Ban Ki-moon noted that, during his report to the UN General Assembly this month, he would call on the international community to make sustainable development a top priority.
He spoke on the immediacy of climate change, and noted that Kiribati and the rest of the region are on its frontlines.
6 September 2011: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressed Auckland University during his visit to New Zealand and other countries in the region, on 6 September 2011.
Ban traveled to New Zealand to attend the 42nd meeting of the Pacific Island Forum (PIF). While in the region also visited the Solomon Islands and Kiribati, marking the first-ever visit by a UN Secretary-General to those countries.
After highlighting current security crises around the world, Ban said, “there is no sustainable security, no true guarantor of peace, without sustainable development.” He noted that during his report to the UN General Assembly this month, he would call on the international community to make sustainable development a top priority. He spoke on the immediacy of climate change, and noted that Kiribati and the rest of the region are on its frontlines. In this regard, Ban stressed his commitment to fair solutions, recognizing New Zealand’s leadership in renewable energy solutions to reducing emissions. [Statement by Secretary-General]