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Bal i
Roadmap
Adopted at
UN Climate
Change
Conference
Ban:
"A
pivotal
first
step
toward
an
agreement"
|
Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon
welcomed
the
outcome
of the
landmark
United
Nations
Climate
Change
Conference
in Bali,
Indonesia,
in which
187
countries
agreed
on
Saturday
to
launch a
two-year
process
of
formal
negotiations
on
strengthening
international
efforts
to
fight,
mitigate
and
adapt to
the
problem
of
global
warming.
After
almost
two
weeks of
marathon
discussions,
delegates
agreed
on both
the
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
enter
into
effect
in 2013.
Under
the
"Bali
Roadmap,"
the key
issues
during
the
upcoming
negotiations
will
include:
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.
(story
continues
below)
Delegates
rise to
applaud
the
decision
to adopt
the
"Bali
roadmap"
for a
future
international
agreement
on
climate change.
Participating
countries
also
agreed
on a
series
of steps
that can
be taken
immediately
to
strengthen
their
commitment
to the
UN
Framework
Convention
on
Climate
Change
(UNFCCC),
such as
combating
deforestation
in poor
countries,
the
scaling
up of
investment
in green
technology
and
enhancing
funding
for
adaptation
measures.
The
agreement
does not
specify
or
mandate
emissions
targets,
but it
does say
that
deep
cuts in
emissions
will be
needed
to avoid
the
worst
effects
of
climate
change.
Secretary-General
Ban
called
the
roadmap
"a
pivotal
first
step
toward
an
agreement
that can
address
the
threat
of
climate
change,
the
defining
challenge
of our
time."
Four
major
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.
- Watch
video
of
the
Bali
conference
meetings
and
events.
|
UN
Secretary-Genral
Ban
Voices
Profound
Sadness
as
Death
Toll
in
Algiers
Reaches
17
|
UN
Secretary-General
Ban
Ki-moon
visited
the
attack
site
today
where
17
UN
staff
perished
in
the
terror
attacks
in
Algiers,
Algeria
last
week.
The
death
toll
rose
to
17
UN
employees,
up
from
the 10
orginally
believed
to
have
died
last
week.
"I
have
learned
with
profound
sadness
that
the
death
toll
on
the
bombing
in
Algiers
last
Tuesday
is
even
higher
than
we
feared,"
Mr.
Ban
said.
"Words
cannot
begin
to do
justice
to the
grief
I
feel."
(story
continues
below)
Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon
met
with
United
Nations
staff
and
the
families
of
those
who
died
in the
terrorist
attacks
in
Algiers
earlier
today. ©
UN
Photo/Evan
Schneider
"I
send my
prayers
to the
loved ones
of those
who
perished,
to those
who are
wounded,
and to
those who
are
grappling
with
trauma
after this
terrible
event,"
said Mr.
Ban.
"I
send my
thoughts
to all
their
colleagues
who work
every day,
in
difficult
and
dangerous
circumstances,
for peace
and
security,
development
and human
rights
around the
world."
The
staff
members
confirmed
to have
died and
whose
families
have been
notified
include
Hind
Boukroufa,
Djamel
Rezzoug,
Saadia
Boucelham,
Samia
Hammoutene,
Chadli
Hamza and
Mohamed
Khelladi
of
Algeria,
as well as
Steven
Olejas of
Denmark,
all of
whom
worked for
the UN
Development
Programme
(UNDP).
Algerians
Adnane
Souilah,
Kamel Sait
and
Mustapha
Benbara
(UN
Population
Fund);
Hanniche
Abel-Rahim
(International
Labour
Organization);
Nabil
Slimani
and Karim
Bentebal
(UN High
Commissioner
for
Refugees);
Hakim Si
Larbi
(Joint UN
Programme
on
HIV/AIDS);
and
Mohamed
Laseli (UN
Industrial
Development
Organization)
were also
killed, as
were Gene
Luna of
the
Philippines
(World
Food
Programme);
and
Babacar
Ndiaye of
Senegal
(Department
of Safety
and
Security).
The
Algiers
bombing is
not the
first time
the UN has
been
attacked
by
terrorists.
A bomb
destroyed
the world
body's
Baghdad
headquarters
in August
2003,
killing 22
people,
including
top envoy
Sergio
Vieira de
Mello.
|
Meet
the UN
UNAIDS
Leadership
|
Dr.
Peter
Piot
UNAIDS
Executive
Director
and
Under
Secretary-General
of the
United
Nations
Dr.
Peter
Piot
comes
from
a
distinguished
academic
and
scientific
career
focusing
on
AIDS
and
women's
health
in
the
developing
world.
Drawing
on
his
skills
as
a
scientist,
manager
and
activist,
Dr.
Piot
has
challenged
world
leaders
to
view
AIDS
in
the
context
of
social
and
economic
development
as
well
as
security.
Under
his
leadership,
UNAIDS
has
become
the
chief
advocate
for
worldwide
action
against
AIDS.
It
has
brought
together
ten
organizations
of
the
United
Nations
system
around
a
common
agenda
on
AIDS,
spearheading
UN
reform.
Read
more...
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UNHCR
chief
Guterres
calls
for end
to North
Kivu
fighting
© UNHCR/D.Nthengwe
UN
High
Commissioner
for
Refugees
António
Guterres
called for
an end to
the
fighting
in eastern
Democratic
Republic
of the
Congo (DRC)
and
pledged to
help
improve
conditions
in camps
there for
tens of
thousands
of
displaced
people.
Since
August
this
year, an
estimated
170,000
people
have
been
forced
out of
their
homes in
North
Kivu by
fighting
between
government
troops
and
rebels
allied
to
dissident
army
general,
Laurent
Nkunda.
Many
people
have
found
shelter
in camps
west of
the
provincial
capital,
Goma, as
well as
some 70
kilometres
to the
north,
around
the town
of
Rutshuru.
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UNICEF
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