Activities of Secretary-General in Peru, 9-12 December
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, together with Madam Ban Soon-taek, arrived in Lima, from Chicago, shortly after midnight on Tuesday, 9 December.
His first engagement of the day was to attend the opening of the high-level segment of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, also called the twentieth Conference of Parties (COP) and the tenth session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol.
The Secretary-General said that he was carrying a message of hope and urgency. “We know that by addressing man-made climate change, we can build more resilient, prosperous and healthier societies,” he said. “But, we must act now.” (See Press Release SG/SM/16406.)
However, he noted, “despite these positive steps, I am deeply concerned that our collective action does not match our common responsibilities”.
The Secretary-General then met separately with Ali bin Ibrahim al-Naimi, Minister for Petroleum and Mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia, and Alexander Bedritsky, Adviser on Climate Change to the President of the Russian Federation.
He attended the closing of the “Caring for Climate” forum, which was organized by the Global Compact and attended by business leaders.
The Secretary-General called on the leaders to lead by example by setting a meaningful internal carbon price, advocating for responsible policies and acknowledging where they need to do more. “I will support you by pushing Governments to do their part,” he said. “I am calling for frameworks that set a level playing field. I am asking for clear signals that will encourage the private sector to integrate climate activities into their long-term strategies.”
The Secretary-General then held a press conference, telling reporters that “our planet has a fever — and it is getting hotter every day”. He also noted that “we can no longer afford to burn our way to prosperity. We must take climate action now. And the more we delay, the more we will have to pay.”
After speaking to the press, he met with Miguel Arias Cañete, European Union Commissioner for Energy and Climate Action, and Gian Luca Galletti, Ministry of Environment of Italy, which holds the Presidency of the European Union.
The Secretary-General held talks with Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, and Peter Bakker, President of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
He also met with Evo Morales Ayma, President of Bolivia.
He then met with representatives of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, before ending his day by meeting Xie Zhenghua, Vice Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission of China.
The following morning, Wednesday, 10 December, the Secretary-General began his programme with interviews on his hopes for a successful outcome in Lima with Carmen Jimenez of Spanish international news agency EFE and Go Kamoshida of NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation).
The Secretary-General then spoke at the start of the Head of State segment of the COP, where he said that only by acting together will we transform the climate challenge into an opportunity to fundamentally rethink how we grow our economies and create a safer, healthier and more liveable world. (See Press Release SG/SM/16414.)
He visited former UN Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar at his home.
Back at the COP venue, he met with Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Minister for the Environment of Peru and President of COP-20 and CMP10 (tenth session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol) before taking part in a demonstration of fuel-efficient cookstoves with two famous Peruvian chefs, Gastón Acurio and Virgilio Martinez.
The Secretary-General took part in a luncheon hosted by Ollanta Moisés Humala Tasso, President of Peru, before meeting with Ministers of the Alliance of Small Island Developing States; Shri Prakash Javadekar, Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change of India; Todd Stern, United States Special Envoy for Climate Change; Edna Molewa, Minister for Environmental Affairs of South Africa; and Yoshio Mochizuki, Minister for Environment of Japan.
The last activity of his day was the opening of the “Momentum for Change” event, which was spearheaded by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and which spotlights activities around the world that promote a highly resilient, low-carbon future. (See Press Release SG/SM/16417)
That evening, 12 winners were honoured, and the Secretary-General said that they are “improving the lives of the urban poor, highlighting the leadership of women, promoting innovative climate finance and increasing the use of ICT (information and communications technology) climate solutions”.
He added that they “provide encouragement to all of us who want to see climate action become a driving force that powers our economies towards a more sustainable future”.
On Thursday, 11 December, the Secretary-General was interviewed by Karl Ritter of the Associated Press.
He then spoke at the opening of the Lima Climate Action High-level Dialogue, where he said that “actions beget ambition”, adding that “the more action we take today, the more likely countries will push for stronger agreements tomorrow” and that taking action now will set a strong foundation for a meaningful, universal climate agreement in Paris in 2015. (See Press Release SG/SM/16418.)
Together with the President of Peru, the Secretary-General flew by helicopter over the Paracas National Reserve, which comprises coastal areas and tropical desert, and is home to many species of wildlife. Due to inclement weather, they were unable to land.
The rest of the afternoon was dedicated to meetings. The Secretary-General held talks with Seong-Kyu Yoon, Minister for Environment of the Republic of Korea; Leona Aglukkaq, Minister for Environment of Canada; Hela Cheikhrouhou, Executive Director of the Green Climate Fund.
His last meeting of the evening was with the Presidencies of the Conference of Parties: Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Minister for the Environment of Peru and President of COP-20; Laurent Fabius, Minister for Foreign Affairs of France and President Designate of COP-21; and Ségolène Royal, Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy of France.
On Friday morning, 12 December, the Secretary-General participated in the launch of Peru’s National Plan on Human Rights Education, together with the President, Foreign Minister, Justice Minister and other senior officials.
The Secretary-General underscored in his remarks at the event that neither peace nor development can be sustained without respecting human rights. “Human rights education helps people learn about fundamental standards and acquire the skills to realize them,” he said. “It strengthens values and reinforces attitudes which uphold human rights. And it encourages behaviour and action to defend human rights.” (See Press Release SG/SM/16421.)
The Secretary-General then met with President Ollanta Moisés Humala Tasso before jointly speaking to the press.
With Peru hosting COP-20, the Secretary-General thanked the President for his leadership on climate change. He also noted Peru’s steady economic growth rates and impressive progress on reaching the Millennium Development Goals. “Of course, there remain challenges in Peru and elsewhere to address inequalities, ensure inclusive growth, deepen democracy and uphold the human rights for all,” he said.
The Secretary-General then met with the President of the Congress of Peru, Ana María Solórzano, before she presented him with the Medal of Honour of the Congress.
Speaking to the body, he said that Peru and the United Nations enjoy strong ties, noting the country’s contributions to the Organization’s peacekeeping missions, its achievements in development and in leading the world to a more sustainable future by hosting COP-20. The Secretary-General ended his address by saying, “construyamos un mundo que valga un Perú”, or “let us build a world worth a Peru”. (See Press Release SG/SM/16422.)
Following a lunch hosted by Peru’s Foreign Minister Gonzalo Gutierrez Reinel, the Secretary-General and his wife departed Lima.