UN convenes largest-ever summit on climate change

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations convened on Tuesday the Summit on Climate Change, with the largest-ever gathering of world leaders at UN Headquarters in New York to discuss possible actions to tackle the global challenge.

Chinese President Hu Jintao addresses the opening ceremony of the United Nations Climate Change Summit at the UN headquarters in New York Sept. 22, 2009.(Xinhua/Shen Hong)

Nearly 100 heads of state and government were at the summit, the aim of which is to mobilize the political will and generate the momentum needed to reach an ambitious agreement at the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen in December.

The agreement is set to go into effect in 2012, when the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol expires.

In remarks to the opening session held at the UN General Assembly Hall, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged world leaders to provide the support and guidance for climate negotiations which are proceeding at "glacial speed."

"Your negotiators need your direct political support and guidance to resolve core issues ... to accelerate the pace of negotiations ... and to strengthen the ambition of what is on offer," Ban said.