Climate change: World leaders to ratify Paris deal

Last month was the hottest March in modern history and 2016 is shaping up as a record-breaking year for global temperatures [AP]

More than 165 world leaders have gathered at the UN headquarters to sign the Paris climate deal and get the ball rolling on plans to check global warming.

Held on Earth Day, Friday’s ceremony in New York City comes four months after the deal was clinched in Paris and marks the first step towards binding countries to the promises they made to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

French President Francois Hollande and Canada’s Justin Trudeau joined John Kerry, US secretary of state, for the ceremony attended by more than 165 governments, the largest single-day signing of an international agreement.

While the US, China and India – the world’s top greenhouse gas emitters – will not be represented at their highest level, leaders of island states such as Fiji, Tuvalu and Kiribati, facing existential threats from rising sea levels, will formally present the already completed ratification by their parliaments.

Last month was the hottest March in modern history and 2016 is shaping up as a record-breaking year for rising global temperatures.

This year’s El Nino – dubbed Darth Nino – is believed to be behind droughts, floods, severe storms and other extreme weather patterns.

The Paris agreement will come into force as soon as 55 countries responsible for 55 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases have ratified the accord.

The target date for the agreement to begin is 2020.

Pushing for ratification

China and the US have said they will ratify this year and are pushing for quick ratification so that the agreement becomes operational possibly as early as late 2016 or 2017.

Caught in the midst of an election campaign, the US plans to ratify the Paris accord with an executive agreement, bypassing Congress and setting up a complex process for any future president wishing to pull out.

The European Union’s 28 countries are expected to take up to about a year and a half, according to Maros Sefcovic, who will be signing on behalf of the EU as  vice president.

Official Source: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/04/cimate-change-world-leaders-ratify-paris-deal-160422132201751.html

UN urges action on sustainable development to create pathways for global ‘transformation’

General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft addresses the opening plenary segment of the Assembly’s High-level Thematic Debate on Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. UN Photo/Loey Felipe

21 April 2016 – The President of the United Nations General Assembly today called on the international community to take action on the new UN sustainable development agenda in order to begin a transformation for the benefit of all people and the planet, or risk failure that will be felt for generations to come.

“The choice is yours,” said General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft as he opened the High-Level Thematic Debate on Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals at UN Headquarters in New York, which takes place as world leaders are also gathering ahead of tomorrow’s signing of the Paris climate accord.

“You, the global political, business and civil society leaders can kick-start [Sustainable Development Goals] SDG implementation. You can catalyse ambitious and immediate actions at all levels. You know how to make this transformation happen,” he added.

Mr. Lykketoft reminded participants that a little more than six months ago, many of them had gathered in the same hall to embrace the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“It was a moment of genuine hope in a world beset by crises – hope that was built on in Paris through an incredible breakthrough on climate change,” he said.

The General Assembly President said that together, the two agreements deliver a clear message to the world: that a transformation has begun which will ensure both shared prosperity and the vitality of our planet.

Since making those commitments, world events have underlined even further the need for urgent action, Mr. Lykketoft emphasized.

Violent extremists have destroyed the lives of thousands around the world, while violent conflicts are threatening the lives of millions. In addition, an inadequate response to a global humanitarian and refugee crisis is undermining human rights, global solidarity and the concept of leaving no one behind, he said.

For their part, the agreements, taken together, provide world leaders with a “solid framework” to address the root causes of such crises, the General Assembly President said.

“But this will only happen if they are implemented with urgency; if we build on the foundations laid by the MDGs and if we manage the opportunities before us for the benefit of all,” he stressed.

Over the course of the day, he said that participants would examine five key areas: how countries are responding to the SDGs; how to move money and markets to support the SDGs; how to transition from partnerships for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to partnerships for the SDGs; and how climate action can help deliver on the entire SDGs, and vice-versa.

“Action now can create pathways out of our current crises and begin the transformation that our world desperately needs – a transformation that is good for people and planet; one that creates opportunities for citizens and business; one that advances peace and prosperity,” Mr. Lykketoft said. “But if we fail, the consequences will be felt for generations – centuries.”

Along those lines, UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, who spoke on behalf of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, underscored that the fact that today’s event was being held on the eve of the signing of the Paris Agreement was an important signal.

Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson addresses the General Assembly High-level Thematic Debate on Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. UN Photo/Loey Felipe

“The development and climate agendas are inseparable and mutually reinforcing. One cannot be achieved without the other,” he stressed.

Member States should have a sense of “pride and achievement” for their adoption of the 2030 Agenda this past September, as it is a global blueprint for ending poverty and building a safer and more equitable world.

“It is a universal agenda, one which all countries are to integrate with their national plans and aspirations,” Mr. Eliasson noted. “It enshrines a responsibility to focus on the world’s most vulnerable and those affected by protracted conflicts or caught in the nightmares of humanitarian disasters.”

The breadth and depth of the Agenda call for adopting new approaches and “breaking down silos,” Mr. Eliasson said, adding that no one in today’s world can solve problems in isolation.“We need to take an integrated approach to development efforts, connecting them both to humanitarian action and human rights as well as to peaceful societies and well-functioning institutions. The goals must be meaningful on the ground, which means making goals and targets relevant and adapted to national and local situations,” he said.

