SECRETARY-GENERAL, CONCLUDING VISIT, MEETS WITH BRITISH ENVIRONMENT MINISTER

Press Release
SG/T/2025

SECRETARY-GENERAL, CONCLUDING VISIT, MEETS WITH BRITISH ENVIRONMENT MINISTER

LONDON, 17 January -- Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali this morning met with the British Minister for the Environment, John Gummer. Their discussions dealt with the follow-up to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992, the need to strengthen environmental programmes worldwide and the possibilities of doing so through regional organizations. They also exchanged views on the importance of coordination between environmental programmes and related activities, such as the forthcoming Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) due to be held next June in Istanbul, Turkey. The Secretary-General was accompanied during this meeting by his Special Adviser, Yasushi Akashi.

The Secretary-General then met the Director of United Nations Association (United Kingdom), Malcolm Harper; and Sir David Hannay, former Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations and currently adviser to the World Federation of United Nations Associations. Their talks centred upon cooperation between United Nations Association around the world and the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI). The Secretary-General was accompanied during this meeting by Assistant Secretary- General for Public Information, Samir Sanbar.

At 1 p.m., the Secretary-General participated in a round-table discussion at the Royal Institute for International Affairs (Chatham House), on the theme "United Nations: Agenda and Challenges". The discussion was chaired by the Director of the Institute, Professor Sir Laurence Martin. Participants included Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Secretariat, senior Foreign Office officials, Members of Parliament, writers and university professors.

The Secretary-General returns to New York this evening.

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