UN chief praises Brazil on climate change policies
BRASILIA (AFP) — UN chief Ban Ki-moon praised Brazil's commitment to fighting climate change and poverty Monday in a meeting with President President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva he qualified as "very good".
The talks in the capital Brasilia were part of Ban's one-week tour of South America and to Antarctica to see the effects of global warming firsthand, and the response by governments in the region.
The UN secretary general, who has declared the issue one of his top priorities, spoke to Lula of his trip to Antarctica last Friday, during which he inspected the melting polar cap.
He also described his visit to a Brazilian ethanol plant upon arrival Saturday. The factory converts surgarcane into a biofuel for use in cars in Brazil.
Ban said he has plans to see the Amazon River basin on Tuesday, where he was scheduled to visit an indigenous village.
"President Lula expressed to me his strong support for the international community working together to address global warming issues," Ban told reporters after the meeting, before catching a flight to the Amazon.
He said the Brazilian leader had assured him that the country's food supplies will not be disrupted by the increased cultivation of crops for biofuels, and that the Amazon rainforest will be preserved.
Those issues appeared to have been raised in relation to a warning last month from a UN special rapporteur on the Right to Food, Jean Ziegler, who called the rush to biofuels a "disaster."
"I know that research and development on biofuels is surrounded by some controversies, even criticisms on the impact on food security," Ban said.
"Biofuels hold great promise in our common efforts to develop renewable and alternate sources of energy while we are addressing global warming issues. At the same time, I would hope that the international community should have some broad discussions on this issue," he said.
Ban's trip to South America and the Antarctic was preparation for his hosting a December summit in Bali which is aimed at getting the international community to agree on a new climate change treaty after the existing Kyoto agreement expires in 2012.
As well as the environmental issues, Ban said he spoke to Lula of progress in reducing poverty through the UN's Millennium Goal targets.
He also commended Brazil for its active participation in UN peacekeeping duties, notably in Haiti where 1,400 soldiers are deployed.
Finally, Ban said he had asked Lula to increase Brazil's contribution to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, which has been set up to provide urgent funding in the wake of disasters.
"I told him that, as we have been experiencing natural disasters on an unexpectedly big scale these days, that the United Nations needs to have these resources and funds.
"I asked for more contributions from the Brazilian Government, and I'm sure the Brazilian government will participate more," Ban said.
