Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister, for your warm welcome and hospitality. I am already fascinated and impressed by the warmth of the Norwegian people and Government.

Distinguished members of the press,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am delighted to be in Norway.

I am not going to repeat what Prime Minister Stoltenberg has explained about our bilateral meeting this morning. In fact, this morning over breakfast with the Foreign Minister and now with the Prime Minister, I have had extremely productive talks.

We discussed multilateralism and Norway's role in the international community, particularly how we can work together to address the many challenges facing this world. Norway, by any standards, is the strongest supporter, a steadfast believer in the goals and ideals of the United Nations. I am very much encouraged by such a strong support given by the Norwegian Government to the Organization and to me as the Secretary-General.

My distinguished predecessor, Trygve Lie, whose memorial I will visit together with the Prime Minister shortly, is part of a long tradition of Norway's visionary international engagement.

Norway plays a vital role in today's world. It is a truly committed global citizen.

The crises of the past year and this year– fuel, food, flu and financial – have emphasized how interdependent we are.

These crises are compounded by a most serious challenge: Climate change. And we have another challenge these days: the proliferation of deadly weapons, nuclear weapons and nuclear materials. The plight of two billion people living in poverty.

None of these problems can be solved by any nation acting alone; however, one country may be resourceful or powerful. They demand a renewed multilateralism. A multilateralism that delivers real results for real people who really need our support and cooperation.

Norway has been and is delivering. It is among the most dynamic and generous supporters of the United Nations.

It works for sustainable development. I am very encouraged by the promise by the Prime Minister this morning that Norway will be able to reach 1.1% of its GDP to meet the targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). You are one of the five countries who have already reached the goal of 0.7%. Even beyond this, you have reached 1%. This is extraordinarily impressive and I [am] very grateful. I commend your leadership and commitment on this matter.

Norway has been supporting peacekeeping around the world. It is a leader on climate change and global health, particularly maternal health and children's health. It is firm and outspoken on protecting human rights around the world.

We need such commitment and we need more of it. As an example, Prime Minister Stoltenberg has worked as one of the co-Chairs of the High Level Panel on system-wide coherence. I am pleased to report to you that the General Assembly is now very close to making a decision, an agreement on these recommendations of the High Level Panel on system-wide coherence report.

That is exactly what the United Nations should do in meeting the expectations of the international community: acting as one United Nations, delivering as one United Nations. This is a very important reform measure of the United Nations at this time.

Ladies, gentlemen,

One of the principal reasons for my visit to Norway is to see first-hand the dramatic changes to the Arctic and to learn what that means for humankind.

This evening I will fly north to Svalbard to meet with scientists who are gathering important climate data.

I will take what I have learned to the high level summit on climate change that I am going to convene in New York on 22 September. I am very encouraged that Prime Minister Stoltenberg has received my invitation to participate in this summit, and particularly for the small gathering over a working dinner with leaders from major emitting countries and major contributing countries, like Norway through the REDD initiative [United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries], and also leaders from the most vulnerable countries.

I will try to deliver a clear strong message from my visit to the North Pole. We have only 15 negotiating days left before the Copenhagen climate change meeting.

Now is the time for decision-making. We must seal a deal in Copenhagen for a global, equitable and comprehensive deal for the future of humanity and the future of Planet Earth.

I thank you for your attention and I thank the Norwegian people and Government for such a great leadership, initiative, commitment and generous contribution for the future of humanity.

Thank you very much.