For that, financing for development will be “critical,” as set out in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, Mr. Eliasson said.“Governments are in the drivers’ seat. Domestic public finance will be important keys to ownership and sustainability,” he said. “But we must also harness the full power of official development assistance, the Bretton Woods institutions and private-sector financing.”

The UN system had already begun to support countries, both strategically and operationally, to implement the 2030 Agenda. Some 95 UN Country Teams are working with their national counterparts to mainstream the SDGs into national plans, accelerate implementation and provide policy support.

“Just as Governments will need to take a holistic approach, the United Nations is to take a whole-of-system approach, working horizontally and building on the strengths of each institution. Tailored UN responses will be developed to support capacity building, inspire partnerships and improve policy coherence at all levels,” Mr. Eliasson noted.

Official Source: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=53744#.Vxkgb_krLx8

UN urges ‘tangible actions’ from world leaders to finance sustainable development for all

A wide view of the Trusteeship Council Chamber as Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addresses the 2016 Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) meeting on Financing for Development Follow-up. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

18 April 2016 – Hailing 2015 as a year of “crucial milestones” for development, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today said world leaders must now meet the agreed financing targets to ensure implementation of the numerous landmark agreements on eradicating poverty, building resilient societies and addressing climate change in order to put the world on a sustainable development path.

Opening the inaugural session of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Forum on Financing for Development Follow-up at UN Headquarters in New York, Mr. Ban said that the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, together with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change, are “triumphs of multilateralism.”

“I urge each and every one of you to take action and show leadership,” Mr. Ban said. “We must all play our part in this global endeavour, from governments and international organizations, to financial and trade institutions, the private sector and civil society.”

The Forum runs through Wednesday and will include the Special high-level meeting of the Council with the Bretton Woods institutions, the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Today’s inaugural session will feature presentations by the heads of the major institutional stakeholders and of intergovernmental bodies of these institutions, followed by statements by Ministers and other high-level officials. In the afternoon, there will be an interactive dialogue between UN delegations and senior officials from World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The Secretary-General recalled that this past July, world leaders gathered in Addis Ababa and adopted a comprehensive framework to mobilize and deliver the resources, technology and partnerships needed for sustainable development. He added that he looked forward to the signing ceremony for the Paris Agreement in New York later this week.

“We have the collective responsibility to turn these landmark agreements into tangible actions,” Mr. Ban said. “The time for implementation is now.”

Noting that the financing requirements to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals are estimated to be in the order of trillions of dollars annually, Mr. Ban stressed that mobilizing such resources will be a significant challenge, particularly at a time of continued economic uncertainty and financial constraints.

“The global economic recovery remains uneven. We have not seen the strong, sustained and balanced growth needed to realize sustainable development for all,” the UN chief said.

“Yet this challenge is not unsurmountable. We know that global public and private savings and investment will be sufficient – but only if they are aligned with sustainable development,” he added.

Addis Ababa Action Agenda as a ‘starting point’

Following up on the Addis Agenda is the “right starting point,” Mr. Ban emphasized, as it provides a full range of actions to realign financial flows and policies with economic, social and environmental priorities.

The Addis Agenda contains more than 100 concrete policy commitments that draw on all sources of finance, technology, innovation, trade, debt and data to support the 2030 Agenda, Mr. Ban said.

The global response to the 2030 Agenda must match the scope of the challenge – which means tapping into the potential of all actors to achieve the large-scale transformation needed, the UN chief said.

“Now is the time for smart investments in people and the planet, where they are needed, when they are needed and at the scale they are needed,” he said. “Billions of lives depend on it.”

Mr. Ban also said that investments in sustainable and resilient infrastructure are a prerequisite to achieving many global goals. In that vein, the new Global Infrastructure Forum, led by the multilateral development banks, which he attended last weekend in Washington, D.C., is an important step towards bridging this gap.

“But more needs to be done. We need to step up our efforts to implement the Addis Ababa Action Agenda in its entirety,” Mr. Ban stressed.

The private sector must be an active partner, in particular in areas such as the provision of urgently needed social goods, and the growing importance of South-South cooperation must also to be recognized, the Secretary-General said. In addition, he said that developing countries hosting large numbers of refugees should have access to concessional loans, noting that he is glad to see progress on that front.

The Secretary-General also called for stronger commitment to humanitarian financing, which will be one focus of the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit that he is convening in Istanbul on 23 and 24 May.

“With a spirit of true partnership, shared responsibility and solidarity, we can transform our global vision into better lives and greater opportunities for people everywhere,” the Secretary-General concluded.

ECOSOC President highlights new chapter in history

In opening remarks at the Forum today, the President of ECOSOC, Oh Joon, highlighted that the launch of the forum marked a new chapter in the history of the financing for development process.

“In this process, we are advancing on the solid ground laid out by our predecessors,” Mr. Oh said. “We must now forge ahead with elevated ambition and innovation based on the lessons learned from these experiences.”

