By NNN-Prensa Latina
United Nations : UN secretary general, Ban Ki-Moon said he is pleased with the large participation in the Conference on Climate Change being held in the Indonesian sea resort of Bali.
“Global warming has reached a peak in the world agenda and the time is now to act,” Ban told the Press.
“I have worked to focus world attention on the important subject of climate change and the meeting last September gathered more than 80 leaders of the world,” he said.
He expressed satisfaction over the assistance of more than 10,000 government representatives, statespersons, chancellors, ministers of finance, trade and environment, leaders of Non-Governmental Organizations and about 1,200 journalists attending the event in Indonesia.
He told reporters that the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012 and a document to replace it requires at least two years of negotiations since it is one of the most complex multilateral pacts.
Stating that the road ahead was hard, he said that there was no choice and commented on the opinions of scientists on global warming and worsening of environmental conditions.
“Science has spoken loud and clear. The debate is over. It is now time to solve the problem. We should not only think about ourselves but about our children,” he added.
He said it was about time to create a strong, healthy and safer world..
In his opinion, if treated properly “the time has come to cement friendly transformations of the environment in a global economy, a means to encourage growth and development instead of preventing it, as many national leaders fear.”