UN confirms DPRK participation in Paris climate accord signing ceremony

UNITED NATIONS -- Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong will participate in the Paris climate agreement signing ceremony to be held later this month at the UN headquarters in New York, the UN Spokesperson's Office said Monday.

However, a reported meeting between UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the foreign minister on the sidelines of the ceremony cannot be confirmed, the office said in a note.

More than 130 countries have confirmed that they will sign the Paris Agreement at the ceremony on April 22, the first day that the agreement will be open for signature, according to the UN.

Adopted by the 196 parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Paris Agreement sets a target of keeping the global average rise in temperature below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and preferably below 1.5 degrees.

On the basis of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, developed countries agreed to raise 100 billion US dollars a year by 2020 to help developing countries transform their economies.