United Nations Radio

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

In an effort to promote advancement on environmental issues, today UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched a new high-level panel on global sustainability. Gail Walker reports.

Duration: 4'23"

The UN Chief established the panel to formulate a new blueprint for sustainable development. He says among the issues the Panel will address are challenges related to water, food and energy security.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon: The panel will address how to lift people out of poverty while respecting and preserving the climate and natural systems that sustain us. I have instructed the Panel to think big. The time for narrow agendas and narrow thinking is over. We need to promote low carbon growth and better strengthen our resilience to the impacts of climate change. We need to address the interlinked global challenges of poverty, hunger, water and energy, security and sanitation. In short, we need a blueprint for a more liveable, prosperous, and sustainable future for all. I expect the Panel to not only think big, but also to come up with practical answers that address the institutional and financial arrangements that will be needed to put such a blueprint into practice.

Walker: The panel, which will be co-chaired by President Tarja Halonen of Finland and President Jacob Zuma of South Africa, will be made up of leading global policy makers, representatives of the private sector and civil society experts. The panel is expected to submit its final report to the Secretary-General at the end of 2011. 'The Secretary-General will use the recommendations of the Panel to provide input to the upcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development to be held in Rio in 2012, as well as the annual meetings of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Following the announcement of the Panel, Mr. Ban also spoke about his recent trip to Japan where he attended ceremonies commemorating the 65th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon: It was a profoundly moving experience. The impact of the damage from the nuclear bombs was beyond words, beyond imagination. I had the privilege of meeting many survivors. Their courage and strength through so much suffering was truly inspiring. My visit strengthened my personal conviction that we must do everything in our power to realize a world free of nuclear weapons. As long as nuclear weapons exist, the threat exists. If we want to get rid of the threat, we need to get rid of the weapons.

Walker: The Secretary-General will host a high-level meeting on disarmament in New York this coming September. The UN Chief also discussed the UN's response to the devastating floods in Pakistan, where millions have been affected. He has dispatched his special envoy, Jean-Maurice Ripert to the region to work with authorities to assess the urgent needs in the country and to mobilize humanitarian assistance.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon: The UN on the ground is working to supplement the efforts of the Government and local and international NGOs to provide immediate relief -- food, clean drinking water, shelter, health materials. The local Emergency Relief Fund and the Central Emergency Response Fund have already made resources available for the agencies and organizations in the front line. We will soon issue an emergency response plan and an appeal for several hundred million dollars to respond to immediate needs. But let me stress now that we must also give thought to medium and longer-term assistance. This will be a major and protracted task. I appeal for donors to generously support Pakistan at this difficult time.

Walker: Secretary-General Ban also spoke of progress on the UN Panel of Inquiry on the attack of the Gaza-bound flotilla last May, the recent conflict in Lebanon between Lebanese Armed Forces and Israeli Defense Forces, the security situation in Darfur and the current situation in Myanmar.