Memorial for US politician, Model UN on Ban Ki-moon’s Washington itinerary

During his two-day visit to Washington D.C. beginning tomorrow, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will attend a memorial service for United States Congressman Tom Lantos and address high school students at a Model United Nations gathering, a spokesperson announced today, adding to an agenda that already includes meetings with top officials.

Earlier this week in a statement, Mr. Ban mourned the passing of “his friend Tom Lantos, the veteran United States legislator, Holocaust survivor, human rights advocate and long-time supporter of the United Nations.”

The Secretary-General will be present at the service for the Californian, with whom he shared a friendship dating back to Mr. Ban’s days as foreign minister of the Republic of Korea.

Afterwards, he will meet with representatives of UN agencies in the capital city as well as speak to students attending the North American International Model UN organized by Georgetown University.

Tomorrow, the Secretary-General will hold talks with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice tomorrow before his meeting on Friday with President George W. Bush, with whom he will discuss climate change, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), human rights, counterterrorism and issues in regions such as Darfur, Kenya, the Middle East, Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan.