UN chief wants compromise on Kyoto Protocol

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon expects that governments at COP-17 in Durban will find a compromise on the Kyoto Protocol to make a broader comprehensive climate agreement possible in the future, reports UNB. "Durban must complete what was agreed last year in Cancun," he said at the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF)-2011 conference in the city Monday. The two-day CVF began Sunday, aiming to reach consensus on various climate issues and work together at COP-17 to be held in Durban, South Africa on November 28. Speaking as special guest, Ban called for scaling up climate financing through launching the Green Climate Fund agreed last year in Cancun. He said governments must lead the way to catalyse the US$100 billion per annum from public and private sources that was pledged to 2020. Ban said: "We are in the middle of a serious economic crisis. But even in these difficult times, we cannot afford delay. We cannot ask the poorest and the most vulnerable to bear the costs." "The Fund needs to be launched in Durban. An empty shell is not sufficient," he told the conference attended by representatives from more than 30 countries from around the world, which are most vulnerable to the climate change. The UN chief said climate change is a global problem requiring a global solution and it requires urgent efforts on the part of every country - both in the global negotiations, and through scaled-up national actions on the ground. He said since unresolved issues are both critical and complex, compromise and common sense will be crucial. "We must work together to build a safer, healthier, more climate resilient world. Together, we can build the future we want." Appreciating Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's leadership in disaster management, Ban said in 1991 cyclone, more than 140,000 people were killed while in the 2007 Cyclone Sidr 4,000 people perished, but tens of thousands of lives were saved as some 40,000 volunteers with bullhorns and bicycles helped move more than three million people out of harm's way. "You have made great strides towards political stability and economic growth. Your achievements across all the Millennium Development Goals are a source of national pride and the envy of many nations. And you are a world leader in disaster preparedness.'' He said because of its adaptation and preparedness measures, the people of Bangladesh are much safer today.