The Secretary-General met today with the Development Ministers of European Union Member States for a working dinner, hosted by H.E. European Union Member States, hosted by H. E. Ms. Federica Mogherini, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

They discussed progress and challenges ahead of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development in Addis Ababa in July and the Summit on Sustainable Development in New York in September. There was general agreement that the outcome of the conference in Addis Ababa needed to meet the level of ambition of the Sustainable Development Goals.

On climate change, the Secretary-General applauded the EU’s leadership on the issue, calling for its continued strong support towards reaching a meaningful, universal agreement in Paris in December.

The Secretary-General offered the UN’s support to efforts by the EU and its Member States to address, in partnership with other affected countries and regions, the challenge of migration through the Mediterranean. He stressed the need to address not only the symptoms, but also root causes.