4 November 2009: In an address to the Third Meeting of the Global Forum on Migration and Development, taking place in Athens, Greece, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, identified three challenges facing migrants worldwide, namely the economic crisis, climate change and human trafficking.
He highlighted that even the lowest estimates of climate change-induced migration would mean major population movements. Stressing the need to protect vulnerable communities as a priority of national and international adaptation efforts, he called for pushing for “the most ambitious targets and agreement possible” in Copenhagen. [The statement]