South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Tuesday proposed setting up a new mechanism under the United Nations (UN) to monitor greenhouse gas emissions by developing countries, South Korea's media reported on Wednesday.

While addressing the UN climate summit in New York, the president called for the establishment of a "registry" of Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) of developing countries at the United Nations, to encourage these countries to join the international efforts to combat global warming. Under the system, developing countries will set their own voluntary targets for emission cuts.

Under the currently UN climate system, many meaningful mitigating actions already taken by developing countries are not recognized worldwide as climate action, but under the new initiative, such actions can be recognized once they are registered, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said.

The proposed system could also facilitate support provided by developed countries by keeping track of the actions, it said.

The proposal is aimed at mediating sharp differences between developing and developed countries on a future climate change treaty, Cheong Wa Dae said.

At an upcoming conference in Denmark's Copenhagen in December, countries are aiming to wrap up negotiations on an ambitious new agreement to curb greenhouse gas emissions that would go into effect in 2012 when the Kyoto Protocol's first commitment period expires.

The president also urged industrialized countries to recognize their historical responsibility for climate change, saying that they should take more effective actions to cut greenhouse emissions, and offer more help to developing countries.

Lee also said South Korea was trying to do its part to fight against global warming, and it will announce its greenhouse gas emissions cut goal by the end of this year, though Seoul is not bound by the Kyoto Treaty to do so.

Lee arrived in New York on Sunday on a six-day US trip, during which he will attend the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) in New York and the Group of 20 (G20) financial summit in Pittsburgh.

(Xinhua News Agency September 23, 2009)