Activities of Secretary-General in Norway, 30 August – 2 September

From: UN

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, accompanied by Madam Ban Soon-taek, arrived in Oslo, Norway, late in the evening of Sunday, 30 August, on his way to the Polar Ice Rim.

The following morning, he met with Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jonas Gahr Støre, over breakfast.  They discussed Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, the Middle East and Myanmar, as well as sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Secretary-General then met with Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg.  Their discussions focused mainly on climate change issues, including the need to mobilize political will and create confidence-building measures between the developed and developing countries.

After that meeting, the Secretary-General and the Norwegian Prime Minister held a joint press conference.  The Secretary-General said he was very much encouraged by Norway’s strong support for the United Nations and by the Prime Minister’s promise that morning that Norway would be able to reach 1.1 per cent of its gross domestic product to meet the targets of the Millennium Development Goals.

Later, the Secretary-General attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the Memorial Monument of the first Secretary-General of the United Nations, Trygve Lie.  He then met with members of Norway’s Parliament, discussing with them climate change, including carbon trading, United Nations reform, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and the situation of Iranian refugees in Iraq.  Before leaving Oslo, the Secretary-General had a luncheon hosted by King Harald V and Queen Sonja.

The Secretary-General, accompanied by the Minister of the Environment, Erik Solheim, left Oslo for Longyearbyen, on the Svalbard archipelago.  There, he boarded the Coast Guard ice-breaker KV Svalbard for an overnight trip to Ny-Alesund, north of the archipelago.

On Tuesday morning, after arriving in Ny-Alesund, the Secretary-General visited the Korean Polar Research Institute’s station in this Norwegian settlement.  He then went on to visit the Norwegian Zeppelin station.

The Secretary-General then made his way further north to the Polar Ice Rim, on board the KV Svalbard.  As he stood on the ice, he urged world leaders to take action against climate change.  “The Arctic is ground zero for analysing the impact of climate change.  In the Arctic, climate change is accelerating much faster than in any other region in the world,” he said.  “We do not have any time to lose,” added the Secretary-General at the Polar Ice Rim.  “The time is short.  We must seal the deal in Copenhagen in December, a deal which will be comprehensive, equitable and balanced, so that both industrialized and developing countries, and all citizens of the world can live in an environmentally sustainable way.”

On Wednesday morning, the Secretary-General travelled back to Longyearbyen.  He visited the Global Seed Vault, which contains seeds from around the world, with the Norwegian Minister for Food and Agriculture, Lars Peder Brekk.  Noting that the seeds stored in the Vault came from virtually every country in the world, he said they contained the essential characteristics that plant breeders and farmers would need to ensure that crops become climate-ready and even more productive.  “Sustainable food production may not begin in this cold Arctic environment, but it does begin by conserving crop diversity,” he added.  (See Press Release SG/SM/12432.)

The Secretary-General then held a press conference during his visit to the Polar Ice Rim, at the Svalbard Science Centre.  He said his trip allowed him to see for himself “just how much damage this fragile environment, particularly in the Arctic, has suffered, because of climate change”.  Calling for leaders to seal a deal in Copenhagen, he said:  “We have to act.  We have to pool all resources and demonstrate our will.”

The Secretary-General also participated in a mini-seminar at the University Centre in Svalbard with Erik Solheim, Norwegian Minister of Environment, Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Former Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, and Rolph Payet, environment adviser to the President of Seychelles.

Later that afternoon, the Secretary-General left Longyearbyen for Geneva, Switzerland.

Dr Payet sees melting of Arctic icecap at first hand

Seychelles Nation- 07.09.2009
President James Michel’s special adviser on the environment, Dr Rolph Payet, was in a group led by United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon last week to see at first hand the melting of the Arctic icecap.

Dr Payet was representing the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the visit to the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, about 1,000 kilometres from the North Pole.

The visit, from Monday to Wednesday, was arranged ahead of a number of high-level conferences which Mr Ban is hosting to ensure there is a concrete outcome of the December climate change negotiations in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Also in the group was the Norwegian Minister for Environment Sheila de Coultier, representing the Arctic peoples.

Describing the visit, Dr Payet said: “To see climate change happening is to see how fragile our planet is. Both the Arctic and the islands are at the frontlines of climate change – a solution for climate change is also a solution for the vulnerable and the poor.”

In a panel discussion at the University of Svalbard, the world’s northernmost university which has about 200 students, Dr Payet spoke of the links between climate change in the Arctic and in the tropics, and relationships that could be developed with the new University of Seychelles.

He emphasised that we have the technical know-how to bring down emissions of greenhouse gases to 40% below 1990 levels – a position adopted by the Alliance of Small Island States in their negotiations on climate change.
He also said the developed countries have the means and the technology to reduce carbon emissions to safe levels but expressed concern that they are playing the waiting game – a game that will cost many millions of people their livelihoods, homes and even motherland.

