• Copenhagen climate talks partly suspended on Monday noon after African-led protests
By Marianne Bom
COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Dec. 14, 2009 -- The main session of the UN climate talks in Copenhagen was suspended Monday just before noon, following protests led by African countries, Reuters reports. The African countries accused developed countries of trying to wreck the existing Kyoto Protocol.
"This is a walk-out over process and form, not a walkout over substance, and that's regrettable," Australian Climate Change Minister Penny Wong said about the action to Reuters.
At a press briefing Monday noon, UN's climate chief Yvo de Boer said the Presidency of the conference would have informal talks with the negotiating parties in the early afternoon and that the talks would focus on the continuation of the Kyoto Protocol.
"The vast majority [of countries] want to see a continuation of the Kyoto Protocol," Yvo de Boer said. "This is not just an African concern."
Asked whether he had heard of any countries indicating that they might boycott the conference, Yvo de Boer answered:
"I am not aware of any country threatening to block anything."
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