A "high-level" U.N. meeting in New York on Monday (September 24) is meant to send a "strong political message" from world leaders, according to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, concerning climate change although it is not a negotiation on this topic.

Eighty-one heads of state or government will attend the event, along with two vice presidents, five deputy prime ministers, 33 foreign ministers and 12 environment ministers, in addition to 18 other representatives, according to the UN officials. US President George W.Bush however will not be attending the event. The United States rejected the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement that requires 36 industrial nations to cut greenhouse emissions by at least 5 percent from 1990 levels by 2012, when the protocol expires. Climate change negotiations will take place in December in Indonesia, when representatives will consider a way to cut emissions after the Kyoto pact expires.

The deadline for figuring this out is 2009, so countries have enough time to ratify the agreement.