Ban Ki-moon welcomes UN initiative to rid Syria of chemical weapons

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United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday said the UN passing a resolution to rid Syria of its chemical weapons was "a hopeful sign."

Speaking on the sidelines of the World Water Summit, Ban said that following previous failed efforts in Syria, it would now perhaps be possible to afford greater protection to the civilian population and respect human rights.

The secretary-general went on to address the importance of water in poverty reduction, the environment, climate change and sustainable development. He announced that the UN would be holding a conference on climate change in New York next September and called for highest level representation.

Hungarian President Janos Ader, citing a recently-published UN report on climate change, warned that by the end of the century sea levels would rise by half to one meter and that all Arctic ice would be melted by mid-century unless urgent measures were taken.

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