Courage, Compromise, Common Sense, Conscience Keys to Climate-Change Legacy

 

for All Time, Secretary-General Tells Prime Minister’s Informal Event

 

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks to the Informal High-Level Event convened by the Prime Minister of Denmark:

It is a great pleasure and honour to welcome you to this very important summit level Conference on Climate Change.

Thank you for taking time, despite your very busy State affairs.  This means you are committed as national and global leaders to address together climate change, which is the defining challenge of our era.

The finishing line is in sight.  Now our discussions are bearing fruit.  Never has the world united on such a scale.  The world’s leaders are all together here.  Every sector of society is mobilized.  Faith groups, CEOs, NGOs and individual citizens. 

The world is watching.  We are closer than ever to the world’s first truly global agreement to limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  Just hours remain to close the final gaps.

You have achieved much already.  If we are to meet the climate change challenge, we must act as united nations.  Now is your moment.  We are united in purpose.  Now it is time for us to be united in action, common action.  I implore you to seize this opportunity. 

Now is the time again for common sense, compromise and courage:  common sense, compromise and courage.  Political courage, political wisdom and political leadership should prevail.  And this afternoon, let me add, conscience.

It will be your legacy for all time.  It will be the legacy.  Let us today seal a deal for the common good.

Thank you.

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For information media • not an official record