CHOGM lays groundwork for Copenhagen
Updated
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's climate change policies may be locked in uncertainty, but overseas, he's intensifying his efforts to strike a global deal at next week's Copenhagen conference.
Commonwealth leaders have wrapped up their biennial summit in the Caribbean, claiming to have re-energised climate change negotiations. Mr Rudd, who played a lead role, is flying to the White House for more talks with the US President on the issue. He's also welcomed the decision to hold the next Commonwealth summit in Australia.
Presenter: Hayden Cooper
Speakers: Kevin Rudd, Australian Prime Minister; Brian Lara, former West Indian cricketer; Kamalesh Sharma, Commonwealth Secretary-General
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HAYDEN COOPER: On the lush lawns of the Australian High Commission in Port of Spain, the Prime Minister started his final day at the Commonwealth leaders meeting by honouring a well-known West Indian.
ANNOUNCER: Prime Minister, I present to you, Brian Charles Lara.
HAYDEN COOPER: If there is one thing Australia and Trinidad have in common it is a love of cricket and respect for the former West Indian batsman, Brian Lara.
KEVIN RUDD: Congratulations Brian, on being awarded an honorary Order of Australia.
(Applause)
BRIAN LARA: Mr Prime Minister, I would like you to please tell your people in Australia that I will be wearing this with distinction, that the people of Trinidad and Tobago, my family and myself are truly proud that this has been bestowed upon me today.
HAYDEN COOPER: Kevin Rudd is now on his way to Washington after what he calls a very successful Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. He is most satisfied about the Port of Spain Declaration on climate change.
KEVIN RUDD: We have built real momentum towards a better outcome at the Copenhagen conference on climate change and hopefully a robust outcome in a Copenhagen agreement itself.
HAYDEN COOPER: At the closing press conference, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Kamalesh Sharma agreed.
KAMALESH SHARMA: There is heavy traffic on the road to Copenhagen. The good news is that it is converging and hopefully moving purposely into a single lane.
HAYDEN COOPER: But for most of this weekend, Kevin Rudd has been locked in talks on the summit sidelines.
He met the leaders of Great Britain, Canada, India, South Africa, the UN and Denmark but his talks with Sri Lanka proved the hardest. Many Commonwealth leaders had concerns about Sri Lanka hosting the next meeting in 2011 due to the country's human rights record. Behind the scenes, the Prime Minister was heavily involved in pushing Sri Lanka to abandon its plans so Australia would host instead. The push succeeded.
KEVIN RUDD: It is therefore with a high degree of honour that Australia has accepted the role of hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Australia in 2011.
