The United Nations (UN) discourages any efforts to retreat from commitments to addressing climate change, a UN spokesman said at a press briefing at the UN headquarters in New York on Friday.
In response to a media query regarding the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement for the second time, which is set to take effect on Tuesday, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, stressed the need for concerted efforts to cope with global climate challenges.
"It's important for us that all countries abide by their obligations to deal with climate change. It's a critical problem, and what is needed is collective action. So, we want to discourage any efforts to retreat from those commitments," he said.
The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty adopted at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France, on Dec 12, 2015. It's a landmark in the multilateral climate change process.
Donald Trump's first tenure as the president of the United States began on January 20, 2017. His administration officially let the United States exit the Paris Agreement in November 2020, dealing a major blow to international efforts to combat the climate crisis and drawing widespread criticism in the international community.
Joe Biden, who succeeded Trump in January 2021, signed an executive order after taking office to bring his country back into the accord.
However, Trump signed an executive order to withdraw from the Paris climate accord for the second time on his first day back in the White House in January 2025.
The United Nations confirmed on January 28, 2025 that it had received the official notification from Washington of the withdrawal, adding it will take effect on January 27, 2026.
UN discourages any efforts to retreat from climate commitments: spokesman
UN discourages any efforts to retreat from climate commitments: spokesman
