7 October 2008: In his second annual report on the work of
the Organization (A/63/1), UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon notes the UN’s
unique place to lead the response to global threats, in particular: climate
change, counter-terrorism, disarmament and non-proliferation, and global
health.

In the document that was the subject of debate by member States in the
General Assembly on 6 October 2008, Ban welcomes the award of the Nobel Peace
Prize to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Al Gore, former
Vice-President of the US. He also recalls the convening, on 24 September 2007,
of a high-level event on climate change to galvanize support for advancing the
negotiations and underlines that the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) provides
a good example of how the UN can harness the power of the market.
Ban expresses
his satisfaction with the coordinated work carried out by the Organization,
together with nations, on adaptation and on mainstreaming climate change into
policy and development plans, highlighting the Nairobi Work Programme on
impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to Climate Change and the Nairobi
Framework to support developing countries’ participation in the CDM. In the
Report, Ban also mentions current efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of UN
Headquarters and awareness raising activities. [UN
Press Release] [Report
of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization]