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UN chief to meet Indian leaders UN chief in India climate warning
(about 10 hours later)
UN chief Ban Ki-moon is in India on a day-long visit to attend an environment conference and meet Indian leaders. UN chief Ban Ki-moon has warned a climate change conference in India that failure to tackle the issue will lead to global economic upheaval.
Mr Ban is attending the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit which, organisers say, will press for cuts in carbon emissions. He appealed to nations to reach agreement on carbon emission cuts.
India is also expected to share with Mr Ban details of last November's Mumbai attacks which left over 170 people dead, reports say. Mr Ban is attending the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit which, organisers say will press for cuts in carbon emissions.
Mr Ban arrived in India from Afghanistan and Pakistan. He is also expected to discuss with India the attacks in Mumbai (Bombay) last year which killed 170 people.
In Pakistan - his first visit to the country since taking office in 2007 - Mr Ban announced that the UN would launch "very shortly" an independent inquiry into the killing of Pakistani ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. 'Destabilise economies'
Ms Bhutto was killed in a suicide attack on a rally in 2007. Her death triggered riots across the country. "Deserts are spreading. Water scarcity is increasing. Tropical forests are shrinking. Our once prolific fisheries are in danger of collapse," said Mr Ban at the start of the conference in Delhi.
'Global threat' Mr Ban is attending a climate change conference in Delhi
In Delhi, Mr Ban attended an environmental meeting to discuss the impact of climate change and global warming. "Failure to combat climate change will increase poverty and hardship. It will destabilise economies, breed insecurity in many countries and undermine our goals for sustainable development."
The UN secretary general, who was given the Sustainable Development Leadership Award at the conference, declared 2009 to be the year of climate change. He said that all countries must work towards a "conclusive carbon emissions reduction" deal at an international climate change conference in Copenhagen in December which will debate initiatives when the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.
"By presenting me with this award today, you recognise the unique role that the United Nations can and must play in addressing these challenges - challenges that know no borders and affect all nations and all peoples," Mr Ban said in his acceptance speech. "Copenhagen must clarify commitments of developed countries to reduce their emissions," said Mr Ban.
"Combating climate change will need all our leadership, all our commitment, all our ingenuity. This is not going to be easy. "We must also achieve clarity on what mitigation actions developing countries will be prepared to make. In Copenhagen we must now bring all this all together in an ambitious, comprehensive and ratifiable agreement."
"Nonetheless, I want to emphasise that, by facing up to this crisis, we have been given an exciting opportunity to make progress on a wide range of sustainable development issues," he said and added, "It is an opportunity we must seize."
India faces the "challenges of poverty eradication, sustaining the rapid economic growth and dealing with the global threat of climate change", Rajendra Pachauri, head of the UN's 2008 Nobel prize-winning climate panel and one of summit organisers, told the AFP news agency.India faces the "challenges of poverty eradication, sustaining the rapid economic growth and dealing with the global threat of climate change", Rajendra Pachauri, head of the UN's 2008 Nobel prize-winning climate panel and one of summit organisers, told the AFP news agency.
Later in the day, Mr Ban is expected to meet the Indian foreign minister and Congress Party chief Sonia Gandhi to discuss the Mumbai attack. Riots
Mr Ban began his regional visit on Wednesday in Afghanistan, where he said the country would be a priority for the UN in 2009. He proceeded to Pakistan later in the day. Mr Ban arrived in India from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
His visit to Pakistan came amid growing unrest in Pakistan's border areas, with Taleban rebels attacking Nato supply routes into Afghanistan while government forces engage the Taleban in the Swat valley of North West Frontier Province. In Pakistan - his first visit to the country since taking office in 2007 - Mr Ban announced that the UN would launch "very shortly" an independent inquiry into the killing of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
Mr Ban has called for the "immediate and safe release" of John Solecki, the head of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in the city of Quetta, who was snatched at gunpoint after his driver was killed. Ms Bhutto was killed in an attack on a rally in 2007.
Mr Ban was due to meet the Indian foreign minister and Congress Party chief Sonia Gandhi to discuss the Mumbai attack later on Thursday.
The UN leader began his regional visit on Wednesday in Afghanistan, where he said the country would be a priority for the UN in 2009.
His visit to Pakistan later on Wednesday came amid growing unrest in Pakistan's border areas, with Taleban rebels attacking Nato supply routes into Afghanistan while government forces engage the Taleban in the Swat valley of North West Frontier Province.
Mr Ban called for the "immediate and safe release" of John Solecki, the head of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in the city of Quetta, who was snatched at gunpoint on Monday. His driver was killed.