on what makes america evolution, and genetically modified foods. indepth looks at veterans health care, i.r.s. overnight, and campus sexual assault. new perspectives on issues including global warming, voting fighting infectious disease, food safety, and our history tour showing sight and america's historic places. find our tv schedule one week in advance at c-span.org and let us know what you think about the programs you're watching. >> yesterday the u. n. general assembly met to discuss the fighting between israel and in gaza. and the u. n.'s humanitarian efforts in the region. representatives from israel be, palestine, the european union and the united states were among

those who poke at the meeting. this is three hours. >> i call to order the plenary hearing.

i take this opportunity to warmly welcome our secretary our deputy secretary general, and our distinguished meeting.to this us byrry, are joining video conferencing. i now give the floor to general, mr. ban ki-moon. secretary general? >> the presence of the general and gentlemen,s i thank the presence of the for conveningly this crucial session on the tragic situation in gaza. as you meet this morning, it seems that the long overdue holding.e is moment, the near

constant firing of hamas rockets mortarseli missiles and has subsided. we expect the parties to fully cease-fire. i thank all who contributed to agreement. including egypt, the united qatar, the european then, and many of international actors. we have all been working day and night. but of course we cannot risk as suffering continues. this is, has cop at a price that almost too much to bear. messy death and destruction in gaza have shocked and shamed the world. than 1,000 palestinians have been killed. the vas majority civilians. including hundreds of women and

children. civilianians in israel killed.o people on both sides have the also thelife, but right for life free from fear. of course we understand the legitimate security rights to israeli citizens from the threat of rocket attacks by hamas. at the same time, the fighting questions serious about respect for the principals of distinction, and proportionality in the international humanitarian law nothing symbolized more the horror unleashed on the than the repeated shelling of u. n. facilities civilians who had been seek a safe told to haven there. are unjustifiable.

uncovered weapons stored in a small number after ban donned buildings. yes, there were reports that fired fromit's were from -- yes. let me be clear. suspicious of criminal activity justify jeopardizing the lives of thousands of innocent citizens. international law clearly requires protect by war parties civilianns and facilities including u. in steps and u. n. premises. u. n. must be respected.

shellingrecent case of on a u. n. facility, the of thes were informed coordinates 33 times. attacks against u. n. premises or with other suspected breaches must benational law, stripped to be investigated. here before the general assembly, i want to convey a personal and direct message to colleagues,n. serving the people of gaza under circumstances. thank you for your bravery. your sacrifice. thank you for saving lives. i join you in mourning our fallen colleagues and pay them my highest tribute. tomorrow the u. n. flag will be loan flown at half mast in their memory. work.l carry on their

mr. president, excellencies, you from senior officials the catastrophe in gaza. i urn all member states to and generously s. the emergency appeal for these most depressing humanitarian needs. before us is meeting the dire and urgent humanitarian gaza.of the people of providing care to the men wounded and traumatized, ensuring that people have food and water. housing the many homeless vitales and repairing infrastructure. face more constructions. homes, schools, and businesses have been destroyed and damaged.

but we must spare no effort to current -- fire. rocket lifting the blockade, and bringing gaza back on the one palestinian government, that p.l.o. to the commitment. i urge the parties to heed the international community's call to return to negotiations in the country to between israelis and palestinians, have a viable two-state solution the nightmare of the last four weeks has been a terrible a devotion i only

repeat. only a devoted political sentiment, we will bring sustainable peace to alike.nians and israelis only through the exercise of moral and political leadership, sides enjoy the better future that their people yearn and deserve. mr. president, excellencies, gentlemen, as the secretary general, i have made region. visits to the including to gaza. sowrnlg of --e the scourge of war etched into children.of women and saw a warehouse still smoldering from the after math israeli attack. and yet the attacks happened again.nd before my most recent trip, i had already traveled to the

twice before to help, heaven hostilities in gaza. again, attacks happened then and now. of suffering in gaza and the west bank as well as must end. do we have to continue like build, destroy, and build and destroy? again, but in must be the last time to rebill. now.must stop to --ust go back in way.not repeat both parties are putting all of international community on these.always

the united nations stands ready last time, and we have to do everything possible andelp those in need support the peace process. i count on the engagement of all of you, and i urge the parties to accept their responsibility for peace and for future generations of their people. thank you very much. >> i thank the secretary general for his statement. i now give the floor to ferry, united nations special coordinator for the middle east peace process, who us via video conference. >> thank you, mr. president. secretary general, dear colleagues and distinguished the general assembly, i'm sure we are all very much relieved with our secretary general that after almost a month of bloodshed, the parties

