UN says climate change threatens world security

But the 15-member council apparently failed to agree on whether climate change itself was a direct threat to international peace and security, even after a rebuke by the United States which described the lack of consensus as "pathetic."

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon yesterday urged concerted action and called on developed countries to lead the charge in mitigating effects of climate change, while encouraging the developing world to do its fair share.

"Extreme weather events continue to grow more frequent and intense in rich and poor countries alike, not only devastating lives, but also infrastructure, institutions, and budgets -- an unholy brew which can create dangerous security vacuums," Ban told a Security Council debate on the issue.

Climate change, he said, "not only exacerbates threats to international peace and security; it is a threat to international peace and security."

The Security Council issued a presidential statement in which it "expresses concern that possible adverse effects of climate change may, in the long run, aggravate certain existing threats to international peace and security."

But it stopped short of calling climate change a threat in itself, despite pleas to do so by Pacific small island developing states.