CLEAR GLOBAL STRATEGY CRUCIAL IN FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE - ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT

CLEAR GLOBAL STRATEGY CRUCIAL IN FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE – ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT New York, Feb 12 2008 2:00PM To build on the momentum generated by last December's historic United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia, it is now critical to formulate a plan of action for the world body to tackle climate change comprehensively, the General Assembly's President said today.

In Bali, 187 countries agreed to launch a two-year process of formal negotiations on a successor pact to the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.

At the start of today's General Assembly thematic debate on combating global warming, President Srgjan Kerim underscored the urgency of taking effective action.

"We can't wait for tomorrow," he said. "We need to act today."

Under the so-called Bali Roadmap, key issues during the upcoming negotiations will be adaptation, mitigation, the deployment of climate-friendly technology and financing.

"Many countries cannot wait until the effects of mitigation targets have an impact," he said. "We need both targets and immediate practical actions that can help the most vulnerable adapt to climate change."

The UN system seeks to "deliver more than the sum of its parts" and requires clear political support from Member States, the President noted.

He called on the over 100 delegates from Member States and organizations in attendance to consider what the UN's goals should be following the Kyoto Protocol's expiration in 2012 as well as how to link the fight against climate change with efforts to bolster development.

The debate is expected to continue in the coming days.
2008-02-12 00:00:00.000

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