International negotiators in Paris missed their self-imposed Friday deadline to come to a final accord to fight climate change.
After nearly two weeks of talks, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told reporters Friday that negotiators still cannot agree on how far the agreement should reach and how to resolve disputes over payments for the loss and damage previously caused by climate change, according to The Associated Press.
{mosads}“There are still outstanding issues,” Ban said, adding that he is “convinced and confident” that negotiators will reach an “ambitious, strong accord.”
He pushed negotiators to compromise and to consider what is needed for the world as a whole, not necessarily the individual needs of the 190 countries represented.
“I am urging and appealing to all the state parties to take the final decision for humanity,” he said.
Negotiators and countries’ foreign ministers worked through Thursday night and came to an agreement on multiple major issues, but some big ones remain outstanding.
“There was a lot of progress made last night, a long night, but still a couple of very difficult issues that we’re working on,” Secretary of State John Kerry said.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said he is expecting the final agreement text to be released Saturday morning and for it to be adopted Saturday afternoon.
“We are almost at the end of the road,” he said.