Secretary-General's Press Conference after a visit with Mayor Richard Daley to the Walter Payton High School

SG: Thank you very Mr. Mayor. And I am very much impressed and encouraged by what I have just seen with the students debating [the] global warming issue, as if they were addressing a real world issue. I could see the bright future from our future leaders –leaders of tomorrow. I can see that this school is truly nurturing the leaders of tomorrow. I am always encouraged by spending time with young people, especially those involved in model United Nations. These programmes give students a deep appreciation of the challenges of international diplomacy, filling the shoes of ambassadors from different countries. I think arguing their positions also give students greater understanding of the challenges which we are now facing. As the Secretary-General of the United Nations, I am deeply impressed by what they have done. This climate change is an issue which the whole international community must address with a sense of urgency. And I have been doing this –[an awareness] raising campaign –in raising the awareness and galvanizing the political will of the leaders last year, I will have achieved small progress in Bali December last year. But this is just a small beginning, before we have to agree on a globally acceptable agreement by the end of 2009 which will replace the Kyoto Protocol. I hope that the students in this school - not only in this school but all students in the world who are the leaders of tomorrow - will be able to learn and also exercise their future leadership while learning these climate change issues. And I am deeply impressed by what Mayor Daley has been demonstrating [in] his leadership to make this city the most environmentally friendly city in the United States. I hope he will do more to be the most environmentally friendly city in the world and I count on your leadership. And thank you very much for your hospitality. Thank you.

Q: What are the parameters of the new agreement that you'd like to see and implement?

SG: We are working hard among the Member States on the basis of a common, but differentiated approach. Still, the world is divided [over] what kind of framework we will be able to have. The common objective, we have an agreement , that we must have a globally acceptable agreement replacing the Kyoto Protocol. Unfortunately, the Kyoto Protocol has not been a perfect one and some important countries, including the United States, have been staying away. This time, all the countries, including the United States have to participate. This issue is a global challenge, therefore we need global action. Therefore our goal is to have a globally acceptable agreement where both developing and developed countries can participate equally. And we are working on that. And on benchmarks, framework, I think we will have to agree and work among the Member States.

Q: How can you get the other countries to, I mean, have them not fear that there are going to be economic issues that would prevent them from signing on to the accord. How can you say to them that, if you sign on to the accord, you are not going to be impacted economically?

SG: That will be an important aspect of our negotiating process. As you know, there are so many different positions shared by so many countries. We appreciate the national challenges and all domestic challenges. At the same time, we realize that this is a global challenge requiring a global common effort. Therefore, on the basis of common, but differentiated approaches, the developed countries should be prepared to provide necessary technology and financing, so that developing countries will be able to, first of all, alleviate their immediate short-term impact. Then, they will be able to get on board this process. This is a firm agreement among the Member States on how to address all these individual countries' domestic challenges that will have to be discussed among the Member States in the coming two years.

Q: Mr. Secretary-General, could you give us an example of the [type] of technology that should be shared and also, what would you like to see the city of Chicago do to become a little bit more environmentally friendly?

SG: We have seen much innovative development of high technologies to address these global warming issues. We have resources financially. We have clean development mechanisms - all these tools can be used. In Bali, we have agreed to establish an adaptation fund. We have also agreed to establish a fund for forestation. And we will have to expand the existing financial mechanisms so that developed countries will be able to deliver to these technologies and financing availability to developing countries.

Q: And as far as you'd like to see the city of Chicago adopt?

SG: While there are many areas where local communities have been addressing these global warming issues, the global warming issues require the full participation of local governments, that is exactly why we have been working together closely with local government. That is why I visited San Francisco last year and I'm visiting Chicago. I am going to visit other local governments. The leadership of local communities is critically important when we want to have a global approach. Now, you may be acting locally, but you have already demonstrated your leadership as a global participant. This is [why] I expect the mayors and governors of local communities to participate.

Q: Mr. Secretary-General, do you have a preference among the presidential candidates when it comes to making the United States a full partner in the fight against climate change?

SG: As far as I have watched and understand all the current presidential candidates have very good platforms, good strategies to address global warming issues and I am encouraged. In fact the United States government, the current Bush administration has also been very constructively participating in addressing this issue. They have participated in the Bali conference, they have also initiated a major economists' meeting which they held in Washington D.C. last year, and most recently in Honolulu last January. By doing that we hope we can have some mutually reinforcing approaches. We welcome all initiatives taken by national governments including the United States, but there is a common call that all individual strategies, initiatives should be incorporated, integrated into the negotiating process of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Q: Comment on the situation in Darfur [inaudible].getting the necessary helicopters [inaudible] also Kenya [inaudible] coalition government?

SG: First the question on the situation on Darfur. I am doing my utmost efforts to deploy the full strength of 26,000 peacekeepers as soon as possible. I had a very good meeting with President [Omar Hassan] al-Bashir of Sudan last week in Addis Ababa on the occasion of the African Union Summit meeting. We're now working very hard to make progress in political negotiations with the countries concerned. However, a strengthened capacity we may have militarily without political stability and political process, we may not be able to expect as effective operation as we may hope. And there is a question of a relationship between south and north Sudan. We are also encouraging both leaders of south and north Sudan to implement this Comprehensive Peace Agreement. On those three tracks, I think we have made considerable and significant progress and I'm working on that to realize the peace and stability in Darfur as soon as possible. And on the humanitarian side, also this is the largest humanitarian operation. Many humanitarian community NGOs and United Nations agencies and programmes, we are mobilizing all available resources to help those displaced persons there.

On the situation in Kenya, the mediation role by my predecessor Secretary-General Kofi Annan is going on reasonably well and I heard this morning that there was some basic agreement to expedite this political process as soon as possible. I hope that we'll be able to see some breakthrough in these negotiations between the two political parties. When I visited Kenya, I met all the negotiators representing both the president's side and opposition side. I urged them that they should look for the brighter future and they should look beyond partisan lines, individual interests and they should stop this violence. This is basic and strong message from international community, including myself, and they are now heeding this call. I hope there'll be a breakthrough as soon as possible. Thank you very much.