{"id":8509,"date":"2021-01-20T21:02:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-20T12:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/?p=8509"},"modified":"2025-01-05T21:05:18","modified_gmt":"2025-01-05T12:05:18","slug":"un-chief-welcomes-the-us-move-to-re-enter-the-paris-accord-as-biden-and-harris-are-sworn-in-as-new-leaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/sdgs-2\/un-chief-welcomes-the-us-move-to-re-enter-the-paris-accord-as-biden-and-harris-are-sworn-in-as-new-leaders\/","title":{"rendered":"UN Chief Welcomes the US Move to Re-Enter the Paris Accord as Biden and Harris Are Sworn in as New Leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By J Nastranis<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NEW YORK (IDN) \u2013 United Nations Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres has warmly welcomed President Joe Biden\u2019s \u201csteps to re-enter the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and join the growing coalition of governments, cities, states, businesses and people taking ambitious action to confront the climate crisis\u201d. Biden signed an executive order accepting the Paris accord \u201cand every article and clause thereof on behalf of the United States of America\u201d on January 20 after he and Vice President Kamal Harris were sworn in as America\u2019s new leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guterres said in a statement: \u201cFollowing last year\u2019s Climate Ambition Summit, countries producing half of the global carbon pollution had committed to carbon neutrality. Today\u2019s commitment by President Biden brings that figure to two-thirds. But there is a very long way to go. The climate crisis continues to worsen, and time is running out to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius and build more climate-resilient societies that help to protect the most vulnerable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The UN Chief added that he looks forward to the U.S. leadership \u201cin accelerating global efforts towards net zero, including by bringing forward a new nationally determined contribution with ambitious 2030 targets and climate finance\u201d in advance of COP26 in Glasgow later this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guterres expressed commitment to \u201cworking closely with President Biden and other leaders to overcome the climate emergency and recover better from COVID19\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his inaugural speech, President Biden called for a moment of silent prayer for the 400,000 U.S. lives lost to COVID-19 and their families. \u201cWe can right wrongs, work in good jobs, teach our children in safe schools, overcome the deadly COVID-19 virus and rebuild the middle class and make health care secure for all,\u201d he told attendees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biden said: \u201cThis is America\u2019s day. This is democracy day, a day of history and hope, of renewal and resolve. Democracy is precious and fragile.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The American story depends on all citizens and \u201cwe the people who seek a more perfect union,\u201d he said, adding \u201cbecause we still have far to go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe will press forward with speed and urgency,\u201d Biden said. He added that there is much to repair and restore in the nation, much to build and much to gain in these challenging times because of the pandemic, social and racial unrest, unemployment and a fragile economy.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He denounced extremism, domestic terrorism and white supremacy as he stood on the Capitol\u2019s west balcony, which was stormed by a violent mob two weeks ago. \u201cWe must confront \u2014 and we will defeat \u2014 these challenges to restore the soul and security of America,\u201d Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He asked every American to join him in the cause of unifying the United States. \u201cI ask every American to join me in this cause. Uniting to fight the common foes we face: anger, resentment, hatred, extremism, lawlessness, violence, disease, joblessness, hopelessness. With unity, we can do great things, important things,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Americans can see each other not as adversaries, but as neighbors. We can treat each other with dignity and respect and join forces to stop the shouting and lower the temperature, Biden said, adding that, otherwise, there is no peace or progress for our nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biden said Americans must end the \u201cuncivil war.\u201d He said that can be done by opening our souls and leading by example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf we do that, I guarantee we will not fail. We have never ever, ever, ever failed in America. We\u2019ve acted together. And so today, at this time, in this place, let\u2019s start afresh \u2014 all of us. Listen to one another again. Show respect to one another. [Politics] doesn\u2019t have to be a raging fire,\u201d the new president said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every disagreement doesn\u2019t have to be a cause for total war, he added. \u201cWe must reject the culture in which facts themselves are manipulated and even manufactured. Americans, we have to be different than this. America has to be better than this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biden said he will be a president for all people \u2014 not just for those who voted for him. He promised to fight as hard for the people who didn\u2019t vote for him. \u201cEvery hour as we move forward, measure me and my heart,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you still disagree, so be it. That\u2019s democracy. That\u2019s America.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the finest objects Americans love? he asked. \u201cI think we know \u2014 opportunity, security, liberty, dignity, respect, honor, and, yes, the truth \u2026 We can do this if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTogether, we will write an American story of hope, and not fear of unity, and not division of light or darkness. It will be a story of decency and dignity, love and healing [and] greatness and goodness,\u201d Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biden, Harris and the three former presidents left the U.S. Capitol following the inauguration and traveled to Arlington National Cemetery. After a lone bugler played \u201cTaps,\u201d the president and vice president lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three former Presidents \u2013 Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama \u2013 attended the inauguration. But former President Jimmy Carter could not attend. Biden said he had spoken by phone to the 96-year-old Carter. Donald Trump did not attend but outgoing Vice President Mike Pence did. [INPS Japan\/ IDN-InDepthNews \u2013 20 January 2021]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo: Collage of images from the White House.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By J Nastranis NEW YORK (IDN) \u2013 United Nations Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres has warmly welcomed President Joe Biden\u2019s \u201csteps to re-enter the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and join the growing coalition of governments, cities, states, businesses and people taking ambitious action to confront the climate crisis\u201d. Biden signed an executive order accepting the Paris […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8510,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,53,16,39,93,32,3,22],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8509","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment-resources-energ","8":"category-goal13","9":"category-news","10":"category-north-america","11":"category-politics","12":"category-regions","13":"category-sdgs-2","14":"category-un-civil-society"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8509","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8509"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8509\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8511,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8509\/revisions\/8511"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8510"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8509"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8509"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inpsjapan.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8509"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}