
As investigations into the Paris terror attacks are ramping up, France announced that the UN Climate Summit will be restricted to core negotiations.
As investigations into the Paris terror attacks are ramping up, France announced that the UN Climate Summit will be restricted to core negotiations.
Other activities, included approved marches, protests and side-events will be cancelled. The announcement came from the French Prime Minister, Mr. Manuel Valls on Monday. The Paris terror attacks on Friday, November 13th left 129 people dead and injured hundreds of others.
Against this background it is only sensible that security measures are beefed up and that large organized groups are avoided for the moment.
The UN Climate Summit is set to begin on November 30th and last through December 11th. The most anticipated climate-related event of the year is now shadowed by a wave of fear and terror. Nonetheless, French officials have stated that no leaders of the world participating at the UN Climate Summit requested the event to be postponed.
Thus, France announced that the UN Climate Summit will be restricted to core negotiations. Side-events as well as protests and demonstrations will not take place. French authorities wish to avoid the opportunity of another terror attack. Cancelling or postponing the events in Paris would be regarded as an abdication to terrorists. Saving lives on the other hand is more important.
The UN Climate Summit is anxiously awaited. The level of expectations invested in this year’s summit is comparable only to a few other moments since the Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC have been on the roll. The highest expectation is that this year will mark the drafting a legally binding global agreement that would set the world on track for significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and climate change mitigation.
Protests and demonstrations planned for the eve of the UN Climate Summit meant to gather a large number of people estimated at over 200,000 to put pressure on world governments to finally reach an accord. Now, environmentalist groups stated that they will respect the ban imposed by French authorities.
Concerts, exhibitions and other festivities related to the UN Climate Summit have also been cancelled in the wake of the Paris terror attacks. World leaders and officials of environmentalist groups have declared that while horrifying, the Paris terror attacks bear no substance over the content of climate negotiations. Thus, there is no reason to succumb to fear and postpone the summit.
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