UN chief to embark on official visit to Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will leave New York tomorrow for a trip to Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg, where he will meet with United Nations, European Union and national government officials, his spokesperson announced today.

In Switzerland, Mr. Ban will chair a meeting of the UN System Chief Executives Board (CEB) at a retreat held outside Geneva. The Board, which meets twice a year, brings together the heads of the various UN specialized agencies and the chiefs of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), otherwise known as the Bretton Woods institutions.

Mr. Ban will then travel to Brussels, where he will attend the EU Summit on Sustainable Energy for All, and will also hold a series of meetings with European Commission officials, including President José Manuel Barroso.

The last stop of Mr. Ban’s trip will be in Luxembourg, where he will meet the Henri the Grand Duke, Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker and other senior officials. He will also address the Luxembourg Parliament.

The Secretary-General will return to New York on 18 April.