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Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged the United States to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement, arguing that American participation is important to international cooperation on climate change and diplomacy. He made the appeal during a Tuesday forum hosted by Harvard University's Institute of Politics, according to The Harvard Crimson on 14 October 2026. The discussion, titled “Global Climate Leadership: Our Planet at a Crossroads,” examined the changing landscape of international climate policy and the role of powerful countries in shaping the global agenda. Ban appeared alongside R. Nicholas Burns, a Harvard Kennedy School professor, and Anthony R. Foxx, director of the university's Center for Public Leadership. Ban called on the United States to return to the agreement “as soon as possible”. The appeal follows President Donald Trump's second withdrawal of the country from the climate pact. According to The Harvard Crimson, Trump initiated the latest withdrawal after returning to office in January 2025, with the change taking effect in January 2026. The United States had previously withdrawn during Trump's first presidency in November 2019, before President Joe Biden reversed that decision in 2021. The Paris Climate Agreement is an international framework under which participating countries undertake efforts to limit the effects of climate change. The US withdrawal therefore represents a change in the country's participation in an international climate effort, while Ban's remarks place renewed emphasis on the importance of American engagement. Ban also criticised the broader retreat from international organisations under Trump, saying that the United States had withdrawn from 66 international bodies, including the World Health Organization and UNICEF. He described the withdrawals as regrettable and argued that the absence of a major diplomatic power had placed strain on the international community. “When the U.S. is out of 66 international organizations, what can you expect?” Ban said, according to The Harvard Crimson. He added that the United Nations was facing difficult circumstances. The former UN chief, who led the organisation from 2007 to 2016, also discussed the influence of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council: the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France and China. Those countries hold veto powers over substantive resolutions. Ban questioned the fairness of a system in which one permanent member can block a motion despite broad support from other member states. His comments extended beyond current US policy to the responsibilities of younger generations. Ban urged future leaders to work towards repairing and improving international institutions rather than simply inheriting their problems. He emphasised that climate change and international relations require cooperation in an interconnected world. The forum offered a platform for Ban to press his case for renewed US engagement, but the reported remarks did not announce a change in American policy. The immediate US connection is its continued absence from the Paris agreement following the withdrawal that took effect in January 2026, alongside Ban's public appeal for the country to return.
Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged the United States to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement, arguing that American participation is important to international cooperation on climate change and diplomacy. He made the appeal during a Tuesday forum hosted by Harvard University’s Institute of Politics, according to The Harvard Crimson on 14 October 2026.
The discussion, titled “Global Climate Leadership: Our Planet at a Crossroads,” examined the changing landscape of international climate policy and the role of powerful countries in shaping the global agenda. Ban appeared alongside R. Nicholas Burns, a Harvard Kennedy School professor, and Anthony R. Foxx, director of the university’s Center for Public Leadership.
Ban called on the United States to return to the agreement “as soon as possible”. The appeal follows President Donald Trump’s second withdrawal of the country from the climate pact. According to The Harvard Crimson, Trump initiated the latest withdrawal after returning to office in January 2025, with the change taking effect in January 2026. The United States had previously withdrawn during Trump’s first presidency in November 2019, before President Joe Biden reversed that decision in 2021.
The Paris Climate Agreement is an international framework under which participating countries undertake efforts to limit the effects of climate change. The US withdrawal therefore represents a change in the country’s participation in an international climate effort, while Ban’s remarks place renewed emphasis on the importance of American engagement.
Ban also criticised the broader retreat from international organisations under Trump, saying that the United States had withdrawn from 66 international bodies, including the World Health Organization and UNICEF. He described the withdrawals as regrettable and argued that the absence of a major diplomatic power had placed strain on the international community.
“When the U.S. is out of 66 international organizations, what can you expect?” Ban said, according to The Harvard Crimson. He added that the United Nations was facing difficult circumstances.
The former UN chief, who led the organisation from 2007 to 2016, also discussed the influence of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council: the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France and China. Those countries hold veto powers over substantive resolutions. Ban questioned the fairness of a system in which one permanent member can block a motion despite broad support from other member states.
His comments extended beyond current US policy to the responsibilities of younger generations. Ban urged future leaders to work towards repairing and improving international institutions rather than simply inheriting their problems. He emphasised that climate change and international relations require cooperation in an interconnected world.
The forum offered a platform for Ban to press his case for renewed US engagement, but the reported remarks did not announce a change in American policy. The immediate US connection is its continued absence from the Paris agreement following the withdrawal that took effect in January 2026, alongside Ban’s public appeal for the country to return.
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