Dr Payet said Seychelles’ leadership in the climate change negotiations was acknowledged, and further support will be given to help the SIDS in the negotiation process and also in addressing adaptation to climate change.

Mr Ban gave his assurance that the UN is doing all it can to address climate change and will continue to support the vulnerable. He asked the SIDS to persevere in their quest for a concrete outcome of the Copenhagen conference.

UN Secretary is troubled and alarmed by global warming

From: University of Svalbard

The secretary of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, visited UNIS today after seeing for himself the melting ice in the waters north of Svalbard. – I am troubled and alarmed by what I have seen.

Text: Gunnar Sand

The Arctic could be ice free by 2030, he said, and expressed deep concern about the development of the world climate.

Ban Ki-moon said that he would deliver the message to the world leaders in upcoming conferences. – We have the answers. We have the means. I hope you will all join me in the effort to save the world climate, for the sake of future generations and for our own, he said in front of a packed auditorium at UNIS this morning.

Former Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, Sheila Watt-Cloutier, spoke on behalf of the indigenous peoples of the world and urged world leaders to act now. She stressed that there must be more focus on humanity in years to come, not just industry.

Environmental advisor to the President of the Seychelles, Rolph Payet, said during his presentation that the Seychelles would be badly hit by a changing climate and asked world leaders to deal with the problem. To the audience of Longyearbyen he added that it was cold on Svalbard and he wanted it to remain cold.

The Norwegian Minister of Environment, Erik Solheim, addressed the students of UNIS during his presentation: - You are at the right place for studying the most important issue of our time. We need more knowledge in a variety of fields, Erik Solheim said.

UN secretary Ban Ki-moon met with the members of the student council at UNIS. From left to right:Johannes Lose, Benedikte Jarstø, Mari Berg, Max Janson, Marie Føreid, Benjamin Merkel, Ban Ki-Moon, David Hammenstig, Matilda Hallerstig, Alexander Pilditch.

New move to improve environment management

From Seychelles Nation - 10.07.2009
Seychelles has taken a new step to increase its capacity for effective ecological management, which covers national and global environmental issues.

This came with the signing on Wednesday of the second phase of a project designed to address specific issues identified in the National Capacity Self-Assessment (NCSA).

This followed previous assessments of the Environment Management Plans of Seychelles (EMPS) that pointed to key institutional barriers within government, and between government and non-governmental organisations, limiting the effectiveness of the current EMPS operations.

The project – Capacity development for improved national and international environmental management in Seychelles – is based on the need to mainstream global environmental objectives into the EMPS, which is the main strategic planning and coordinating mechanism for environmental management in the country.

It is also based on the need to strengthen the capacity for integrated approaches that address climate change, biodiversity and land degradation.
It contributes to the Global Environment Facility’s (GEF) strategic priority to boost capacity for global environmental management by strengthening the national institutional framework, technical skills and related capacities to manage commitments under the global environmental conventions in conjunction with national objectives.

The official agreement for the project was signed at Independence House by the special adviser for environment in the President’s Office Dr Rolph Payet – also the GEF’s operational focal point – and UNDP resident representative and resident coordinator for Mauritius and Seychelles Claudio Calderone, in the presence of principal secretary for environment Didier Dogley and UNDP representatives.

Dr Payet said Seychelles is very proud that the GEF has recognised the country’s capacity and willingness to carry out such a project. As a small country, capacity is always on top of the agenda and is crucial in managing almost all areas, he added.

He also said the project will help Seychelles to better manage its resources at national level and to play a greater role at international level.

Dr Payet added that the project will support the ministry responsible for environment as well as other ministries and non-governmental organisations in their environmental and sustainable development-related duties.

On behalf of the UNDP, Mr Calderone said as a middle-income country Seychelles should not be penalised but should rather be helped with financial and technical resources that will boost its capacity to face environmental issues as well as other possible future concerns.

He described the collaboration between Seychelles and the GEF as another step forward in a fruitful relationship.

The project was proposed after the NCSA identified capacity shortcomings that limited Seychelles’ ability to realise national goals and international commitments.

The NCSA presented an action plan to address these needs and boost the national approach to global environmental management.

The plan addresses core aspects identified by the NCSA process – including four of the 10 priority issues – so as to build on the existing national foundation.

Benefits will be realised by linking national initiatives to international obligations, creating an enabling environment for enhanced stakeholder involvement, harnessing the country’s full capacities in coordinating and running environmental programmes and also bridging crucial capacity gaps.

The GEF’s sponsored project will run through a 36-month period at a cost of US $42,500.