General

Tough words from Ban Ki-moon

UN Secretary-General urges Harper to put climate change on the G8/G20 agenda

The UN’s top dog had some tough words for Stephen Harper on Wednesday. At a scheduled meeting, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Prime Minister Harper to make climate change a priority at the G8 and G20 submits in June. “I urge Canada to comply fully with the targets set out by the Kyoto Protocol,” Ban stressed. “Canada has a special role and special responsibility to play.” The problem? Harper himself is no fan of Kyoto, which was signed by the previous Liberal government. To his credit, Harper has committed Canada to a 17 per cent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2020, based on 2005 levels; but that reduction is less than the Kyoto Protocol demands. Ban Ki-moon also congratulated Canada for supporting the UN’s “efforts on child and women’s health.” He did not mention the Conservatives’ controversial decision not to fund abortion-related projects under its maternal health scheme.

CTV News

Looking for more?

Get the Best of Maclean's sent straight to your inbox. Sign up for news, commentary and analysis.
  • By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
FILED UNDER: