Activities of Secretary-General in Australia, 14-17 November
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, accompanied by Madam Ban Soon-taek, arrived in Brisbane, Australia, from Myanmar, late in the evening of 14 November. He would attend the G20 Summit the following day.
At a press conference he held on Saturday morning, Mr. Ban highlighted the need for global action in three critical areas, namely, promoting inclusive growth and decent jobs, meeting the climate challenge and providing financing for sustainable development.
The Secretary-General also took the opportunity to say that the international community needed to intensify its effort to halt the spread of Ebola. In answer to a question, Mr. Ban underscored the amazing work of the front-line health workers who he called “extraordinary people who are giving all for others. “Rather than being discriminated or quarantined […], they should be given full support,” the Secretary-General told reporters.
During his remarks to the press, the Secretary-General also encouraged G20 leaders to focus more on climate change, which he called “the defining issue of our times”.
Later that day, the Secretary-General joined the other participants of the Summit for the start of the official programme. Following the opening ceremony, the Secretary-General attended the first session, focusing on strengthening growth and job creation in the global economy.
The evening concluded with a working dinner on trade.
During the afternoon, the Secretary-General had a number of pull-aside, unscheduled discussions with various leaders.
These included Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom with whom he discussed the Ebola crisis, specifically the United Kingdom’s efforts in Sierra Leone, and climate change.
With the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, His Royal Highness Prince Saud al-Faisal, the Secretary-General discussed the on-going crisis in Syria, climate change and the Ebola crisis.
He also had a discussion with the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, that focused on climate change and the positive role that India could play.
On Sunday, the Secretary-General continued his participation in the various sessions, including a working lunch devoted to how the international community can best scale up its response to Ebola.
He also continued with bilateral meetings, the first being a joint meeting with Herman van Rompuy, President of the European Council and Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission.
The Secretary-General stressed the need for a political solution for the ongoing situation in Ukraine, a crisis, the Secretary-General said, that has an impact far beyond the region.
The Secretary-General thanked the European Union for its help in containing the spread of the Ebola virus and its support for the most impacted countries. He specifically expressed his gratitude for the European Union’s backing of medical evacuation of first responders.
During the meeting, they also discussed climate change. The Secretary-General underscored the leadership of the European Union on this issue and encouraged the European Union to generously support the Green Climate Fund.
Later in the afternoon, the Secretary-General met with Ahmet Davutoğlu, Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey. They discussed, amongst others, the situation in Syria, including international efforts to combat the threat posed by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and Turkey’s humanitarian assistance to the refugees in the region. They also discussed the ongoing diplomatic efforts of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, to create momentum for a local freeze in Aleppo.
The Secretary-General concluded the day with a dinner with his senior advisers. He departed Brisbane on the morning of 16 November, arriving in New York late on Monday, 17 November.