Over the weekend, I went out of town to a favorite island to unwind. While chatting with friends at a fish restaurant on Saturday evening, I glanced through my emails and saw an invitation from the United Nations. Thinking it was fake, I ignored it and continued the pleasant conversation.
After a wonderful Saturday evening, the next day, a morning of relaxation, a final island tour, and the return journey finally arrived. I only glanced through my emails when I got home, and when I read the message, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The invitation, which I’ve translated into Turkish below, read:
Mr. Serhan Süzer,
It is my honor to invite you, on behalf of the Secretary-General, to attend the High-Level Signing Ceremony of the Paris Agreement, which will take place at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 22 April 2016.
The successful adoption of the Paris Agreement at the 21st session of the United Nations Framework Conference on Climate Change, held in Paris, France, on 12 December 2015, has laid a solid foundation for the transformation of the global economy and our societies towards low carbon and climate sensitivity. By signing the Agreement on 22 April and adopting it within their national processes, countries will share their commitment to the swiftest possible implementation and implementation of the Agreement, with the cooperation of a wide range of different actors.
The morning opening and signing ceremonies will be followed in the afternoon by high-level interactive dialogues on the theme of “Advanced Climate Actions – Realizing the Paris Agreement Vision.” Representatives of member states, civil society, the private sector, finance, and academia will participate in the Paris Agreement to ensure its transformative implementation. They will share their perspectives on their work to accelerate actions taken regarding scaling up and scaling up activities. We will conclude the day with a short closing ceremony with high-level United Nations and government officials.
Your presence throughout the day will contribute to making this a historic milestone as the world moves from intention to action in the fight against climate change. Please confirm your participation by responding to this email by Friday, 15 April.
We look forward to seeing you in New York on 22 April. Working together, we can build a safer, more sustainable, and more prosperous world.
Selwin Hart
Director
Secretary General of the Climate Change Support Team
After reading this message, I first checked to see if it was a genuine invitation. After confirming its authenticity, I responded affirmatively without hesitation. I immediately called my assistant and asked her to book flights and a hotel for New York for the dates in question.
It was a very meaningful invitation for me. I still couldn’t figure out how they had found me. Of course, we had already begun significant work in the fields of renewable energy and sustainability, but my recent encounters with people close to the United Nations might have also played a role in their contact. Ultimately, seeing our efforts bear fruit and being invited to witness such a momentous occasion held great spiritual significance for me.
After my flight from Istanbul to New York on 20 April went smoothly, I checked into my hotel on the corner of Lexington and 48th Street. It was a wonderful and interesting coincidence that my room number was the same as Galatasaray’s founding year, 1905, and that Galatasaray had won the European Championship that week.
I was supposed to receive my official invitation the next day. I contacted Richard, a colleague of my dear friend and Iraqi Princess Nisreen El Hashemite, who has a strong connection at the United Nations. Richard, who is well-versed in the UN system and its modus operandi, came to the hotel to pick me up, and together we completed the necessary procedures. Since we were at the front of the queue to receive official invitations, and others were already waiting, I was the first to receive them. Judging by the lengthening line, it wasn’t hard to guess that those at the bottom would have to wait at least an hour and a half longer. Meanwhile, from what I could tell, everyone in line was an expert and a prominent figure in their respective fields.
I left the place happy. That week, I also had the opportunity to see some dear friends in New York. I had the opportunity to have coffee, eat, and chat with various groups of friends at various times leading up to the signing.
When the big day arrived, as usual, I woke up at 5:30 a.m. and went to the gym. I made my preparations, worked a bit, talked to Turkey, and after breakfast, I left the hotel at 7:50 a.m. to go to the United Nations building a few blocks away for the official ceremony at 8:30 a.m.
As I approached the building, I heard a voice speaking English with a Turkish accent. I instinctively turned and saw Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Kadir Topbaş. He was among children wearing UN T-shirts and was asking one child, “Do you know Istanbul?” Smiling, I proceeded along my way.
I went through security and entered the building at 8:10 a.m. I’d like to share some photos I took outside before entering.
Entry invitations that ensure accreditation
Entrance to the United Nations. Just across from it, you’ll find our hometown building, the “Turkish Center.”
In the courtyard of the UN building, there’s a magnificent statue by Carl Frederik Reutersward, “against war and armaments.”
What did I witness inside? In this introductory article to my impressions of the Paris Agreement signing ceremony, I’ll just provide you with the following basic information for now:
The Paris Agreement, the most comprehensive agreement on climate change ever drafted, also became the international agreement with the highest number of signatures in a single day. The agreement, which will remain open for signature until 21 April 2017, was signed by over 130 countries, including Turkey, on its first day. Turkey’s Minister of Environment and Urbanization, Fatma Güldemet Sarı, attended the ceremony to sign the agreement, which aims to limit greenhouse gas emissions and keep the global average temperature increase within 1.5° – 2° C. for the current century. See you in my next article, where I’ll share my thoughts and some important information about sustainability before the historic ceremony begins.
Tag: ecology
