High level side event at UNFCCC COP15 // Copenhagen

16 December 2009 // 18:15 – 19:45 hrs.

Bella center, room: TO BE ANNOUNCED

Overview

Under the leadership of the United Nations Secretary-General, the Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) has undertaken an extensive exercise in coordination to align the strengths, capacities and expertise of the organizations of the UN system to deliver as one in meeting the challenge of climate change.

The UN system is determined to provide coherent and consistent support to the efforts of Member States at national, regional and global levels in addressing climate change through action on adaptation, capacity building, technology transfer, REDD and other areas.

The United Nations Secretary-General and the Executive Heads of several UN system organizations will participate in an interactive discussion with the audience on the UN system’s efforts.

Attendance is open to all interested COP15 delegates and observers, and the public at large.

Programme:

Moderator: Mr. Bill Blakemore, ABC News [to be confirmed]

18:15 Welcoming statements:

Mr. Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change [to be confirmed]

Ms. Connie Hedegaard, President of COP15 and Danish Minister for the COP15 [to be confirmed]

18:30 Opening remarks:

Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations

18:35 – 19:45 Interactive discussion in response to questions from the audience (not in speaking order)

UN system Chief Executives on stage

• - Ms. Irina Bokova, Director-General, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
• - Mr. Raymond Benjamin, Secretary-General, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
• - Mr. Edouard Dayan, Director General, Universal Postal Union (UPU)
• - Dr. Hamadoun I. Touré, Secretary General, International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
• - Mr. Michel Jarraud, World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
• - Mr. Efthimios E. Mitropoulos, Secretary-General, the International Maritime Organization (IMO)
• - Dr. Francis Gurry, Director General, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
• - Mr. Kandeh K. Yumkella, Director General, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO)
• - Mr. Taleb Rifai, Secretary General, United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
• - Miss Helen Clark, Executive Director, United Nations Development Programme, [to be confirmed]
• - Mr. Achim Steiner, Executive Director, United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)
• - Mr. Antonio Guterres, High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
• - Ms. Ann Veneman, Executive Director, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
• - Ms. Josette Sheeran, Executive Director, World Food Programme (WFP)
• - Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director, UN-Habitat
• - Mr. Michel Sidibe, Executive Director, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
• - Sir John Holmes, United Nations Under-Secretary-General, Executive Director, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and Emergency Relief Coordinator
• - Mr. Jan Kubis, Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), representing the UN Regional Commissions.

UN system participation from the audience

• - Ms. Kyung-wha Kang, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
• - Ms. Monique Barbut, CEO and Chairperson, Global Environment Facility (GEF)
• - Ms. Margareta Wahlstrom, Assistant Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction and Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary-General for the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action in the Secretariat for the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR)
• - Ms. Inés Alberdi, Executive Director, United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
• - Ms. Flavia Pansieri, Executive Coordinator, United Nations Volunteers