Thousands sent home from packed summit

By Khanyisa Tabata
16 December 2009


The United Nations is to send home thousands of non-governmental organization delegates from around the world as the venue of the climate change conference is now packed to capacity.

In a statement read out to an estimated 50 000 people, who had lined the area around Beller Center outside Copenhagen on Monday, the UN Climate Secretariat said, due to high demands and security concerns, it had no choice but to advise some people not to continue to stand in the more than a kilometer long queue.

Not even journalists were given an exception and a handful of registered media houses were given their access cards only around 6pm last night following persistent calls to the UN Press Office.

As an official broke the news some screamed and tried to break through the barricades but a strong police presence ensured that the angry crowd was kept at bay.

The people, who some came from as far afield as Mexico, stood in the queue despite the chilly and snowy weather. Meanwhile, security was stepped up in and around the city ahead of the arrival of about 100 heads of state and government on Thursday.

President Jacob Zuma is among the leaders who will meet in a closed session to deliberate a possible climate deal out of the discussions that have been taking place since last week.

Earlier on Monday, developing nations led by an African block stormed out of the conference room and plenary had to be briefly suspended.

It is understood that the group complained, amongst other things, of a lack of commitment to ambitious targets by developed nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.