Description
Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
Secretary-General / COP31
El Niño
Paris Peace Forum
Security Council / South Sudan
Under-Secretary-General Fletcher / Travel
Central African Republic
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Yemen
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Egypt
Haiti
World Science Day For Peace and Development
SECRETARY-GENERAL / COP31
The Secretary-General is in Antalya, Türkiye, where he is attending the 31st U.N. Climate Change Conference, COP 31. This morning, he addressed the COP30 Presidency Roadmap for Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels in Energy Systems in a Just, Orderly and Equitable Manner.
The Secretary-General stressed that an accelerated transition away from fossil fuels is fundamental to limiting the overshoot of global temperatures above 1.5 degrees and building economies that are cleaner, more secure, and less exposed to shocks.
He said that fossil fuels are not only driving the climate crisis; dependence on them carries a steep economic and security price, as the crisis in the Middle East has laid bare.
In the afternoon, the Secretary-General held a bilateral meeting with the President of the Republic of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. They exchanged views on the global efforts to tackle climate change and working collaboratively towards robust outcomes at COP31.
The President of Türkiye and the Secretary-General also discussed several regional and global issues, including the war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East, Libya and Cyprus.
The Secretary-General also had a meeting with the Vice President of the People’s Republic of China, Han Zheng. They discussed the importance of working collaboratively towards securing a robust and credible set of outcomes of COP31 that respond to the gaps in mitigation, finance and adaptation.
And today, Mr. Guterres also met with the Youth Advisory Group and participated in a roundtable with youth. He said that he strongly believes that young people must not be seen simply as beneficiaries - they must be actors and leaders in the climate debate.
The Secretary-General called on youth to help close the gap between these kinds of conferences and their communities, and to help spread the science in the online world, where disinformation spreads fastest.
Also, this afternoon, the Secretary-General met with a group of climate scientists, where he heard their views on the latest developments in climate science, finance and the energy transition, as well as key policy priorities for COP31 and beyond.
EL NIÑO
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) says in a new report released today that acting before the worst effects of a potentially record-breaking 2026/2027 El Niño could roughly cut in half the cost of protecting vulnerable households in developing countries. As countries face threats to food, water and livelihood security, the findings underline a broader message: waiting to act carries a cost.
The report, The Cost of Waiting in a Warmer World: Why Climate Investment Cannot Wait for the Next Disaster, estimates that early support for vulnerable households could cost up to US$36 billion, compared with up to US$73 billion if governments wait to respond until after the damage is done. There’s more in the UNDP report, which is available online.
PARIS PEACE FORUM
The Secretary-General delivered a video message to the Paris Peace Forum. Today, telling the gathered delegates that they are coming together in a world that is splitting apart.
Wars are spreading – in Ukraine, the Middle East, the Sudan and elsewhere, he warned, while international humanitarian law is being flouted.
He noted this year’s theme – “From Sovereignty to Cooperation” – points to the only course worth taking, pointing out that sovereignty is a fundamental principle of the Charter of the United Nations.
Mr. Guterres also welcomed the priority given to children this year, saying that they bear the deepest scars of our divisions: Killed by bombs. Starved. Displaced. Deprived of schooling. Left, like guinea pigs, at the mercy of unregulated technologies. Children must not pay the price of our inaction, he said.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-11-10