On February 10, 2019, GGGI’s President of the Assembly and Chair of the Council Mr. Ban Ki-moon participated in the World Government Summit (WGS) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which brought world leaders and policy makers to identify solutions and innovations in policy-making, financing, and management of various sectors related to climate change.
During the High-Level Roundtable on Climate Change and Public Health, President and Chair Ban discussed the importance of addressing the issue of climate change and public health with H. E. Ms. Maria Fernanda Espinosa, the President of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly, H. E. Mr. Laurent Fabius, the former Prime Minister of France, H. E. Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi, the UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, and Dr. Adnan Amin, the Director General of IRENA. This closed-door roundtable identified the commitments that governments and other stakeholders must take at the 2019 UN Climate Summit and in upcoming international processes to protect human health through climate action.
President and Chair Ban also participated in the High-Level Panel on Leadership in Accelerating the Achievements of SDGs. He shared his knowledge and experiences and was joined in the panel by Ms. Espinosa, Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, Senior Vice President of World Bank Group, Hon. Henry Puna, the Prime Minister of Cook Islands, and Mr. Achim Steiner, the Administrator of UNDP. During the High-Level panel, the President and Chair Ban received positive comments and applause for showing strong commitment to promoting SDGs as part of an ambitious and transformative global development agenda. He highlighted that “what we often overlook is the ability, or inability, of some leaders to sympathize with those who suffer the most,” and added, “good leadership is absolutely crucial since so much of a country’s environment depends on what is fostered by its leadership.”
President and Chair Ban also met bilaterally with UAE’s Minister Al Zeyoudi during which he thanked the minister for hosting the Roundtable on SDGs and mobilizing political will. The President and Chair also applauded the strong relations between GGGI and the UAE and encouraged the UAE to show continued commitment to, and support for, the organization.