CRI听力:UN Chief speaks highly of ratification of Paris Agreement on Climate Change by China and U.S.

Ban Ki-moon says he's very pleased to have both China and the United States officially become signatories to the Paris Climate Change Agreement.

"The leaders of China and the United States officially joined the Paris Agreement on Climate Change by depositing the legal instruments with me yesterday (September 3). I was very honor to receive those legal instruments from two leaders in person and I highly commend the outstanding leadership demonstrated by President Xi Jinping of China and President Barack Obama of the United States."

With China and the U.S. signing on to the Paris accord, there are now 26 parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, accounting for 39 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

The Paris deal can only legally enter into force after at least 55 countries accounting for at least 55-percent of global greenhouse gas emissions sign-on.

As such, the UN chief is calling out other world leaders, saying they need to speed up their domestic ratification processes.

Meanwhile, Ban Ki-moon has also taken time to laud China's contribution to setting up action plans for the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

"The G20 action agenda, action plan on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is one of the key outcomes of this summit meeting in Hangzhou. G20 countries have a key role in promoting stable, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, implementing the sustainable development agenda, and supporting the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change."

The UN chief is also describing the move by China to invite representatives from the world's developing nations to the G20 as "far-reaching and visionary and compassionate".

"After all, this SDG, Sustainable Development Goals, is aiming to leave no-one behind. The Millennium Development Goals were more or less intended to promote social economic development and eradicate poverty of developing worlds. I think we have made great achievements through this MDG, but not enough, we are now talking about the overall sustainable development where nobody among 7 billion people on this earth will be left behind."

Leaders from 5 developing nations, three of which represent larger, regional-blocs, are attending this year's summit.

As for Ban Ki-moon, this will be his last G20 Summit as the UN's Secretary-General.

He's due to conclude his 2nd, 5-year term as the UN's chief at the end of this year.

For CRI, I'm Xie Cheng.