Activities of Secretary-General in Washington, D.C., 9-10 November

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Washington, D.C., from New York on Monday evening, 9 November.

On Tuesday morning, the Secretary-General met with the White House climate change team at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, ahead of the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, in December 2009.

In the afternoon, he met with the President of the National Resource Defense Council, Frances Beinecke.

The Secretary-General then went to the United States Capitol, where he met with congressional leaders.

Following that meeting, he spoke to reporters in a joint press encounter with Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Richard Lugar and Senator Joe Lieberman.

The Secretary-General emphasized the need to conclude a robust, global agreement at the Copenhagen Climate Conference in December, which can serve as a foundation for a climate treaty.

He acknowledged that there will be costs associated with tackling climate change.  But these costs pale in comparison with the cost of not taking action.

The Secretary-General stressed the importance of a global agreement, which is comprehensive, equitable, fair and balanced.  And to make this possible, he said, the developed countries should provide a substantial amount of financial and technological support to developing countries so that they can mitigate and adapt.

Following the press encounter, the Secretary-General returned to New York.