UN General Assembly
2016

Sometimes lightning does strike twice. The international community has reached agreement on the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. Another major achievement and a victory for diplomacy in a time of so much strife is the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. With the recent ratifications by China and the United States, there is a real prospect that it will enter into force, hopefully before Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon leaves office at the end of this year. That is in large part his legacy, and we commend Mr. Ban Ki-moon for it.