Statement by the Secretary-General on the Paris Agreement on Climate Change

I am delighted to announce that today the Paris Agreement will cross the second and final threshold needed for entry into force, and will enter into force on 4 November 2016.

Global momentum for the Paris Agreement to enter into force in 2016 has been remarkable. What once seemed unthinkable is now unstoppable.

Strong international support for the Paris Agreement entering into force is testament to the urgency for action, and reflects the consensus of governments that robust global cooperation is essential to meet the climate challenge.

Over the past decade, I have worked ceaselessly to bring countries together to accelerate the global response to climate change. I have visited communities on the climate frontlines, from the Arctic to the Amazon, and I have seen how climate impacts are already devastating lives, livelihoods and prospects for a better future.

I urge all governments and all sectors of society to implement the Paris Agreement in full and to take urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen climate resilience, and support the most vulnerable in adapting to inevitable climate impacts.

I extend my warmest congratulations to all Signatories of the Paris Agreement, and encourage all countries to accelerate their domestic processes to ratify the Paris Agreement as soon as possible before the next Conference of the Parties (COP 22) next month in Marrakesh.

New York, 5 October 2016

Image: In early October, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressed a session of the European Parliament during which parliamentarians voiced their support for the speedy ratification of the Paris Agreement on climate change | Image Credit: UN Photo/Rick Bajornas