Head of UNGA’s 69th session calls on President Michel |24 January 2015

Climate change and sustainable development at the core of talks

Climate change, sustainable development, the blue economy concept were among the different issues the visiting President of the United Nations General Assembly’s (UNGA) 69th session, Sam Kahamba Kutesa, discussed with President James Michel at State House yesterday.

Previously Uganda’s foreign affairs minister, Mr Kutesa was elected President of UNGA’s 69th session in June last year.

Yesterday he called on President Michel and his visit is a follow up on discussions he had with the Seychellois head of state when they met in New York in September last year on the sidelines of the conference on climate change.

“The President not only attended the UN general assembly but the summit on climate change and these are very crucial issues to follow through,” Mr Kutesa said.

He noted that among the main issues that the UNGA is dealing with at present are the post-2015 development agenda, sustainable development, climate change, financing for development and means for carrying out the sustainable development agenda.

During his meeting with President Michel, Mr Kutesa said he commended the Seychellois head of state for  all the work being done especially to promote the blue economy concept and protect the ocean.

“We had an excellent meeting during which the issue of Seychelles’ membership of the Security Council, which we fully support, was discussed,” Mr Kutesa pointed out.

For his part Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Paul Adam, on behalf of President Michel, expressed great appreciation for the visit and for the fact that Mr Kutesa has placed the issue of sustainable development, which is particularly important to Seychelles, at the core of the work of the UN for this year.

“This has been seen through the momentum that has been given to tackling the issues linked to climate change,” Minister Adam said.

Minister Adam also pointed out that the visit also shows that “every African country matters to the UN”.

Minister Adam thanked Mr Kutesa for organising another forthcoming event on the issue of climate change in New York and he expressed the hope that this too will lead to a legally binding agreement in Paris in December, an accord which he says is particularly fair for African nations and island states.

With regard to the post-2015 development agenda, Minister Adam said it is about transformation -- about African countries and developing countries around the world being able to seize their own opportunities.  

“There is a shortfall of resources so we have to make our own resources and this is the message we are bringing out together – that as African countries we can do a lot ourselves and mobilise better the private sector and find opportunities which are mutually beneficial such as the development of the  blue economy,” the minister said.