Obama Will Intensify Climate Cooperation with United Nations

During their talks, the two leaders underscored the importance of reaching an international agreement on climate change to both save the Earth and promote sustainable economic recovery.

At the annual UN climate conference in Copenhagen in December, nations are expected to agree on an ambitious pact that will limit greenhouse gas emissions after the Kyoto Protocol's first commitment period expires in 2012.

Secretary-General Ban, who arrived in Washington from a visit to Haiti with former U.S. President Bill Clinton, told journalists that "the whole world is looking" to the U.S. President for leadership on climate change.

President Barack Obama welcomes UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the White House. (Photo by Eskinder Debebe courtesy UN)

"Climate change, as, Mr. President, you have said, is a priority for the United Nations and for the whole international community. I am going to focus and work together with the leaders of the world to address this issue, to unlock all of this massive investment for green economic recovery, and also to save our planet," said the secretary-general.

"This is an issue of our era," Ban said. "I count on your strong commitment and leadership. The whole world is now looking at your leadership. And I'm committed to work together with you."

"The United Nations and the United States share common visions and objectives for peace, stability, development and human rights," Ban told reporters after the meeting at the White House.

Calling 2009 a "make-or-break" year, he said that collaboration is essential to address the crises on many fronts to turn this year into a "make-it-work" one, "full of optimism and resolution."

The talks at the White House this afternoon covered numerous issues confronting the international community, including the global economic crisis and the need to assist the world's poorest and most vulnerable.

President Obama said many issues were discussed - Afghanistan, Sudan and Iraq and Pakistan, and disarmament, and nuclear non-proliferation issues, particularly in North Korea.

The two leaders jointly called for strengthening efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, eight anti-poverty targets with a 2015 deadline, noting that strides can be made even in a difficult economic climate.

Environmental sustainability is one of the Goals, with emphasis on curbing climate change, conservation of land and marine areas, slowing deforestation, and reduction of biodiversity loss. The Goal also aims to halve, by 2015, the proportion of the global population without safe drinking water and basic sanitation.

Secretary -General Ban Ki-moon and President Obama smile for the cameras. (Photo courtesy UN)

With the next meeting of the Group of 20 nations scheduled for this weekend in London, the secretary-general said that "the leaders of industrialized countries should keep their commitments on the Millennium Development Goals and official development assistance, and help developing countries overcome food security and also help them to adapt and mitigate climate change."

Secretary-General Ban and President Obama also discussed at length the situation in the war-torn Sudanese region of Darfur.

Last week, immediately after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur, the Government of Sudan ordered the departure of 13 nongovernmental organizations that had been providing food, water, sanitation and health care to millions of people.

An estimated 300,000 people have died and another three million have been displaced in Darfur, where rebels have been fighting government forces and allied Arab militiamen, known as the Janjaweed, since 2003

The two leaders conferred on the impact of the aid groups' ejections on the already-dire humanitarian situation in Darfur, stressing the need for a peaceful resolution.

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2009. All rights reserved.