Washington, D.C. (USA) 20 April 2012 Remarks at Center for Global Development event on "Delivering Sustainable Energy for All: Opportunities at Ro + 20
It is a pleasure to join you. I cannot think of a more timely or important reason to come together. Energy is the golden thread that connects economic growth, social equity, I know this from my own experience. When I was a boy in post-war Korea, Only when I prepared for examinations was I allowed to use a candle. This memory has stayed with me. My country changed, and my prospects changed, But too many others have not been so lucky. Energy poverty is a threat to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. It is inequitable and unsustainable. Children cannot study in the dark. Girls and women cannot learn or be productive when they spend hours a day collecting firewood. Businesses and economies cannot grow without power. We must find a way to end energy poverty. And with climate change a growing menace to all, We can no longer burn our way to prosperity. Fortunately, providing sustainable energy to all offers benefits It can enable developing countries to leapfrog over the energy systems This is why I have established the Sustainable Energy for All initiative, I also established a High-level Group to carry out global advocacy for the initiative. And, I am pleased to say, the United States has provided strong leadership. We have had the benefit of Secretary of Energy Steven Chu vision. UN Foundation President Tim Wirth has provided his trademark passion. And Bank of America Chairman Chad Holiday is serving as Co-Chair of the Group, I am truly grateful for their dedication and commitment. The Group members come from very different backgrounds, but Our challenge is to join forces, overcome the barriers, and bring our efforts to scale. We will need to scale up successful examples of clean energy and energy-efficient technologies. We will need innovation to spread throughout the world, And we must make a quantum leap in private capital flows My Sustainable Energy for All initiative will bring together key stakeholders By leveraging the global convening power of the United Nations, By fostering the necessary enabling conditions, including to mitigate risk, And by engaging a broad range of stakeholders, The power of partnership will be central to this endeavour. Next week, at the Clean Energy Ministerial meeting in London, The Agenda identifies 11 priority action areas that are critical to achieving the three objectives. We must rally around these priorities. I am very excited that we are joining hands with the Clean Energy Ministerial Developing countries are also standing up. Many more countries are seeking to get involved. And earlier this week, the European Commission pledged These are all powerful political commitments that Ladies and Gentlemen, The UN Conference on Sustainable Development is just two months away and approaching fast. Member States want to make the most of Rio+20. They want to see renewed political commitment to sustainable development. They also want concrete deliverables that will place us on this path. The negotiations are complex and wide-ranging. The current draft identifies 26 critical areas for action, Energy is central to each. One expected outcome is a compendium of new and measurable commitments. But commitments alone are not enough. We know what to do. We need to focus more attention on how we will do it. That means financing and technical assistance. Governments need to establish the regulatory frameworks. Major groups such as business and industry have a central role We need to strengthen the interface between science and policy-making, For my part, I am personally committed to mobilizing the entire UN system This morning I met with some of the world leading ministers of finance, Their role will be as crucial as anyone. I stressed to them that the challenges we face are of such immense magnitude, I emphasized that we must seize this once-in-a-generation opportunity I am also mobilizing the UN system itself. Last weekend in Geneva, I gathered the heads of all UN agencies, Let me share with you an excerpt from the joint declaration we issued: Rio+20 must provide the roadmap to the future we want This is the task before us, the great challenge of our time. As a leading think tank in the United States, Thank you. |
2012.04.21 12:50
2012.04.21 13:01
In 2012 the United Nations will convene the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development,
also known as Rio 2012 or Rio+20, hosted by Brazil in Rio de Janeiro,
as a 20-year follow-up to the historic 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)
that was held in the same city.
The conference is organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
The decision to hold the conference in 2012 in Rio de Janeiro was made
by UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/64/236 on 24 December 2009.
Rio+20 is a key milestone in a series of major United Nations conferences,
in which the 1992 Earth Summit / United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
was the centerpiece, putting sustainable development as a top priority on the agenda of the United Nations
and the international community.
The conference has three objectives.
The conference has two themes agreed upon by the member states.
Held from 16-18 May 2010 , immediately after the conclusion of the eighteenth session
and the first meeting of the nineteenth session of the Commission.
Held from January 10–11, 2011 at UN Headquarters, New York, the Intersessional focused on discussion
of the objectives of the conference, and its two principle themes.
The Intersessional - not a negotiation session - featured panel discussions, from academia,
non-governmental organizations as well as Delegates and UN system representatives.
Held from 7-9 March 2011, at United Nations Headquarters in New York,
immediately following the Intergovernmental Policy Meeting for the 19th Session
of the Commission on Sustainable Development.[31]
Will be held from 15-16 December 2011 at United Nations Headquarters in New York.[32]
Will be held from 5-7 March 2012 at United Nations Headquarters in New York.[33]
Will be held from 13-15 June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in the week immediately
before the UN Conference on Sustainable Development.[34]
The conference will be held from 20-22 June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2012.04.21 21:55
For the first time I watched Ban Ki-Moon's speech on TV, c-span, last night.
I listened from the beginning to the end, including questions and answer session after his speech.
It was an eye-opening experience for me in learning about what he has been doing for UN
as its Secretary General.
I realized and felt that he belonged to the truly higher dimension, the higher level, perhaps closer to God,
than the president of United States or any heads of the states.
Interestingly I also watched Mitt Romney's speech just before that of Ban Ki-Moon,
and Ban's sounds so much nobler, more sacred and holier than Romney's moving speech.
Ban Ki-Moon is mobilizing the entire UN organization to rescue our Mother Earth, and
presents specific short term, mid-term and long-term plans to the world.
At least that was my understanding and strong impression I got from his speech.
He is in the middle of mobilizing all the brains of scientists in every field, all the heads of the member states
and all the business minds in the private sectors of the world.
He's been tirelessly meeting all those people around the world and have gotten the enormous responses
so far, and the heads of 150 countries, including Obama, will attend the coming conference called Rio +20
in 2 months at Rio De Janeiro.
To me he iappears to be a modern day Messiah for humanity.
As a matter of fact, he keeps saying "humanity," expressing his true concern for mankind,
which he says is currently spending energy at the rate of what five Earths can provide,
yet he says our humanity has only one Earth.
What's amazing is that Ban has specific plans laid out on how to do it.
What he is doing is to convince every human being on earth, starting with the heads of states,
scientists, business people, civil organizations, governments, etc.
This forum he gave this speech is one of the concerned civil organizations.
I realized he is one of Koreans and one of alumni of SNU.
What struck me most impressively also was to see how humble and how intelligent he was
in answering questions and showing his leadership as UN Secretay General.
To me he was another Gandhi who has the lifetime mission which is far-greater than Gandhi's.
I'm certain that all Koreans and all alumni of SNU would join me in taking pride and
in praying for him and his mission.