Britain urges int'l deal on climate change in Copenhagen

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Wednesday called on the world to reach an agreement on climate change in the forthcoming UN conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Addressing the general debate of the UN General Assembly at UN Headquarters in New York, Brown emphasized the importance of reaching a post-2012 agreement on climate change at the conference in Copenhagen.

"Each of us has a duty of leadership to make it happen. We must build on our discussions at Secretary-General Ban's meeting here this week," Brown said, referring to Tuesday's UN summit on climate change which saw the attendance of nearly 100 heads of state and government.

The summit was convened by UN chief Ban Ki-moon with an aim to mobilize the political will and generate the momentum needed to reach an ambitious agreement in Copenhagen in December.

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

"And I have said I will go to Copenhagen to conclude the deal. This is too important an agreement -- for the global economy, and for the future of every nation represented here -- to leave to our official negotiators," Brown said.

"So I urge my fellow leaders to commit themselves to going to Copenhagen too," he said.