On 1 July, during an official visit to Tokyo at the invitation of the government of Japan, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited the United Nations University Headquarters. After being welcomed by UNU Rector Konrad Osterwalder, the Secretary-General first met with the heads of UN agencies in Japan.

Secretary-General Ban then spoke at a “town hall” meeting of with UN staff in Elizabeth Rose Hall. In his 15-minute presentation, he noted that we are living in an unprecedented era of multiple crises. “In the six decades since the founding of the United Nations, we have not seen so many crises hitting us at one time as has happened during the past two-and-a-half years. In addition to continuing poverty, the development crisis and also climate change, we have been hit first by a fuel crisis, second by a food crisis, then most seriously, the financial crisis, and then the flu crisis.”

“This ‘4 F’ crisis means that we”, including the United Nations, he said, “must work harder — much, much harder than before.”

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

He also declared that climate change is the “most urgent, top priority, not only of the United Nations but the whole international community…. The future of succeeding generations, and the future of the planet earth, depends on what we do now.” Being complacent, and continuing with “business as usual” , he warned, will lead to “devastating consequences”.

The Secretary-General highlighted the importance for UN agencies to work together as “One UN” rather than as individual agencies. He reiterated the importance for the international community to “Seal the Deal” to curb greenhouse gas emissions later this year at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.

After the town hall meeting, the Secretary-General met with UN goodwill ambassadors and supporters, and sat for an interview with Aiya Takashima of Fuji Television.

During his three-day stay in Japan, Secretary-General Ban met with Japan Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone, Prime Minister Taro Aso, and other Japanese political and business leaders.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and UNU Rector Konrad Osterwalder. Photo: UNU/Jeremy Hedley.