Photo stories: Arctic ice rim

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon travels to the Arctic ice rim to see first-hand the impact of climate change and meet with scientists working in the fragile region. The polar ice cap is one of the most remote areas on Earth and Mr. Ban reached it by ship after setting out from the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. (1 September 2009)

Aboard the KV Svalbard, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (second from right) and Norway’s Environment Minister Erik Solheim (third from right) listen to a briefing from the vessel’s captain. (1 September 2009)

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (front left) steps out on the polar ice after disembarking from a polar research vessel. (1 September 2009)

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (third from right) tests the equipment of scientists who conduct experiments on the polar ice rim to measure the impact of global warming. (1 September 2009)

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon holds a sample of polar ice. During his visit to the region, the UN chief heard how climate change is melting the Arctic ice more quickly than previously thought. (1 September 2009)

A close-up of the cracking ice in the polar region during the visit by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is using the trip to illustrate the urgent need for world leaders to strike a wide-ranging deal on climate change. (1 September 2009)

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon views the Arctic ice up close. As UN chief, he has also travelled to Antarctica and the steppes of Mongolia to see for himself how climate change is altering distinct but fragile environments. (1 September 2009)

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (left) and Norwegian Environment Minister Erik Solheim hold a “Seal the Deal” banner, which represents the slogan of the UN campaign to urge Member States to reach a fair, balanced and effective agreement during global talks in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December. (1 September 2009)

While in the Svalbard archipelago north of mainland Norway, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited the Global Seed Vault. The underground facility was established last year to protect seed samples from the threats posed by climate change, disasters and disease. It contains duplicates of unique varieties of the world’s most important crops. (2 September 2009)

A view of the Arctic ice. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has invited world leaders to participate in a climate change summit in New York on 22 September to build momentum ahead of December’s critical talks in Copenhagen, Denmark. (2 September 2009)