中国气候变化信息网 China Climate Change Info-Net

 
The President of the U.N. General Assembly Srgjan Kerim hailed on Monday the outcome at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia, where nearly 200 countries agreed to launch a two-year process of formal negotiations to tackle the problem of global warming.

Kerim "commends the spirit of compromise and cooperation shown by all parties during the discussions in Bali," according to a statement issued by his spokesperson.

He thanked the Indonesian government for its leadership during the process and for hosting the landmark event, and believed that "advancing further on this agreement in the forthcoming negotiations is of crucial importance."

Kerim said he also intends to convene a high-level assembly meeting -- bringing together member states, the private sector and civil society -- on Feb. 11-12 next year to bolster support for addressing climate change in partnership with the United Nations.

After the two-week Bali negotiations were extended for an extra day, delegates reached agreement on Saturday on both agenda for the negotiations and a 2009 deadline for completing them so that a successor pact to the Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gas emissions can come into effect in 2013.

Under the so-called Bali Roadmap, key issues to be negotiated will be taking action to adapt to the negative consequences of climate change, such as droughts and floods; devising ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; finding ways to deploy climate-friendly technology; and financing adaptation and mitigation measures.

Four major U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)meetings to implement the Bali Roadmap are planned for next year, with the first to be held in either March or April. The negotiations process is scheduled to conclude in 2009 at a major summit in Copenhagen, capital of Denmark.