Ban, Barroso urge: “Seal the Deal” in Copenhagen

Friday, 24 April 2009 09:49

To push the climate change agenda forward, the United Nations presented a global campaign “Seal the Deal”. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was speaking at a press conference with European Commission President José Manuel Barroso in Brussels on Thursday 23 April.

“I have asked for the leadership of the European Union, to play the role of locomotive on the climate change issue” Mr Ban said. “We count on the European Union’s continued and committed support on this matter. In this regard I would like to inform you that the UN has launched the ‘Seal the Deal’ campaign towards Copenhagen in December.”

Mr. Barroso said the Copenhagen meeting was “critical, as the Secretary-General says”, he added “We have to Seal the Deal, this is indeed our priority now to Seal the Deal in Copenhagen and I want to tell that we are going to work hand in hand with the United Nations to make that a great success for the future of our planet.”

The UN Regional Information Centre for Western Europe (UNRIC) launched a European information campaign CoolPlanet2009 as part of Seal the Deal. Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir of Iceland opened the CoolPlanet2009 website flanked by all the Nordic Prime Ministers at a conference at the Blue Lagoon in Iceland.

CoolPlanet2009 is a market place for European ideas, innovations and projects.

AUDIO • Secretary-General Ban and President Barroso announcing the UN/EU push for climate change deal.