The Secretary-General met today with H. E. Mr. Børge Brende, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, ahead of the Oslo Summit on Education for Development. He thanked Norway for its strong and consistent support to the United Nations.

The Secretary-General and the Foreign Minister agreed on the urgent need for Member States to overcome the final hurdles in the negotiation process before the Financing for Development Conference opening next week in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. They exchanged views on preparations for the UN Sustainable Development Summit in New York and stressed that a climate change deal in Paris is also critical for the sustainable development of the world.

The Secretary-General briefed Mr. Brende on UN efforts to find a political solution in Syria and to achieve an end to the crisis in Yemen, including through a humanitarian pause. The two leaders also discussed the current state of the Middle East Peace Process.