In particular, Mr. Oh said that the Monterrey Conference and Doha Conference had generated a strong momentum in advancing financing for development issues among Member States, major institutional stakeholders, and others. Furthermore, the ECOSOC special high-level meetings with the Bretton Woods Institutions, World Trade Organization and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), as well as the General Assembly high-level dialogues on financing for development, have strengthened political momentum leading up to Addis.

The ECOSOC President noted that for its part, today’s forum serves as a primary platform for policy dialogue on financing for development follow-up. The forum is tasked with assessing progress, identifying challenges and facilitating the delivery of the means of implementation. It is also expected to promote sharing of lessons learned at the national and regional levels, while addressing new and emerging topics.

The forum also provides a platform for concrete action, enabling broad engagement by relevant stakeholders as well as Member States, and carries out its work in accordance with a strong evidence-based approach, Mr. Oh said.

“I trust that this forum will provide the right space for exchange on early action taken and will chart the road map for future implementation of the Addis Agenda,” he noted.

The overall theme of the forum is “Financing for sustainable development: follow-up to the Addis Ababa Action Agenda.” The inaugural segment began with a special high-level meeting with the Bretton Woods institutions, the WTO and UNCTAD.

Official Source: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=53709#.VxUqufkrLx8

Ban welcomes G20 support for Paris climate accord signing

Renewable energy: a thermo-solar power plant. Photo: World Bank/Dana Smillie

8 April 2016 – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the statement of China, this year’s President of the Group of 20, affirming the G20’s full support for the 22 April signing of the Paris Agreement on climate change, and calling for the accord’s entry into force as early as possible.

“The Secretary-General thanks China for its continued strong leadership in promoting global cooperation, grounded in ambitious national action, on climate change,” said a statement from the office of the UN chief’s spokesperson.

Mr. Ban is also encouraged by the strong political momentum from the more than 130 countries that have confirmed their intention to sign the accord on 22 April, urging all other countries to join them in the signing ceremony to be held at the UN Headquarters, the statement added.

Official Source: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=53640#.VwgGv_krLx8

If we work and build together,’ a more sustainable world will be a safer world, Ban says in California

6 April 2016 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon continued his programme in California today, where he received an honorary doctorate from Loyola Marymount University, after addressing yesterday the Los Angeles World Affairs Council, where he gave the audience an overview of United Nations efforts to meet today’s global challenges, from humanitarian crises to climate change to sustainable development.

He stressed that in his talks with world leaders he has encouraged them to show greater solidarity to refugees – not just through relief, but through resettlement and other legal pathways. He said that, when managed properly, accepting refugees is a win for everyone.

“Today, we need your engagement more than ever. This is a time of turbulence in world affairs, Mr. Ban said, stressing however that despite multiple crises and daily outrages “that defy our common humanity, this is also a decisive moment when we can set the world on a safer, better path.”

Drawing attention to the ongoing refugee and migrant crisis, as well as to conflicts in Syria, South Sudan and Afghanistan, the Secretary-General noted that UN diplomatic efforts are bringing hope to people in conflict-torn regions.

At the same time, the UN is looking to tackle the deeper roots of today’s crises, and in that regard, the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit, which he will convene in Istanbul on 23 and 24 May, will be an opportunity to address that issue, “and to improve our global response.”

“In the broadest sense, our aim is to leave no one behind,” he continued, noting that this is the promise at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs).

That landmark achievement approved by world leaders last September is a 15-year blueprint to end global poverty, fight inequality promote the rule of law and build peaceful societies.

“Women’s empowerment is a key thread running through the goals,” he said, adding that climate action will also be critical. To that end, with the adoption of the historic Paris Agreement, for the first time, every country in the world has pledged to curb their emissions.

“On April 22nd, I will host the signing ceremony for the agreement at UN Headquarters. I am pleased that both the United States and China have announced their intention to sign on the first day it is open for signature. We have a long way to go – but the trajectory is clear,” the UN chief said.

Official Source: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=53628#.VwZr3fkrLx8

Ban welcomes joint China-US pledge to sign Paris climate accord in April

By absorbing much of the added heat trapped by atmospheric greenhouse gases, the oceans are delaying some of the impacts of climate change. Photo: WMO/Olga Khoroshunova

1 April 2016 – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has commended the joint presidential statement on climate change by China and the United States announcing that both countries will sign the Paris Agreement at a special ceremony at UN Headquarters on 22 April, the first day the accord is open for signature.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban further welcomed the announcement that both countries will take necessary domestic steps to formally join the Agreement as early as possible this year. He also welcomed that they urged other countries to do the same so that the Paris Agreement can enter into force as early as possible.

“The Secretary-General is further encouraged by the commitment of the world’s two largest emitters to work for successful outcomes this year to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the Montreal Protocol, the International Civil Aviation Organization Assembly, and at the upcoming G-20 Summit in Hangzhou, China,” the statement said.

The 22 April signature ceremony will build on the strong political momentum from Paris for urgent global climate action by all countries, which is essential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and creating a more prosperous, equitable and livable future for all people.

The climate pact will enter into force after 55 countries that account for at least 55 per cent of global emissions have deposited their instruments of ratification.

Official Source: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=53591#.Vv7HAPkrLx8