Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to see you at the end of this year. I am very glad to see you so bright-eyed after last night's UNCA [Awards] dinner. In fact, we have some pieces of cake left if anybody wants. You are welcome. Thank you for all your friendship and cooperation and support for all United Nations work. Thank you very much.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Since I have just come back from Lima, after attending the climate change meeting, let me begin with climate change.

In Lima, Governments built on the success of the Climate Summit meeting, which I convened in September this year, and put in place the building blocks for a meaningful, universal climate change agreement in Paris next year.

Member States advanced on several fronts.

First, they agreed on a draft negotiating text to serve as the basis for the next round of negotiations beginning in February in Geneva.

Second, they provided clarity on the mitigation and other commitments to be included in the national plans of action -- or what we call INDC – this is an abbreviation of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions -- due in March.

[Third] they built confidence and trust, most notably by capitalizing the Green Climate Fund with an initial $10 billion.

Fourth, they advanced an action agenda designed to show the wealth of opportunities offered by the transition to a low-carbon pathway.

Taken together, these steps maintain the momentum towards Paris. There is still a great deal of work ahead on finance and other difficult issues. But all governments, along with business and others, civil society, now agree they must curb the growth in emissions. In my eight years as Secretary-General, that was the eight COP – Conference of Parties – meeting, and that was the most encouraging conference of parties I have attended.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We have also made progress this year towards finishing the job of the Millennium Development Goals -- and laying the groundwork for a new agenda, including a set of sustainable development goals and the resources needed to achieve them.

In the year ahead, three high-level meetings -- in Addis Ababa, in New York and Paris -- give us the opportunity to chart a new era of sustainable development. As you know, in July there is going to be a high-level conference on financing for development, and in June the President of the General Assembly is going to convene a high-level meeting on climate change – just in the mid-point of the December roadmap. And thirdly, we are going to have a special session on sustainable development in September, a summit meeting.

As I indicated earlier this month in my report, “The Road to Dignity,” the stars are aligned for the world to take historic action to transform lives and protect the planet.

Alongside these gains, the world has just come through a year of discord, disease and disruption.

Peace operations, diplomacy and humanitarian capacities have been pushed to the limit. More than 100 million people need assistance and more than 50 million people have been driven from their homes – the most since the Second World War.

The outbreak of Ebola in West Africa has challenged the international community in unprecedented ways.

The United Nations mobilized its first-ever system-wide emergency health mission - UNMEER.

Tonight, I will leave to visit Guinea, Liberia, Mali and Sierra Leone, the four countries most affected by the Ebola outbreak, as well as Ghana, where UNMEER headquarters is located. So this will include five countries during my visit. I will be accompanied by Dr. Margaret Chan, Director General of WHO, and Dr. David Nabarro, Special Envoy on Ebola. Mr. Tony Banbury, Special Representative in Ghana will join me through all the affected countries, from Ghana. I want to see the response for myself, and show my solidarity with those affected and urge even greater global action.

Ebola responders are doing heroic work. Local communities and national governments are highly engaged. There has been an impressive outpouring of life-saving contributions from across Africa and across the world. The Ebola response strategy is working, and we are beginning to see improvements.

But now is not the time to ease up on our efforts. As long as there is one case of Ebola, the risk remains. We must do everything we can to get to zero.

At the same time, we remain short of people and resources. Moreover, Ebola continues to drive up food prices, keep children out of school and draw oxygen away from business activity.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This year in Syria, the successful dismantling of the chemical weapons programme has been of little consolation to the people who have seen the war rage on.

In South Sudan, the UN’s “open gates” policy saved many thousands of lives, but the situation at our peacekeeping bases -- where we are sheltering 100,000 people -- remains fragile, as it does throughout the country.

Nigeria and Iraq saw the spread of extremist insurgencies.

In Ukraine, the situation risks freezing in place, with regional and global implications.

Instability remains widespread in Afghanistan and the Sahel.

Following this year’s hostilities in Gaza, the leaders of Israel and Palestine have a responsibility to step back from the brink, ease the current tensions and salvage a two-state solution that is looking ever more remote.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The year 2015 must be a time for global action. I would like to highlight four imperatives.

First, the world must keep ambition high to forge a new development agenda and secure a climate change agreement.

Second, 2015 must be the year in which we end the nightmare in Syria -- and avert the escalation of other worrying situations.

Third, we must do more to counter extremism and the rise of far-right political parties that target minorities, migrants and in particular Muslims.

Fourth, we will continue to adapt the United Nations itself to a new global landscape.

A number of key reviews of the United Nations’ work will come to fruition in 2015, including panels on peace operations which I launched last month, peacebuilding review by the General Assembly, and humanitarian financing and implementation of the Security Council’s landmark resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. These assessments are an opportunity to build on the other reforms we have pursued throughout my tenure.

In my travels this year, I have seen so much suffering, from Bangui to Gaza to the Dadaab refugee camp. I have met so many people whose lives are at risk, who are struggling to build better lives for themselves and their families.

As we mark the 70th anniversary of the United Nations next year, we have a duty to answer the call of people across the world for shared prosperity and a sustainable future for all.

I would like to extend my best wishes to all of you for happy holidays and a happy New Year.