On 9 August 2010, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability that brings together leading global policymakers, private sector and civil society experts in order to formulate a new blueprint for sustainable growth and low-carbon prosperity for all on a planet under increasing strain, not least from climate change.
The Panel will be led by two co-chairs, Finnish President Tarja Halonen and South African President Jacob Zuma. Members include high-ranking government officials, representatives from the private sector and civil society from both developed and developing countries. The Panel’s membership is geographically balanced and diverse.
In launching the Panel, Mr. Ban noted that the accelerating pace of climate change has injected fresh urgency into efforts to provide a dignified life for all on a planet under severe – and growing – strain. Recognizing that increasing water scarcity, the loss of biodiversity, and the destruction of ecosystems and shifting demographic and consumption patterns require bold new approaches to ensure that the world can meet the Millennium Development Goals and provide a dignified life for all, the Panel will seek to explore approaches for building low-carbon, green and resilient economy that can eradicate poverty while effectively addressing climate change.
The High-Level Panel will issue its final report by the end of 2011. Its inputs will feed into inter-governmental processes, including preparations for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio 2012), and the annual meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Panel will be supported by a small team within the Secretary-General’s office in New York.
Co-Chairs
Tarja Halonen, President of the Republic of Finland; Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa
Other members: (in alphabetical order)
– H.H. Sheikh Abdallah Bin Zayid Al Nahayan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates
– Hajiya Amina Az-Zubair, Senior Special Assistant/Advisor to the President of Nigeria on MDGs
– Ali Babacan, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey
– James Lawrence Balsillie, Co-CEO, Research in Motion, and the Chair of the Board, Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), Canada
– Alexander Bedritsky, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation on Climate, Aide to the President of the Russian Federation on Climate Change, President of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and former Head of the Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring
– Gro Harlem Brundtland, Former Prime Minister of Norway and former Chair of the World Commission on Environment and Development
– Micheline Calmy-Rey, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Switzerland
– Julia Carabias, Environmentalist and former Secretary of the Environment of Mexico
– Gunilla Carlsson, Minister for International Development Cooperation of Sweden
– Luisa Dias Diogo, Member of Parliament and former Prime Minister of Mozambique
– Han, Seung-soo, Director of the Global Green Growth Institute and former Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea
– Yukio Hatoyama, Member of the House of Representatives and former Prime Minister of Japan
– Connie Hedegaard, EU Commissioner for Climate Action
– Lars-Erik Liljelund, Executive Director-designate, Mistra Foundation and former State Secretary at the office of the Prime Minister of Sweden
– Cristina Narbona Ruiz, Spanish Ambassador to the OECD and former Minister of Environment of Spain
– Jairam Ramesh, Minister of Environment of India
– Susan E. Rice, United States Permanent Representative to the UN and member of the United States President’s Cabinet
– Kevin Rudd, Member of Parliament and former Prime Minister of Australia
– David Thompson, Prime Minister of Barbados
– Zheng, Guoguang, Director of the China Meteorological Administration
Click here for the Terms of Reference of the High-Level Panel.
Click here for the press release of the launch.
Further information can be found online: www.un.org/en/gsp.
Press releaseOn 9 August 2010, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability that brings together leading global policymakers, private sector and civil society experts in order to formulate a new blueprint for sustainable growth and low-carbon prosperity for all on a planet under increasing strain, not least from climate change.
The Panel will be led by two co-chairs, Finnish President Tarja Halonen and South African President Jacob Zuma. Members include high-ranking government officials, representatives from the private sector and civil society from both developed and developing countries. The Panel’s membership is geographically balanced and diverse.
In launching the Panel, Mr. Ban noted that the accelerating pace of climate change has injected fresh urgency into efforts to provide a dignified life for all on a planet under severe – and growing – strain. Recognizing that increasing water scarcity, the loss of biodiversity, and the destruction of ecosystems and shifting demographic and consumption patterns require bold new approaches to ensure that the world can meet the Millennium Development Goals and provide a dignified life for all, the Panel will seek to explore approaches for building low-carbon, green and resilient economy that can eradicate poverty while effectively addressing climate change.
The High-Level Panel will issue its final report by the end of 2011. Its inputs will feed into inter-governmental processes, including preparations for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio 2012), and the annual meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Panel will be supported by a small team within the Secretary-General’s office in New York.
Co-Chairs
Tarja Halonen, President of the Republic of Finland; Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa
Other members: (in alphabetical order)
– H.H. Sheikh Abdallah Bin Zayid Al Nahayan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates
– Hajiya Amina Az-Zubair, Senior Special Assistant/Advisor to the President of Nigeria on MDGs
– Ali Babacan, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey
– James Lawrence Balsillie, Co-CEO, Research in Motion, and the Chair of the Board, Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), Canada
– Alexander Bedritsky, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation on Climate, Aide to the President of the Russian Federation on Climate Change, President of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and former Head of the Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring
– Gro Harlem Brundtland, Former Prime Minister of Norway and former Chair of the World Commission on Environment and Development
– Micheline Calmy-Rey, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Switzerland
– Julia Carabias, Environmentalist and former Secretary of the Environment of Mexico
– Gunilla Carlsson, Minister for International Development Cooperation of Sweden
– Luisa Dias Diogo, Member of Parliament and former Prime Minister of Mozambique
– Han, Seung-soo, Director of the Global Green Growth Institute and former Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea
– Yukio Hatoyama, Member of the House of Representatives and former Prime Minister of Japan
– Connie Hedegaard, EU Commissioner for Climate Action
– Lars-Erik Liljelund, Executive Director-designate, Mistra Foundation and former State Secretary at the office of the Prime Minister of Sweden
– Cristina Narbona Ruiz, Spanish Ambassador to the OECD and former Minister of Environment of Spain
– Jairam Ramesh, Minister of Environment of India
– Susan E. Rice, United States Permanent Representative to the UN and member of the United States President’s Cabinet
– Kevin Rudd, Member of Parliament and former Prime Minister of Australia
– David Thompson, Prime Minister of Barbados
– Zheng, Guoguang, Director of the China Meteorological Administration
Click here for the Terms of Reference of the High-Level Panel.
Click here for the press release of the launch.
Further information can be found online: www.un.org/en/gsp.