Lars Løkke Rasmussen has invited world leaders to climate meeting, including one subject to an ICC arrest warrant

World leaders from 191 countries received the official invitation from Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen yesterday to attend the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (COP15) this December.

In the invite, Rasmussen highlighted the positive reports of engagement and involvement of various countries in the climate change initiative, and he stressed that the invitees’ personal attendance would be ‘a pivotal contribution to a successful outcome’.

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have already signalled their intentions to attend.

But one of those invited is Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, who is currently subject to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.

Thomas Winkler, head of the Foreign Ministry’s legal department, said that as the climate conference is a UN event, Denmark is obliged to invite all heads of government without exception.

‘But at the same time we would point out that Denmark is also obliged to comply with the Security Council’s resolution regarding Darfur,’ Winkler said to Berlingske.dk.

The security council resolution states that Sudan, like all countries, must cooperate with the International Criminal Court, and Denmark would be obliged to honour the ICC arrest warrant should al-Bashir arrive in the country.