USA: U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calls for new effective multilateralism and to tackle climate change before "time runs out"

Record ID: 562464

  • Title: USA: U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calls for new effective multilateralism and to tackle climate change before "time runs out"
  • Date: 22nd May 2009
  • Summary: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES (MAY 21, 2009) (REUTERS) U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON WALKING UP TO THE PODIUM TO SPEAK PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON SAYING "This new world demands a special brand of leadership. I am now talking about to you a global leadership and new multilateralism. We need a new vision, bold action, powerful partnerships for enduring peace and prosperity. That is why I call for a new multilateralism. A multilateralism focused on delivering global goods: freedom from hunger, health and education and security from terror or the threat of Armageddon. A multilateralism whose instruments - the United Nations above al l- have the authority and the resources to do what is asked of them." PEOPLE LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON SAYING "We absolutely must reach an agreement to reduce greenhouse gases and help millions of families adapt to climate change - before our time runs out." AUDIENCE MEMBERS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON SAYING "Here's the bottom-line: an effective multilateralism must be backed by political will of political leaders. U.N. mandates must be matched by resources. Fine words must be accompanied by action. Promises must be delivered on. That takes leadership - a new global leadership commensurate with the demands of the new era." PEOPLE LISTENING BAN KI-MOON ENDING HIS SPEECH AND SHAKING HANDS WITH PEOPLE ON STAGE
  • Embargoed: 6th June 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA7UWTTGIJ2JTC9UAONDSOQU4J4
  • Story Text: U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday (May 21) called for new cooperation between states, that "focused on delivering global goods: freedom from hunger, health and education and security from terror or the threat of Armageddon".
    Speaking at a commencement ceremony at the Johns Hopkins University in Washington, Ban said that the new world order demands a new brand of leadership.
    "I am now talking about to you a global leadership and new multilateralism. We need a new vision, bold action, powerful partnerships for enduring peace and prosperity," Ban said.
    "A multilateralism whose instruments - the United Nations above all - have the authority and the resources to do what is asked of them," he added.
    He also called for a "green new deal" on climate change and urged a final push in negotiations ahead of a key summit.
    "We absolutely must reach an agreement to reduce greenhouse gases and help millions of families adapt to climate change -- before our time runs out," Ban told the audience in Washington.
    Ban said that before the year is out he plans to go to the North Pole, as well as to regions where drought and competition for water threaten peoples' lives and well-being.
    The United Nations is striving for a new climate treaty to be agreed at a conference in Copenhagen in December. The new treaty would succeed the Kyoto Protocol, which limits climate-warming greenhouse emissions and expires in 2012.
    Ban is also scheduled to be in Copenhagen on Sunday to open a summit called the World Business Summit on Climate Change.
    In his remarks, he also said the United Nations is "beefing up our peace-keeping and conflict prevention efforts" and called on political leaders to deliver on their promises for successes globally in those areas, as well as in areas such as disease prevention and climate change.
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