Secretary-General Video Message for Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States’ Summit, Urges Climate Solidarity, investment in Sustainable Development

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message for the Summit of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, held in Luanda today:

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

Together, the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States spans not only the globe, but also a range of shared challenges.

Inequalities are deepening.  Conflicts are causing immense suffering.  A global cost-of-living crisis is raging.  The spectre of famine looms large.  And the climate crisis is wreaking havoc — hitting the most vulnerable populations the hardest.  You know this well.  Your economies are bearing the brunt of this cascade of crises.  Our world needs concrete and collective action — and it needs it now.

On the climate front, we must keep the 1.5°C limit alive and stave off climate disaster.  That means drastic emission cuts, massive investments in renewables, scaled up finance for adaptation and genuine support to vulnerable countries to deal with loss and damage.  The Just Energy Transition Partnerships are important instruments to accelerate the phasing out of coal and scaling up of renewables.  But we need more.

Now is the time for a climate solidarity pact between developed and emerging economies.  A pact to mobilize financial and technical support for emerging economies to accelerate their renewable energy transition.  A pact to change the business models of multilateral development banks and international financial institutions to accept more risk and leverage private finance for developing countries at reasonable costs.  A Pact to make renewable energy technology — including battery storage — a global public good.

We must also urgently re-establish trust.  That is why support for adaptation is so important and decisions on loss and damage must be implemented.  We need to advance trust in the power of multilateral action and international cooperation.  And trust in one another — rooted in greater solidarity, and bolstered by greater support.

That is why I have called for a Sustainable Development Goal stimulus, led by the Group of 20 (G20).  To increase liquidity for developing countries.  To make debt relief a reality.  And to enable investment at scale in the Sustainable Development Goals.

Excellencies, at this critical time, I count on you to keep raising your voices.  And you can count on me and the United Nations to be your resolute partner to help overcome the challenges ahead.  Thank you.