Remarks by OPEC Secretary General

Delivered by HE Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, OPEC Secretary General, at a Meeting with HE Ban Ki-moon, former UN Secretary General, at the OPEC Secretariat, 28 August 2019, Vienna, Austria.

Good afternoon.

It is a great honour to welcome Ban Ki-moon, former UN Secretary General, to the OPEC Secretariat.

Mr Ban is an extraordinary man whose dedication to the UN’s mission of preventing conflict, peace-making, improving human welfare and fostering sustainable development will be long remembered throughout the international community.

His tireless work to advance cooperation among nations during his two terms as Secretary General, from 2007 to 2016, overlap our own goals at OPEC as demonstrated most clearly through our enduring efforts to support sustainable development by helping to ensure oil market stability.

I had the great privilege to be Chairman of the OPEC Task Force at the 15th Session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development that took place shortly after His Excellency became Secretary General in 2007.  I have great personal admiration for him, and deeply respect his expert diplomacy and mastery of the craft of statesmanship.

Our paths also crossed regularly at the annual UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP Meetings, of which Mr. Ban never missed one during his ten-year tenure as UN Secretary General. This is something to be lauded.  He was resolutely dedicated to environmental and sustainable development issues, and his active participation at these meetings was welcomed by all.

It was a common sight to see him walking the floors, joining meetings, engaging in detailed discussions at all hours of the day to help bring about better understanding between all the Parties. He could help ease tensions, broker consensus, and pave the way for convergence and accord.

Looking back at Mr Ban’s achievements as Secretary General, it is not easy to put them into a few words. Allow me to single out a few, starting with the adoption in 2015 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Mr Ban’s successful leadership throughout this process is a credit to his diplomatic skills and commitment to developing an achievable framework through a transparent and participatory process.

Mr Ban also launched the Sustainable Energy for All initiative as a multi-stakeholder approach to end energy poverty as outlined in SDG 7. OPEC embraced the inclusion of energy poverty in the SDGs and champions the use of a mix of energy resources to alleviate this blight on society, which in turn can lead to broader improvements in health, education, social welfare and economic opportunity in developing regions.

A further achievement under Mr Ban’s leadership was the Paris Agreement, which builds on the UNFCCC.  This agreement provides the opportunity to address climate challenges in a fair and meaningful way, and affirms the value of international dialogue and cooperation. To borrow from Mr Ban’s own words about the Paris Agreement:

“We must remember that our work is not done yet. Indeed, the Paris Agreement is only the starting point. We need to continue to galvanize further climate action and elevate collective efforts to implement the Paris Agreement.”

I could not agree more. As I stated at the UN Climate Change Conference in Katowice last December, the oil industry must be part of the solution to the climate change challenge. We also believe that “there is no Planet B” and that we must all be responsible citizens as we go forward.

Mr. Ban in his role as UN Secretary General, alongside the World Bank, also launched the ‘Zero Routine Flaring by 2030’ initiative in April 2015, with the participation of a coalition of governments, oil companies and development institutions. Some of OPEC Member Countries and their oil companies are participating in this vital initiative.

Finally, I am very proud to welcome the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens as a new neighbour in Vienna. Founded less than two years ago and co-chaired by Mr Ban and former Austrian President Heinz Fischer, the Centre works within the SDG framework to empower women and young people so they can thrive as global citizens and leaders.  We welcome this initiative and look forward to a long and collaborative relationship with you here in Vienna and around the world.

Let me say to Mr Ban, the world still needs you. Your humility and dedication to service remains vital in a world that is today often consumed by risk and discord; one where we see the threat of a breakdown of international institutions and the global order.

From the whole Organization that is OPEC, thank you for your on-going work on behalf of the international community. We hope it continues for many years to come.