Statement by Mr. Mogens Lykketoft, President of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly, on the adoption of the Paris Climate Agreement at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21)
New York, 12 December 2015 — Mr. Mogens Lykketoft, President of the United Nations General Assembly welcomes the adoption of the Paris Agreement at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Today’s agreement signals nothing less than a renaissance for humankind as we collectively embrace the global challenge of climate change and endeavor to transition to a more sustainable way of living that respects the needs of people and our planet.
This is a turning point in human history that brought us all together in a global effort to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 °C.
This agreement reaffirms the value of multilateralism in addressing global challenges.
I congratulate the French Presidency of the Conference for successfully steering this process and all Parties to the Convention for their constructiveness and determination to reach this outcome.
This Agreement lays the foundations to achieve the transformation to a low-emission and climate-resilient global economy.
This Agreement signals a transformation that seeks to achieve sustainable development and poverty eradication, while preserving planet’s integrity for future generations.
2015 has been about reaching agreements in Sendai, Addis, New York and Paris 2016 will be all about their early implementation. Ambition, action and equity shall remain the guiding principles in this critical phase. I will not spare any effort to engage with Member States and other relevant stakeholders, including business and civil society, to kick start implementation and create an opportunity to catalyze action on key issues such as finance, data, technology and partnerships.
The UN General Assembly High Level Thematic Debate on Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals from 11-12 April 2016 will provide a platform for new initiatives and, building on the outcome of COP21, will look to how climate action can support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.