“We risk consigning future generations to catastrophe,” said Obama. “To promote renewable energy projects and technologies in the developing world…we have put climate change at the top of our diplomatic agenda.”

The American president spoke mostly in generalities, but his message was received warmly by delegates in the General Assembly Hall. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon exhorted the international community to take “urgent action…the climate negotiations are too slow.”

“We can contribute to the greater good by limiting the global temperature rise to safe levels,” said Ban.

Expectations were high ahead of Chinese President Hu Jintao’s speech at the United Nations summit on climate control. His speech introduced four new proposals, but the proposals lacked details on when and how China is going to implement them.

President Hu emphasized the importance of climate change and said that achieving sustainable development is an urgent matter for China, adding that his country will do its best to develop renewable and nuclear energy. He promised emissions would grow slower than economic growth in the future.

“We will endeavor to cut carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by a notable margin by 2020 from the 2005 level,” he added, and charged developing countries with supporting the world in tackling climate change.

“This is not only their responsibility, but also serves their long-term interest.”

But President Hu would not commit China to a specific target in reducing emissions.

Watch: Shao Zheng of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs discusses the Chinese president’s speech.

French President Nicholas Sarkozy delivered the most impassioned address in support of immediate legislation on climate change. The French leader also mentioned specific targets for 80 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by developed countries before 2050. The policy idea most strongly emphasized by Sarkozy was the transfer of financing and technology from the developed nations to underdeveloped nations. France is one of the countries most ready to implement actual legislation that would result in such a transfer of green energy in the near future.

While there will no doubt be a lag between the inspired speeches and political reality, the chorus of global leaders seemed to be speaking in unusual harmony.

“The journey is long. The journey is hard,” concluded Obama. “If we resolve to work tirelessly in common effort, then we will achieve our common purpose: A world that is safer, cleaner, and healthier than the one we found; and a future that is worthy of our children.”

- Mohammad al-Kassim and Ben Piven

Israeli Consul General Asaf Shariv speaks with Martin Savidge about the extent of Israel’s intentions in this ground offensive.

Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies continues the conversation with a description of the situation in Gaza. Cordesman gives his evaluation of Israel’s strategy and considers the possibilities for avoiding prolonged military occupation of the region.

On the diplomatic front, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni met with French leaders in Paris for talks on the crisis. French President Nicolas Sarkozy is scheduled to travel to the region next week, part of mounting international pressure to bring an end to the violence, which has generated protest around the world. 

Israel says it will not consider a truce without international monitors and that it is prepared to launch a ground invasion in Gaza. 

Robert Pastor, a professor at American University and senior advisor to the Carter Center on conflict resolution in the Middle East, joins Martin Savidge to discuss his recent meeting with Israeli and Hamas leaders, prospects for a new truce before an Israeli ground assault begins and potential options for U.S. President-elect Obama and Secretary of State-designate Clinton.

The cancellation stems from Chinese anger about French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s decision to meet next week with Tibet’s exiled leader, the Dalai Lama.

For its part, Tibet’s government-in-exile has been debating its approach to dealing with China and has agreed to stop sending representatives to negotiate with the Chinese.

Robert Barnett, a professor of modern Tibetan studies at Columbia University, joins Martin Savidge to discuss China’s attitude toward Tibetan autonomy, Tibetan support for the Dalai Lama and China’s public image. They also discuss the U.S. position on Tibet.

About 10 percent of France’s population has African or Arab roots. Many speak of racism and discrimination — including derogatory name-calling from President Nicolas Sarkozy himself.

Today, the divide persists, as evidenced by further clashes between youth and police earlier this year.

Worldfocus correspondent Martin Seemungal travels to the town of Epinay, the site of violent riots three years ago, where tensions between the Arab and French populations still remain.

Below, bloggers from France and elsewhere discuss the riots and their roots.

In 2005, blogger Doug Ireland explored the historical and social roots of the riots.

Three years later, the “Johhny Come Latelies” blog writes that nothing has changed and the government’s promises are empty.

“Lauren’s Blog” says that the French media has virtually ignored the causes of the riots, comparing the lack of minorities in French news coverage to U.S. coverage of Hurricane Katrina.

