Syrian forces leave Sweida after ceasefire with Druze militias goes into effect    France withdraws troops from Senegal, ending military presence in West Africa    Germany's Merz and UK's Starmer sign 'first of its kind' defense and migration treaty    Norway leads Europe's best airports list    Main stage at Belgium's Tomorrowland music festival completely destroyed by fire    Sports vehicles can have now short number plates    First Saudi relief plane lands in Aleppo to aid Syria wildfire victims    Over 40 million worshippers prayed at Prophet's Mosque during Hajj season    Saudi Arabia draw Iraq and Indonesia in 2026 World Cup Asian play-off group    Saudi conjoined twins Yara and Lara successfully separated in 12.5-hour surgery    Babies made using three people's DNA are born free of hereditary disease    'Art of the Kingdom' exhibition to open in Beijing's National Museum on July 30    Saudi minister holds strategic AI and tech talks with French institutions in Paris    Youth-led Saudi businesses exceed 474K    ASICS and Saudi Sports for All launch startup pitch to boost sports innovation in Saudi Arabia    Scientists recover proteins from a 24 million-year-old rhino fossil    Saudi Arabia to expand railway network by over 50% under transport strategy    Jorge Jesus returns to Saudi Arabia as Al Nassr head coach on one-year deal    Jannik Sinner beats Carlos Alcaraz to win his maiden Wimbledon title    Chelsea defeat PSG 3-0 to win first expanded Club World Cup    Sholay: Bollywood epic roars back to big screen after 50 years with new ending    Ministry launches online booking for slaughterhouses on eve of Eid Al-Adha    Shah Rukh Khan makes Met Gala debut in Sabyasachi    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



UN chief to visit Norway's Arctic region impacted by climate change
Published in Saudi Press Agency on 24 - 08 - 2009


United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is
scheduled to be in Norway's Svalbard next week for a first-hand look
at the damage caused by global warming to the Arctic Ocean, a UN
spokeswoman said Monday, according to dpa.
Ban's visit to Norway and the expected talks with government
leaders has been overshadowed by sharp criticism from Norway's UN
Ambassador Mona Juul that the UN chief has been ineffective in
carrying out his responsibilities.
Oslo has played down Juul's criticism, outlined in a letter she
sent to her government and published in Oslo's daily Aftenposten last
week. The UN has refused to enter the debate, referring to it as an
internal matter for Norwegians.
"At the time when the need for the United Nations and for
multinational solutions to global crises is greater than ever, Ban
and the UN are conspicuous in their absence," Aftenposten quoted the
letter as saying.
The letter said Ban was a "passive observer" in Myanmar's
imprisonment of political prisoners and he was "helpless" in stopping
the ethnic war in Sri Lanka.
Ban will meet with Norway's prime minister and foreign minister
August 31 and will travel to the Arctic region the following day.
"He will visit polar research stations and the Global Seed Vault,
get the latest updates on issues relating to the thinning ice and
make his way to the Polar Ice Rim," said spokeswoman Michelle Montas.
Ban, who made climate change a priority for the United Nations,
has visited far-flung places affected by it. In November 2007 he
travelled to Chile's southern tip in Punta Arenas before continuing
on to Antarctica by small plane to Collins Glacier on King George's
Island.
He has been urging governments to agree to a new document to
replace the Kyoto Protocol, which will expire in 2012. An
international conference will be held in Copenhagen in December to
try to work out the new agreement. But UN officials involved in the
negotiations were doubtful of much success in Copenhagen because
governments have been slow in meeting deadlines and agreeing on all
the complex issues related to climate change.


Clic here to read the story from its source.