MANILA, Feb. 27 -- Visiting former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has reminded Filipinos that the target to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Change Agreement is getting closer, set on 2030 and 2050, respectively.

"This is why there has never been a more vital time in history to come together in cooperation, partnership, and solidarity to redouble our efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and implement the Paris Climate Change Agreement," Ban said in his speech before the Senate plenary Tuesday.

Ban served as the UN's Secretary-General from Jan. 1, 2007 to Dec. 31, 2016.

Among his first major initiatives was the 2007 Climate Change Summit, which put the issue on the...