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Beckett chairs UN climate debate First climate debate divides UN
(about 7 hours later)
Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett justified the UN Security Council's first debate on global warming by linking the issue to security. The United Nations Security Council has held its first ever debate on climate change with some members arguing it was not the place to discuss the issue.
Russia and China said that as an international security watchdog, the 15-member council was not the right place to debate climate change. British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett justified the debate by linking the issue to security.
But Mrs Beckett said an unstable climate could lead to increased world conflict. But Russia and China said that as an international security watchdog, the 15-member council was not the right place to debate climate change.
The debate was initiated by Britain, which holds this month's presidency. Mrs Beckett said an unstable climate could lead to increased world conflict.
The debate was initiated by the UK, which holds the presidency of the Security Council this month.
No resolution or statement arose from the discussion, in which 55 member states spoke.
Two world warsTwo world wars
Speaking before the debate, Mrs Beckett told reporters: "This is a ground-breaking day. For the first time we will debate climate change as a matter of international peace and security. "Our responsibility in this council is to maintain international peace and security, including the prevention of conflict," said Mrs Beckett.
"An unstable climate will exacerbate some of the core drivers of conflict - such as migratory pressures and competition for resources." She said the Stern report on climate change, which was commissioned by the UK government, warned of potential economic disruption on the scale of the two world wars and the Great Depression.
She said the Stern report on climate change, which was commissioned by the British government, warned of potential economic disruption on the scale of the two world wars and the Great Depression. But China's deputy UN ambassador, Liu Zhenmin, said that the council lacked "professional competence in handling climate change".
"That alone will inevitably have an impact on all of our security - developed and developing countries alike." Pakistan's UN delegate Farukh Amil said it was "inappropriate" for the Security Council to debate climate change.
Mrs Beckett cited the need for the world to recognize that "there is a security imperative, as well as economic, developmental and environmental ones, to tackling climate change".
She also said there was a need to "to begin to build a shared understanding of the relationship between energy, climate and security."
Developing countries
UN chief Ban Ki-moon also emphasised that "issues of energy an climate change have implications for peace and security".
As examples, he said that scarce resources such as water and food could help turn peaceful competition into violence while migrations driven by climate change could deepen tensions and conflict.
But Pakistan's UN delegate Farukh Amil, representing China and developing countries, said it was "inappropriate" for the Security Council to debate climate change.
He said there were other UN bodies which were better suited to dealing with the issue.He said there were other UN bodies which were better suited to dealing with the issue.
South Africa's UN ambassador Dumisani Kumalo also stressed the need for other UN bodies to help developing countries to deal with disaster and humanitarian crises caused by climate change. However, Panama, Peru and a number of small island states backed the British initiative.
The British mission to the UN has circulated a paper explaining why it feels a discussion is needed. Maritime dispute risk
UN chief Ban Ki-moon said that "issues of energy an climate change have implications for peace and security".
As examples, he said that scarce resources such as water and food could help turn peaceful competition into violence while migrations driven by climate change could deepen tensions and conflict.
The British mission to the UN circulated a paper explaining why it feels a discussion is needed.
It warns of "major changes to the world's physical landmass during this century", which will cause border and maritime disputes.It warns of "major changes to the world's physical landmass during this century", which will cause border and maritime disputes.
Some 200m people could be displaced by the middle of the century and "substantial parts of the world risk being left uninhabitable by rising sea levels".Some 200m people could be displaced by the middle of the century and "substantial parts of the world risk being left uninhabitable by rising sea levels".
And there could be conflicts over "scarce energy resources, security of supply and the role energy resources play once conflict has broken out", the document adds.And there could be conflicts over "scarce energy resources, security of supply and the role energy resources play once conflict has broken out", the document adds.