Official Opening of Innovation Centre to Combat Climate Change and Develop Clean Technology

– As delivered –

Statement by H.E. Mrs. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President of the 73^rd Session of the UN General Assembly

31 May 2019

Your Excellency Deputy Governor-General, Right Honorable Prime Minister, Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen.

It is an enormous pleasure to be here in Antigua and Barbuda. Full stop.

I have been absolutely overwhelmed by the beauty and hospitality of this country.

I am sure that this is what paradise should look like!

Let me acknowledge, with gratitude, the presence here of His Excellency the Deputy Governor-General; the Honorable Gaston Browne, Prime Minister; the Honorable Vice-Minister for the Environment of Norway, the other Ministers of our host government: Members of Parliament; the Chair of the Group of 77 and China and Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine, the Permanent Representative of Antigua & Barbuda to the United Nations; the Permanent Representative of Norway to the United Nations; the United Nations Resident Coordinator for the Eastern Caribbean and other dignitaries.

It is a particular pleasure to be here at the official inauguration of this Innovation Centre to combat climate change and develop clean technology. The Centre is the first of its kind in the Caribbean – and it has already made a crucial contribution to encouraging local entrepreneurship.

Over the past few months, the Centre – which is being ably managed by the UN Office for Partnerships during this initial phase – has reached out to public and private sector partners to provide workshops for young people on themes such as open source programming. This is important not only for making headway on climate solutions, but also in terms of supporting skills development.

In collaboration with Ocean Generation, the Centre has organized “hackathons” to give youth innovators the space and opportunity to develop and scale up solutions. A system to map marine litter has already been selected for “incubation”. Another project that caught my eye was a platform to connect first responders to the information and communication tools they need in emergency situations – developed by Team Nadis. And these are just two examples.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Tackling the climate crisis will require a profound transformation in our economies and societies; in our politics and, I’m afraid to say, in many of our politicians.

And time is running out. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that we have just 11 years to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. To do that, carbon emissions must peak next year.

So while we must continue to push – and push harder – for the bigger picture changes we need, we also need to encourage and support “climate hacks” – new tools and technologies, inventions and innovative approaches – to ensure that we make progress as fast as we can. That is why this Centre is so important.

Over my presidency, I have been inspired by the growing momentum for tackling plastic pollution. This has been a priority for me as President of the General Assembly and tomorrow’s concert will be both the high point of my campaign, and the beginning of what I hope will be a global movement on this issue.

Plastic pollution is a clear example of challenge with huge implications for our environment, our economies and our health. But it is also clear example of the power of collective action – by governments, the UN system, civil society, the private sector, academia, tech companies and youth: with concerted effort and action, with innovation, there is no challenge we cannot solve, together.

It now gives me great pleasure to declare this Innovation Centre “officially open”!

Thank you.