Activities of Secretary-General in Spain, 1-2 July
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres flew to Valencia, Spain, from Paris, on Thursday morning, 1 July.
Upon arrival, he toured the United Nations Information and Communications Technology Facility at Qart the Poblet. He was accompanied by the Spanish Foreign Minister, Arancha Gonzalez Laya, the Permanent Representative of Spain to the United Nations, Ambassador Agustín Santos Maraver, and the President of the Generalitat Valenciana, Ximo Puig.
At the base, the Secretary-General took part in a commemoration of its tenth anniversary, meeting with United Nations staff and a group of Junior Ambassadors of the Sustainable Development Goals. He also held a joint press encounter with the Foreign Minister in which he thanked Spain for its support and for the expansion plans for the Facility.
Later that day, the Secretary-General took part in an informal conversation with university students on the future of multilateralism and the kind of future they want.
That evening, the Secretary-General travelled by train from Valencia to Madrid. During this time, he also held a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister González.
The next day, in Madrid, the Secretary-General participated in a round‑table discussion with the Vice-President and Minister for Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, and other officials in which they discussed who to accelerate a green recovery. During the event, the Secretary-General said that there is a gap and a lack of trust between developed and developing countries, and that this gap needs to be narrowed with serious negotiations that include financing for adaptation, resilience and an implementation of measures that allow for a just transition. He also stressed that reaching the target of zero carbon emissions by 2050 will require a truly global coalition. He was then interviewed by EFE Verde.
He then held a joint press encounter with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón at the Palacio de la Moncloa. The Secretary-General thanked Spain for its exemplary partnership to the United Nations. He cited multiple examples of collaboration, including the plans for expansion of the United Nations Information and Communications Technology Facility in Valencia, Spain’s commitment to the COVAX Facility, its leadership in the European Union and as a bridge between developed and developing countries to tackle climate change, and its strong push to achieve gender equality in all aspects of its society. The Secretary-General underscored that all these global issues require multilateral solutions, and also for inclusion of all sectors of society — businesses, civil society, academia, city authorities and youth — in Government decisions.
After the press encounter, the Secretary-General and Prime Minister Sánchez held a one-on-one meeting.
That afternoon, the Secretary-General had an audience King Felipe VI. The King then hosted a lunch in the Secretary-General’s honour.
The Secretary-General departed Madrid on Friday afternoon and headed to Lisbon.