The decision made by the US government of not ratifying the Kyoto Protocol constitutes an open contempt for the common will of the international community, Deputy Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations Shen Guofang said Thursday.
"Such act is absolutely irresponsible, we are firmly opposed to it," Shen told the Ninth Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development.
He said that the protection of the atmosphere and a relatively stable climate bear on the survival and well-being of mankind, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol represent the fundamental consensus in dealing with global climate change.
"Unfortunately, the American government formally announced that the US would not ratify the Kyoto Protocol. Such act is absolutely irresponsible," he stressed.
Noting that the protection of the atmosphere requires sincere cooperation of all countries, he noted the US act severely frustrates all the efforts by the international community over the past decade and more in dealing with climate change.
"We are ready to work with the international community to promote the entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol," he concluded.
The ongoing session, scheduled for April 16-27, is focused on the issues of energy, atmosphere, transport, information for decision-making and participation, as well as international cooperation for an enabling environment.
Established in 1993 as a subsidiary body of the UN Economic and Social Council, the Commission is charged with monitoring the implementation of Agenda 21, the action program adopted at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992.
(Xinhua 04/20/2001)
