UN – LARGEST-EVER SUMMIT ON CLIMATE CHANGE

WORLD LEADERS GATHER AT UN FOR LARGEST-EVER SUMMIT ON CLIMATE CHANGE

New York, Sep 22 2009  8:10AM

Nearly 100 heads of State and Government are converging on United Nations Headquarters today for a climate change summit convened by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the largest gathering ever on the issue.

 The aim of the gathering is “for leaders to mobilize the political momentum that can accelerate the pace of negotiations and help strengthen the ambition of what is on offer,” he said.

 Today’s summit comes less than 80 days before the start of the climate change conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, where nations are set to wrap up negotiations on an ambitious new agreement on curbing the emission of harmful greenhouse gases.

 That agreement is set to go into effect in 2012, when the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol expires.

In remarks yesterday to the Alliance of Small Island Developing States, he emphasized that any deal reached in the Danish capital must be “equitable, effective and comprehensive,” with today’s summit serving as a “chance for national leaders to build bridges and dispel mistrust.”

Opening today’s summit will be actor Djimon Hounsou, who will recite a portion of late astronomer Carl Sagan’s “Pale Blue Dot,” followed by a film both written and narrated by children from around the world.

United States President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao are among the world leaders who will address the opening session of today’s gathering.

It will also feature a UN Leadership Forum Luncheon — to be addressed by former US Vice-President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Al Gore — which will mark the first time that global political leaders, as well as top business and civil society officials, will meet on such a large scale at the UN.

While not a negotiating session, the summit will allow world lead ers to engage in direct discussions in small roundtable discussions, each co-chaired by a leader from a developing and developed country, with the aim of finding a common understanding on a path forward.

At the end of the day-long event, this understanding will be captured in a summary presented by the Secretary-General.

Posted by rgrone on September 22, 2009. Filed under United Nations Headlines,WorldNewsVine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.