Ban Ki-moon was bid a fond farewell today by hundreds of climate activists, who dubbed the outgoing UN chief "Super-Moon" in honour of his impassioned fight against global warming.
"During the last 10 years, I've been criticised for not doing enough for Syria, Yemen, Iraq, the protection of women," he said, after being showered with accolades.
Only now, he continued, "almost at the time of my departure, somebody is saying something nice to me," eliciting a round of laughter and applause.
Ban steps down as UN Secretary General at the end of the year, to be replaced for a five-year term by Antonio Guterres, former prime minister of Portugal.
Throughout his mandate, the South Korean career diplomat has pushed hard for action to halt the growing threat of climate change, which is already causing deadly drought, heatwaves and superstorms fuelled by rising seas.
Ban said he would continue his efforts among the ranks of civil society.
"I will be sitting amongst you," he said, noting that other senior politicians had also made that transition, such as Peru's former environment minister Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, recently appointed as WWF's head of climate and energy.
In a statement, Climate Action Network -- an umbrella grouping of more than 1100 non-governmental organisations -- saluted the outgoing UN chief, expressing "gratitude for his support in the struggle to reach breakthroughs... Such as the Paris Agreement."
Inked in the French capital last December, the 196-nation Paris climate pact vows to hold global warming to well under two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above the pre-industrial era benchmark.
It entered into force earlier this month, record time for an international treaty.
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