9 November 2009: During a press conference in New York, US, Janos Pasztor, Director of the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Change Support Team, indicated that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is confident that “governments will reach agreement in Copenhagen on the fundamental issues that will form the substance of a legally binding international agreement which is the end goal for guiding action on climate change.”
He also recognized that it is unlikely that it will be possible to complete all the work needed for a legally binding agreement at the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC. Nevertheless, Pasztor underlined that the meeting should bring clarity on ambitious mitigation targets for developed countries, mitigation actions in developing countries and financing. He noted an upsurge in public awareness and public activity on climate change, as well as “willingness […] to make it happen” on the part of world leaders.
UN Press Release
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=32895&Cr=climate+change&Cr1=
Press Conference Transcript
http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs//2009/091109_Climate_Change.doc.htm