humanitariand to a cease-fire, which so far has been respected by both sides. now in cairo to support the important talks to be helped under egyptian auspices. we commend the efforts of egypt and the parties to entering into the dialogue and to address underlying issues. life as secretary general, i of three boysence in six years between israel and gaza. be cynical and irresponsible if the outcome of previous would be the status quote. my initial estimates, the gaza itson brought on worst. the death toll is more great for sure, including on the israeli colleagues will art -- .laborate

in this regard we work closely together with regional and holders.onal stake throughout our family goal has and stop the fighting intolerable loss of life and has been painful to see it taking so a stable force in the fighting took hold. until earlier occasions, the nations has been successful in brokering a humanitarian force to allow civilians to attend to necessities of their daily thes, so disrupted by hostilities. fell silentthe guns hours.e we stocked with food and other supplies. responding of july,

for the office of the secretary toeral, the parties agree hours, cease-fire for 12 us --allow it all illustrates that the parties could agree if they wanted. but each time a cease-fire expired, despite our best effort, despite our best efforts extend it, the violence raged on and claimed more victims. that is why we have been seeking in a concerted international cease-fireolonged that would hold and lead over to negotiationsm and in cairo. tip low the of intense mattic activity, they announced for a perfect of 72 hours. placed on assurances by the had good reasons to

hope that the cease-fire would and transferred our lives. unfortunately our hopes were shattered. showers after the beginning of the cease-fire much it took four days of unacceptable violence for the agree to another 72 cease-fire. we begin played our hopes in cease-fire. this c fireul that hold.best chance to longer.ies are no mr. president, distinguished members, part of the fundamental that are at the root of

instability, underneath all of half have already been identified in resolution 1860, back in 2009. but they remain unimplemented. hence theequation is blockade on gaza, address israel's legitimate security needs. for the past six years gaza has with far tooed many restrictions, despite some easings. such a drift will no longer be due. the massive destruction that has been brought on gases scale of which we are prehelpedning to come be legal crossings must opened in such a way that it's compatible with israel's security concerns, including that would counter and for civilian

entersg some materials gaza. it's my conviction that the way to that chief these two goes i to bring back the authority to gaza. underlying issues stand a far better chance of being resolved if they are part of a effort to reunite legitimateder one government. as part of these efforts, if to address the issue of governance, tens of hired offof employees the top in 2007, and working in gaza and not getting paid, for over 60,000 employees continue to receive salaries without essential functions that gaza so desperately needs. simply not sustainable. we are looking forward to the --estinian thert

to address these issues through talks. part of this exercise, the. the most useful step would go a long way towards enabling the reopening of the crossings. needed, all organizations --not believe we can make an important contribution in announcing the approach that gaza now needs toshes bring

about irreverse ib change for better. my office is rae to play a role, a long sigh the palestinian authority, in ensuring this is implemented. international the community will be key, while it is now primarily the toponsibility of the party move for in a way that will from the brink. and all eyes on gaza must not lose we sight of the bigger picture. the escalation just behind us, situationth the tense in the east bank and jerusalem is a warning of the bleak before us. if we do not come to the slide and restore hope, and the prospect for a two-state and palestineel

living side by side in peace and security. his crisis is also a symptom of fail oh to en the conflict and end the occupation 1967.egan in we must support the parties in finding a way back to and restoring a political horizon. thank you, mr. president. >> i thank the united nations coordinator for the middle east peace process, for his briefing. give the under to mission general, also joining us by video conference. >> thank you very much, mr. president. mr. president, mr. secretary general, excellency, delegates, lady to gentlemen, allow me first thank the second general for his

important remarks about the in gaza that's unfolded since 8th july. and also to ofh my voice to the appeal the international community to take decisive action to address consequences of this most recent round of violence. i conveyed my utmost appreciation to the president of general asend bring for meeting. this informal through the mandate given to us by the general assembly. membership that more than anyone else it is the now fivethemselves, women strong that count on your

assist and protect them. in gaza today we are experiencing the second day of truce, which like many others, will be extended into a lasting. it is a bittersweet moment. andhe one hand the fighting kill has stopped for now and it was critically needed. the momentr it is at where the full extent of the .uffering becomes fully visible thousands -- bee's 270,000 were sheltered

strip. the gaza this was over tief times the have in installations during the 2008 and 2009 conflict. nothing brought home to me the suffering and pain more vividly reason visit to a hospital in gaza where the children, somef very young children, and the powerlessness and on the faces of their parents and relatives conveyed to me again a universal tail in war. reminder that dense and -- death and injury should never be allowed to be anonymous. palestinians are not statistics. if we had the time i would share with you some of the stories behind the youngest and oldest victims of this conflict. ofind each and every one them, there is a personal

