UN countries divided over the role of the Security Council's climate

Nauru is one of several Member States small Pacific island threatened by sea level rise. Its President, Marcus Stephen, asked for the appointment of a United Nations Special Envoy for climate change and security. Photography: Torsten Blackwood/AFP/Getty Images

Western Nations clashed with Russia and the developing countries on Wednesday about whether climate change was a security matter deserving of attention of the Security Council, the most powerful organ of the UN.

Diplomats said Russia initially blocked the adoption of a Declaration on the question of the Council of 15 countries, but later agreed to a revised text, weakly worded that talked about "possible security implications of climate change. He also failed to take forward the EU idea of a peacekeeping force of climate "Green Helmets".

The dispute came as the Council formally discussed the environment for the first time in four years and dire warnings followed by a top UN official that global warming was accelerating, with unforeseeable consequences.

In the debate called by Germany, President of the Council this month, Western speakers said increasing aridity caused by climate change had contributed to conflict in the Darfur region in Sudan and Somalia, where the United Nations said famine had hit two areas.

Ambassador of the United States, that Susan Rice said Washington strongly believed the Council "has an essential responsibility for dealing with peace and security implications of climate change" and should "start now".

Speaking while negotiations on the Declaration were still blocked, rice charged that the message of the silence of the Council to countries threatened by climate change induced disasters would be "in force, ' Tough luck '".

"This is most disappointing. It is pathetic. It is short-sighted and frankly is a dereliction of duty ".

But the Russian envoy Alexander Pankin said that Moscow was "skeptical" about attempts to put the implications of climate change on the agenda of the Council, which is set to deal with threats to international peace and security.

"We believe that engaging the Security Council on a regular review the issue of climate change will not bring any added value and will only lead to greater politicization of this issue and major disagreements between the countries," he said.

Western diplomats said Russia's statement reflects the long-standing concerns about the Security Council agenda "creep."

Temporary Council members India and Brazil also said that he had doubts whether the body should be involved. Indian Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri, said the Council "did not have the means to resolve the situation."

Developing countries criticized against what they said was an attempt of the Club of great power of muscle in specifically on the territory of the General Assembly 193-nation and United Nations agencies dedicated to climate change.

But President Marcus Stephen of Nauru, one of several Member States small Pacific island threatened by rising sea levels blamed on climate change, asked the Council to request for the appointment of a United Nations Special Envoy for climate change and security.

The statement did not finally agreed to that proposal, but expressed "concern about possible adverse effects of long-term climate change may worsen certain existing threats to international peace and security".

He also asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to include information about climate change impacts in its regular reports on the world's troublespots.

Western diplomats said that the fact that any statement was agreed was a breakthrough on the last Council debate on the issue in 2007. "This was a good day today for climate security," German Ambassador Peter Wittig told reporters.

Previously, Achim Steiner, head of the environment program of the UN, said climate change was advancing faster than the attempts to contain through slow negotiations conducted by UN targets of greenhouse gas emissions and other measures.

He cited projections that some parts of the world would see 3-4° C temperature rises this century while negotiators seek to set a goal of 2 C; sea level could rise by 3 feet (1 meter) of this century. and that natural disasters could increase exponentially ".

Steiner "the world is faced with a scenario of global warming which is already far beyond what we believe may be able to manage these changes and trends as we will be able to conclude the negotiations," the Council said.

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