Ban Ki-moon, Hollande, urge Commonwealth countries to support Paris climate conference

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and French President Francois Hollande called Friday on the leaders of 53 member countries of the Commonwealth to take actions against climate change.

It is mankind's duty to reach an "ambitious" accord at Paris climate conference later this month, Hollande said at the Commonwealth summit, calling on Commonwealth countries to back a UN climate deal at the upcoming Paris talks.

Hollande, as president of the country hosting the climate conference in Paris on Nov. 30-Dec. 11, was invited to the Commonwealth talks. It is the first time for a French head of state to take part in a Commonwealth meeting.

"Man is man's worst enemy. We have seen this with terrorism and we have seen it also with climate change," Hollande said, adding that he insisted on attending the summit to press for a climate agreement in spite of the "terrible incidents in Paris."

Ban, who was also present at the summit, said the mechanism to monitor and review climate change has been supported by most UN member states.

"I think we have a good mechanism to make sure that once this agreement is made in Paris, it will be implemented fully with confidence and trust," Ban said. "Let us agree on a universal, legally binding, ambitious climate change agreement by 2015."

Commonwealth leaders have agreed to set up a climate change hub, which will facilitate access to funds for small states, according to Commonwealth secretary-general Kamalesh Sharma. Endi