12/08/2011 - Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon said today (August 12) that
sustainable development will remain his
top priority during his second term as the
head of the United Nations, saying that
key challenges include achieving the global
poverty reduction goals and strengthening
disaster risk reduction to avert crises
caused by climate change.
The General Assembly
in June agreed to appoint Mr. Ban to a second
consecutive term as Secretary-General.
"Since my re-election,
I have been consulting widely with Member
States and the full range of UN partners
on what they see as the great challenges
going forward", Mr. Ban told members
of the diplomatic corps in Seoul, the capital
of the Republic of Korea. "Looking
to the longer horizon, sustainable developent
is at the top of my list of priorities",
he said.
Mr. Ban stated that
global and regional security and democratization
challenges will also feature prominently
on his agenda.
"We are supporting
the transitions that are under way in Egypt
and Tunisia, and are deeply engaged in the
diplomatic efforts aimed at a solution to
the conflict in Libya."
However, he pointed
out that the most immediate concern was
the humanitarian crisis brought on by the
severe drought in the Horn of Africa which
has led to famine in several areas of Somalia
and made an estimated 12.4 million people
in the wider region dependent on food aid.
"As we respond
to this emergency, we also need to deal
with the underlying causes. Today's drought
may be the worst in decades, but with the
effects of climate change being increasingly
felt throughout the world, it surely will
not be the last", said Mr. Ban, adding
that long-term solutions would require the
development of drought-resistant seeds,
irrigation, rural infrastructure and livestock
programmes.
The Secretary-General
emphasized that in an era of budgetary constraints,
the UN must continue to fulfil its mandates
with the resources available. "That
means continuing our efforts to 'deliver
as one'", he said.
He also drew attention
to the food shortages in the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) where,
he said, a harsh winter, followed by severe
flooding, had put millions of lives at risk,
noting that the UN World Food Programme
(WFP) had launched emergency operations
there. "Our challenge is to get food
to those who need it, when they need it",
he said.
Mr. Ban highlighted
the broader challenge of creating a nuclear-weapon-free,
democratic and prosperous Korean Peninsula.
The Secretary-General
took note of Republic of Korea's growing
presence in the international arena, including
its hosting of the last Group of 20 (G20)
summit, its support for African development
and engagement in UN peacekeeping, among
other initiatives.
He emphasized the importance of partnerships
between governments, non-governmental organizations
(NGOs), the private sector, philanthropists
and academic community for global common
causes.
"We saw a powerful
example of this in the 'Every Woman Every
Child' initiative on maternal and child
health. We must extend this model to other
challenges", the Secretary-General
said.
Mr. Ban also met Foreign
Minister Kim Sung-hwan and attended an event
organized by the South Korean Red Cross
and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) to support
children in Africa. He thanked young Korean
entertainers present for backing the project
and asked them to use their reach to raise
funds and awareness.
"Many people are
suffering and dying from HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis
- all these are preventable diseases",
he said. "If they have medicine, if
they have access to sanitation, they can
be saved."
"Why should all
these people die needlessly? That is why
we are gathered here today; I ask you all
for your support, your compassion, your
caring for all these people."
In addition, the UN
chief met the Roman Catholic Archbishop
of Seoul, Cardinal Chung Jin-suk. They discussed
how religion can help promote the work of
the UN, including in the fields of peace
and security, development and human rights.
Source: UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
+ More
Brazil and U.S. launch
initiative for urban sustainability
17/08/2011 - The Brazilian
Environment Minister, Izabella Teixeira,
and the Administrator of the United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Lisa
Jackson, launched on Tuesday (August 16),
in Rio de Janeiro (RJ), the Joint Initiative
on Urban Sustainability (JIUS).
The JIUS includes actions
aimed at the challenges and opportunities
for development of urban infrastructure
that promote sustainable development with
economic, environmental and social benefits.
For the ministers, this is an opportune
moment for the launch of the initiative,
considering that in the coming years Brazil
will host the World Cup (2014) and the Olympic
and Paralympic Games (2016).
During the event, the
ministers expressed their satisfaction with
the support from the mayor of Rio de Janeiro,
Eduardo Paes, who has committed to begin
implementing the initiative in partnership
with Federal and State governments. Izabella
Teixeira and Liza Jackson also reiterated
the importance of the United Nations Conference
on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) to be
held in Rio de Janeiro in 2012 and pledged
to work together to ensure a successful
meeting.
