UN Resident Coordinator's opening statement at the Climate Action Dialogue

Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

Good morning.  I would like to begin by thanking my co-hosts, the UK and the EU, for their opening remarks and by extending my sincere gratitude to the Government of Sierra Leone for joining us here to highlight our shared commitment to Climate Action for Sierra Leone.

The United Nations and its member states recognized the threat posed by climate change as far back as 1994 when the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change entered into force.  As the body of scientific evidence on the causes and impacts of climate change continues to expand, the call for climate action has grown louder and more profound. 

Climate Action features prominently among the 17 Sustainable development goals adopted by UN member states in 2015 as part of Agenda 2030,  a universal ‘call to action’ to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.   SDG 13 is solely focused on Climate Action, but climate change is intrinsically linked to all other SDGs.  Climate change affects every country on every continent and does not respect national borders. That is why international cooperation, whether in the form of scientific research, new technology, or climate finance, is so important. 

As with the other SDGs, progress on SDG 13 requires a ‘whole-of-society’ approach.  It is not just a job for Government.  Civil society, the private sector, community leaders, educational institutions, and international partners all have a role to play, which is why today’s program features a range of presenters.  

Consistent with the ‘whole-of-society’ approach is the notion that government’s climate action must extend beyond the Ministry of Environment to include a range of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies.  Climate impacts other sectors — Agriculture and Food Security, Disaster Preparedness and Response, and Public Health, to name a few.  It is, therefore, vital that climate is integrated into all sector strategies, as well as into national development plans. This also extends to fiscal policies, which is why we are pleased to have a Ministry of Finance speaker on the program this afternoon. 

Hon Ministers, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me share with you some recent statements of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the topic of climate finance.

At the closing of COP 26 in Glasgow, he called on the global community to make good on the $100 billion-dollar climate finance commitment to support developing countries.  This included a call to boost adaptation finance and strengthen support to vulnerable countries suffering irreparable climate damage.  

The Secretary-General underscored these points just last week at a pre-COP 27 meeting in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  He urged progress on adaptation finance, including a doubling of adaptation support to $40 billion dollars annually by 2025, even though that is just a fraction of the estimated amount needed.  He also called for increased efforts to develop financing mechanisms for ‘loss and damage’ incurred by countries.  The Secretary-General referred to these objectives as both a ‘moral responsibility and an economic imperative.’ 

Similarly, Egypt, as the host country for COP 27, has stated that financial assistance for developing countries must be at the top of the agenda for climate talks this year.

In closing,

Let me acknowledge that while climate change poses major challenges for Sierra Leone, there are also huge opportunities. The emphasis on expanding global climate finance going into COP27 presents an opportunity for countries such as Sierra Leone to turn their adaptation priorities into investment plans and build a pipeline of projects.  This will be further explored during Session 3 this afternoon. 

I urge the Government of Sierra Leone and all partners here today to garner ideas from the discussions on how they might join together to scale-up climate projects and ensure that the country benefits fully from climate finance opportunities available in the global arena. 

Thank you, and looking forward to our productive deliberations.