Description
The UN secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, affirms that “our window of opportunity to prevent worst climate impacts is rapidly closing.” One of the reasons for this climate inaction is a gap between discourses and declarations stating the gravity of climate change and the lack of concrete actions to prevent the global rise of temperatures. The SG is himself in a contradictory position, being at the same time an advocate for climate action and a (very) discrete figure in the political UN process. What is the real capacity of the SG to keep a policy agenda active? Through the study of Mr. Guterres first mandate, this paper examines the political work of the UNSG in a concrete policy sector, climate change. By tracing the SG’s actions, and through observations and interviews, we show that the SG uses both, traditional and new strategies to fight against the loss of political momentum. On the one hand, the SG uses its moral authority and symbolic position as a “norm entrepreneur” to encourage decision-making. On the other hand, the secretary-general concretizes a material power when he plays with time and space by multiplying venues for action and precipitating political engagement for policy implementation when other UN organs are unable or unwilling to act. More than a “guardian” of the UN commitments the SG has also become a policy entrepreneur in the climate sector, promoting the interest of the people of the world rather than those of the UN member states.
