29 September 2009: Addressing a press conference at UN Headquarters in New York, US, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was optimistic about the UN’s central role on major issues including the climate change negotiations, nuclear disarmament and the financial crisis.

UN Secretary-General Ban noted that the 64th UN General Assembly debate and the Summit on Climate Change, which brought together 101 Heads of State and government, had achieved some milestones, including support for a US$100 billion annual financing proposal for adaptation and mitigation measures during the coming decade. He recalled mitigation commitments expressed by Japan, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2020, and China, to reduce energy consumption. He noted that the EU announced support for a fast-track funding facility for adaptation on the amount of €5 billion to €7 billion. He also noted that leaders at the Summit agreed on a maximum threshold of temperature rise of 2 degrees Celsius, and set the political momentum in the run-up to the Copenhagen Conference. [UN News Centre]