11 March 2009: In a speech titled “Navigating the Shifting Sands of Globalization,” delivered at a conference convened jointly by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, in Dar es Salaam, UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro underlined the need to acknowledge the gravity of the current challenges facing Africa, including climate change and the food and energy crises.

She indicated that, at the G20 Summit in April in London, UK, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon would argue that the economic crisis provides an opportunity to put in place a “green new deal,” including by adopting measures to “climate-proof” the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and reaching an agreement at the climate change conference in Copenhagen in December 2009. [UN Press Release]