Secretary-General Visits High Norwegian Arctic to See Climate Effects

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (foreground) and Børge Brende, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, examine a statue of explorer Roald Amundsen in Ny-Ålesund, Norway.
Mr. Ban was in the high Norwegian Arctic to observe first-hand the effects of climate change on the region. The visit included an excursion to the Norwegian glacier Blomstrandbreen to see the dramatic changes to the ice, as well as briefings at the Kings Bay Marine Lab and the Svalbard Satellite Station. The Secretary-General's visit to the region, his second since 2009, took place in the run-up to the 21st session (COP 21) of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which will take place in Paris in December.