Meeting of Senior UN officials with Local Pupils in the context of the 2011 ECOSOC High-level Segment
Meeting of Senior UN officials with Local Pupils in the context of the 2011 ECOSOC High-level Segment
4 July 2011, Geneva
Madame Deputy Secretary-General, thank you.
The environment is indeed on my mind these days. The issues which pose a threat to our way of life are real and numerous: climate change, energy, biodiversity, pollution and many more.
World population is approaching 7 billion and growing fast. Our current environmental trajectory looks unsustainable. Something must give.
Are we to act, I wonder, before disaster strikes, or after? The choice is ours.
But be under no illusions. The cost of acting after the fact will be far greater.
This is why the United Nations is rallying governments, the private sector and all citizens to the cause of sustainable development. Our aim is to make progress on environmental and other development goals – working side-by-side.
Next year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the UN will hold its “Rio+20” Conference under my watch.
Which road we take from there ― business as usual or reinvention towards cleaner, greener economies and lifestyles ― depends heavily on the degree to which you, as citizens, demand change.
That you in particular, dear students, chose to participate in this early morning event suggests a special interest in the work of the United Nations. I commend you for that.
What I ask of you now is to stay involved, stay current with the latest UN initiatives via Facebook, Twitter and other social media. Help educate your peers on the urgent challenges of our time. Play your part as responsible global citizens!
I thank you.
