The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Benedetto Della Vedova, is in Paris for the Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OECD).
Della Vedova attended a working dinner yesterday (Wednesday 3 June 2015) focusing on climate change in the run-up to the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (also known as the 2015 Paris Climate Conference, or COP21). The Climate Conference will take place in Paris in December.
The Under-Secretary will also be taking part, today 4 June, in two meetings concerning the OECD’s input, in terms of analysis and proposals, to the multilateral proposals on environmental issues and sustainable development under the Post-2015 Development Agenda.
The OECD’s Secretary General, Angel Gurría, attended a working breakfast this morning with representatives of the organisation’s 34 member states. Topics examined include the outlook for extending OECD membership to new members, the dialogue with Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (the BRICS countries) and with the countries of south-east Asia and the Middle East and North Africa. The OECD’s support for the reform process in Ukraine was also discussed.
“We support the enlargement of the OECD to include Latvia and Colombia, and soon other countries too, taking a global view that is open to economies with high growth rates. We also take a favourable view of the OECD’s commitment to green growth, not least in light of the Paris Climate Conference”, commented Della Vedova.
On Ukraine, the Under-Secretary observed that “the OECD’s input, in terms of expertise, to the economic reform process in specific sectors is extremely valuable in fostering economic and financial stabilisation and improving the climate for investment in Ukraine”.
