United Nations

 NEW YORK, 28 November (UN Headquarters) -- Following is the text of a statement issued today in New York by the Office of the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General was closely following the negotiations at the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in The Hague last week, and is disappointed by their inconclusive outcome.  He is deeply concerned that unresolved differences between governments may prevent the Kyoto Protocol from coming into force.  He recalls that developing countries will suffer most from the impacts of climate change -- which is already happening -- even though they are the least responsible for it.  The least developed countries and small island developing States, especially, need financial and technical help in order to adapt.

 The Secretary-General wishes to remind world leaders that as recently as September they resolved, in their Millennium Declaration, "to make every effort to ensure that the entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol, preferably by the tenth anniversary of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 2002, and to embark on the required reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases".  He urges governments to fulfil this resolution by making every effort to bridge the gaps between them so that agreement can be reached at a resumed session of the Conference next year.  The United Nations stands ready to assist.