21 January 2009: In a statement issued in New York, US, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon congratulated Barack Obama on his inauguration as US President. He underlined that, increasingly, the challenges faced by the community of nations are global in scope and require collective responses, citing, inter alia, climate change, the food and energy crises, and human development.

He quoted some of President Obama’s inaugural speech, including on the need to use renewable energies and his determination to fight global warming with a more sustainable, responsible US energy policy. Ban noted that the UN shares these goals with the new US Administration and stated that they can “look forward to a new era of strong and effective partnership, delivering results and the change we need.” [UN Press Release]