19 October 2011
UN Secretary-General Discusses Sustainable Development and Climate Change in Switzerland
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Druing an official visit to Switzerland UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon emphasized the interlinkages among climate change, food security, water scarcity, energy shortages, global health issues, and gender empowerment, stressing the need to "link all these dots." He added that Rio+20 should be a success.

Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General17 October 2011: During an official visit to Switzerland, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon discussed climate change and sustainable development issues with government officials, highlighting crucial upcoming meetings in each area.

During a press encounter with the President of Switzerland, Ban underscored that climate change will be “a crucially important part of broader discussions of sustainable development.” Emphasizing the interlinkages among climate change, food security, water scarcity, energy shortages, global health issues, and gender empowerment, he stressed the need to “link all these dots.”

He indicated that sustainable development would be “a top priority of the UN for the coming, many, many years,” particularly during his second term as Secretary-General. He added that the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) must be a success.

On the ongoing climate negotiations, he called for “successful progress” in Durban at the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 17) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and building on the Cancun outcomes. Ban expressed his gratitude to the Government of Switzerland for convening three ministerial meetings on climate funding issues. He underscored the importance of progressing on climate change financing and making clarity on the future of the Kyoto Protocol. [UN Press Release, 16 October 2011] [UN Secretary-General Press Encounter with the President of Switzerland] [UN Secretary-General’s Meetings in Bern and Geneva] [UN Press Release, 18 October 2011]

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