Activities of Secretary-General in Germany, 6-7 October

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon left Rome, Italy, on 6 October, for Hamburg, Germany, for the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of the Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

During his flight, he took the opportunity to telephone António Guterres to congratulate him on being recommended by the Security Council to be the next Secretary-General.

On Thursday, 7 October, accompanied by his wife, Madam Ban Soon-taek, the Secretary-General visited the Headquarters of the Tribunal and met with its President, Vladimir Vladimirovich Golitsyn, judges and other staff.

He spoke to reporters before receiving the National German Sustainability Award.

At the lunch held in his honour, he stressed that sustainable social, economic and environmental development is an imperative for people, the planet, peace and prosperity.  (See Press Release SG/SM/18181.)

On that occasion, he was also handed the replica of Germany’s ratification of the Paris Agreement on climate change.

In the afternoon, the Secretary-General went to Hamburg City Hall, where he was welcomed by Olaf Scholz, First Mayor of Hamburg, and Joachim Gauck, Federal President of Germany, to participate in a commemorative ceremony for the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of the Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

He said that the judgments of the Tribunal have been ground-breaking and vital, but often overlooked, and underscored the importance of oceans and seas in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  (See Press Release SG/SM/18182.)

Before leaving Hamburg, the Secretary-General visited by boat the port of the city, and also took a tour of the Elbphilharmonie concert hall.

He then left Germany for Reykjavik to participate in the Assembly of the Arctic Circle.