The “BondyBlog” (in French) writes about social issues in the poor French suburb of Bondy, a site of past riots. See Google’s English translation, including a post about the identity crisis of French suburbs on the anniversary of the riots.

The blog’s founder, Frenchman Mohamed Hamidi, has been highly critical of Nicolas Sarkozy.

This year, the U.S. State Department began recruiting international visitors from poor French suburbs in an attempt to quell anti-American sentiment abroad.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy stands with other European leaders at a press conference about the global economy in January 2008.

Nicolas Sarkozy is one of many world leaders who will play a role at the G20 summit on the global financial crisis this weekend. The French president has called for a more internationally coordinated response to the crisis.

Patrice de Beer is a former London and Washington correspondent for Le Monde and writes at OpenDemocracy about Sarkozy’s desire to play a larger role on the world stage. He argues that the French leader is bound to discover that all politics is local.

Nicolas Sarkozy: world leader, local problem

France’s president is a man who relishes crises. As he hops from one to another, from the Russian invasion of Georgia to the financial hurricane, Nicolas Sarkozy thrives in the self-image of “crisis-manager-in-chief” - and strives to make others perceive the halo. It helps that he can - at least until the last day of 2008 - include the “presidency” of the European Union in his portfolio.

The characteristic image of “Sarko” is of a figure popping up, rushing onto or off his plane, seizing an initiative or propelling himself to the frontline and frontpage. There is hardly a European or global issue where the president does not want to interpolate himself (and if it is just too intractable or time-consuming - as in the Democratic Republic of Congo - he can deploy his foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner). And indeed, the bigger the issue the larger the claim. It is no wonder that Sarko now presents himself as a great friend of president-elect Barack Obama, drawing on the capital he gained when he hosted the United States’s next leader at the Elysée palace during the election campaign (while disdaining to find time to welcome Obama’s Republican rival, John McCain).

To achieve this pre-eminence and sustain the profile that accompanies it, he is shameless in borrowing ideas from other leaders (such as Britain’s prime minister Gordon Brown on financial reforms), overshadowing once-friendly rivals (such as Germany and its chancellor Angela Merkel), or pushing himself into the limelight (such as claiming credit for convincing Moscow to sign a ceasefire with Georgia, and Washington over the convening of the G20 summit on 15 November 2008).

[...]But if Nicolas Sarkozy knocks repeatedly at the world’s door, his restlessness extends too to an impatient desire to find urgent solutions (and often merely populist non-solutions) to the many domestic concerns that have come under his voracious inspection. Among the near-limitless reform agenda, the very institutional map of France itself has been redrawn several times even since May 2007. The national structures of the judiciary, military, universities and health services have been shaken to the core - in part to revamp overlapping and often obsolete networks, but also in part to save money in a country Sarkozy himself has called “broke”.

To read more, see the original post.

The views expressed by contributing bloggers do not reflect the views of Worldfocus or its partners.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user Foreign and Commonwealth Office under a Creative Commons license.

A bombed boat in Berbera.

Sea piracy has doubled in the last six years, costing the maritime industry more than $16 billion each year.

Somali pirates have attacked more than 30 ships this year in the Gulf of Aden, making piracy a serious concern in the Horn of Africa. The U.S. Navy and its allies have thwarted some attacks.

“The Duck of Minerva” blog calls for targeted efforts in pirate hot spots (also off the coasts Nigeria and in South Asia). The blog also suggests that Western countries recognize the semi-autonomous Somaliland as a legitimate political entity in order to enforce laws within the region.

Blogger “TFS Magnum” is skeptical of the U.N.’s ability to deal with piracy.

“The Maritime” blog examines possible solutions to piracy and the difficult choice companies face in deciding to pay employee ransom or refusing to pay in order to deter future attacks.

After two French hostages were rescued from Somali pirates, French President Nicolas Sarkozy called for an international effort to combat pirates.

RAND recently released a report stating that piracy and terrorism remain essentially separate issues, with the goals of each being financial and political, respectively.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user friendly-fire under a Creative Commons license.