The head of the UN climate change secretariat expressed confidence that a new global agreement on climate change would be reached at a meeting in Copenhagen next year, despite disagreements at talks this week. Yvo de Boer made this statement during a speech at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris, following calls for action on climate change at U.N.-led talks in Bonn. The United States, however, expressed reluctance to take substantial steps at this time. The Copenhagen meeting in 2009 aims to establish a new treaty on reducing greenhouse gas emissions to replace the Kyoto Protocol after it expires in 2012. De Boer believes that increasing public awareness of the consequences of inaction on global warming will pressure governments to take action, especially following the agreement made at the Bali summit last year. He stated that the world is anticipating a mutual agreement in Copenhagen, similar to how politicians in Bali initiated negotiations before leaving. He believes that politicians should not leave Copenhagen until a deal is reached. He emphasized that the new pact should be concise and direct, allowing national governments the freedom to develop and enforce their own policies. He also stressed the importance of keeping the Copenhagen agreement brief and centered on key issues that require an international agreement to be effective. He expressed hope that unnecessary elements would not be added to the agreement. De Boer spoke to reporters earlier and mentioned that the United States' ability to take concrete action had been affected by the presidential election. However, he expressed confidence that all major candidates in the race understood the importance of taking action. De Boer chose not to criticize the U.S. stance, stating that Washington had acted responsibly by not making commitments that could bind a future administration. He expressed hope for progress in the coming year.