UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations believes that Chilean President Sebastian Pinera will remain the head of the climate change conference COP25 scheduled for December despite his nation bowing out of the host's role, a UN spokesman said on Wednesday.
Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said Pinera telephoned Guterres earlier in the day to tell him that Chile, beleaguered by nearly two weeks of deadly anti-government demonstrations, would be unable to host the COP25 on Dec. 2-13 in its capital Santiago.
"He (Guterres) was informed first-hand about the reasoning that they cannot provide the venue," Haq told correspondents at a regular briefing.
"The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is now trying to see what alternative arrangements can be made at this time," he said.
Patricia Espinosa, executive secretary of the UNFCCC based in Bonn, Germany, said in a statement that she was informed of the "decision by the government of Chile not to host COP25 in view of the difficult situation that the country is undergoing."
Haq said the host and the venue do not have to be in the same location.
There has been speculation that the conference might be held at the UN headquarters in New York. However, Haq refused to speculate.
"The UNFCCC will be in dialogue to see what the best arrangements can be," he said.
Pinera announced earlier on Wednesday that his country would also cancel the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in mid-November, citing the need to focus on the social crisis in the country.
At least 20 deaths have been reported in the nearly two weeks of demonstrations in Chile, which started over a subway fare hike.
