Port of Spain, Trinidad, Friday, November 27th 2009_United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has praised Grenada’s Prime Minister, Hon Tillman Thomas as “a man of integrity” for his “strong” leadership of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) on the issue of climate change. The Secretary General urged Prime Minister Thomas to “continue to speak out and let your voice be heard”, during a meeting with the Grenada delegation to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit on Saturday at the Hyatt Hotel in Port of Spain, Trinidad. He agreed with Prime Minister Thomas on the need for a “positive outcome” when world leaders meet in Copenhagen in December. “We are also pressing world leaders to come to the summit,” he said, noting his discussions with the United States Senate and the Obama Administration, which has announced its own plan to reduce greenhouse gas emmissions and to strengthen its fight against global warming. “We are not compromising on principles. This will be given the highest priority and we are seeing growing convergence on the issue,” the UN Official said as the Grenadian leader emphasised the urgency for an agreement that provides financing for mitigation and adaptation on climate change for Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Prime Minister Thomas welcomed the support of Mr. Ban Ki Moon and pledged to keep the momentum for a “positive outcome“ in Denmark. “I am optimistic that there will be an agreement at Copenhagen. We have worked hard to get where we are and I believe some countries, which did not take it seriously in the past are now seeing that it’s a matter of survival for us. One of the critical issues that will confront us is the level of financing available to us to meet the challenges of climate change and how it will be managed,” The Prime Minister said. Grenada and AOSIS have already suggested that a new approach is needed to manage funds pledged to SIDS for mitigation against global warming and climate change. “We need to consider a process that ensures that financing is available for the long term effects of climate change. It is not a one-off or short term consideration,” the Grenadian leader told the UN Secretary General and his delegation. With only weeks to go before Copenhagen, the Prime Minister and his delegation pointed out to the UN Secretary General that “we cannot waste time at Copenhagen. We need to step get immediate action on the issue.” This is the second time that the two men have exchanged information on Climate Change. They first met, here in Trinidad earlier this year while attending the Summit of the Americas, at which time the UN Secretary General invited Prime Minister Thomas to address a special UN Conference on climate change at the organisation’s headquarters in New York.