history and destiny just as party as any of ours. onlyconflict has not seen buildings and infrastructure damaged. people, families, and communities torn apart. have said previously from gaza and repeat here that the firing of rockets by armed groups in gaza and the israeli cities and endangering or killing israeli civilians was unacceptable and cease. the conflict did not spare installations and staff. 19 of our premises have been schools wereof our hit directly by shelling or affected by rocket fire in their vicinity. with serious loss of life and injury. casewas particularly the other countries, we condemned

such military action by israel unpreservedly. we cannot come prethen why they theyred and even less why happened so repeatedly. we have asked for investigations carried out and for .ccountability there were also three incidents where weapons were stored by much ourups in some unused schools. these,ld knows about inspections work , through oure .lear and i seize this opportunity, mr. president, to express my deepest appreciation to my gaza, a few 12,500

of them, for their dedication and courage. i wish to inform you that as of acrossrning all flags installations are nighting at half mast to honor the memory of the eleven colleagues who lost their lives at the beginning of this fighting. we are honored and touched by the many expresses of sip pa wenk and actions of support have witnessed and i have most grateful to the secretary general for his expression of joining this initiative as of tomorrow. sits, distinguished delegates, since yet morning after the beginning of the truce estimated 100,000 people who sheltered have started to return to their homes. leaving the shelters in the hope of rebuilding their shattered life. the foremost question they will face is what

are they going back to. some will find their home damaged, others completely destroyed. returned to neighborhoods where there is no electricity because the gaza been destroyed, and no water is available. these are the neighborhoods they fight all the difficulties, children want to play in the streets, and bombs were torched. this remind us that beyond the physical construction, the population of gaza will have to deal with all the emotional and logical remember that a 7-year-old girl in gaza today threew experienced successive conflicts in six years and only known life under blockade' but remember also that these scars include a powerful being abandoned by the world, but failure to be

protected was having a lasting people.n the situation presents the wider u. n. family as well as agencieses with challenges to address in the coming months. there will be ongoing emergency, humanitarian and recovery needs for hundreds of thousands people, to. it's required food aid to help needs, andet their to inject modern resources. while also providing a labor force to distribute to the damagedand repairing of i from a structure, hygiene and stand itation are at risk throughout the densely populated territory. and they are these circumstances, did these outbreaks are becoming a serious concern. i note in this regard that

gaza's rainy season is little than two months away. isther more, for umla there the pressing question of how we back toe 250,000 pupils school, with the public school system that is imploding much we continuingl with the youth. in addressing these concerns we governaging with the answer of national consensus at the highest level, including abbas.nt more widely, upcoming assessments will tell us per about the extensive reconstruction needs that will need to an dressed, whether home, public buildings or vital infrastructure. with decisive support from the special coordinator, umla has been engaging the israeli

authorities on a aspects of the in the gaza strip. we welcome the engagement of the authorities, we also call on them to address the u. requirements. show that you might firm belief that for a real change to occur, a cease-fire with return to conditions that existed in gaza before this round of fighting not be enough. time for comprehensive action to resolve the underlying issues at stake in gaza and the wider israeli palestinian conflict. on my very first visit to gaza, the in april this year, i the situationat was utterly unsustainable. israel had legitimate security concerns that must be addressed. at the same time, this illegal

must be lifted, until, and naturals that happens, gaza and for that the west bank under occupation will remain onpetually dependent humanitarian assistance. well-known,o nowhere in the world does alonetarian assistance make up for the denial of rights.and i thank you, mr. president. commissionere general for his briefing. and i give the under to the nations high commission for human rights who is also joining us by volunteer conference. >> mr. president, distinguished of the general assembly, as we her between israel and

hamas and other armed groups in gaza, have taken up almost a mob, causing immeasurable suffering and damage. the current cease-fire offer is for theal chance parties to move forward from violence to peace. alongside others in the community, i have stated to all parties that civilians must not be targeted, must be in protected. , there were more than 400 anddren have been killed thousands injury.

a wore now on international law. i have consistently condemned the indiscriminate rocket strikes from gaza into israel, equally clearn that military action should not densely populated areas. however, i reiterate that as humans by one party, do not itslve the other party of obligations and the international law. requiresonal law application of approachable andwinges between civilians combatants, and between civilian objects,nd military precaution.ity, and and it's violation of these

that they must be condemned. it cannot be reviewed in isolation from repeated and just stipulate of the refugee crisis. relating to