S/PV.8923Resumption1 Security Council

The President (spoke in French): I wish to remind all speakers to limit their statements to no more than four minutes in order to enable the Council to carry out its work expeditiously. The red light on the collar of the microphone will begin to flash after four minutes have elapsed to prompt speakers to conclude their statements. I now give the floor to the representative of Egypt.

Mr. Mahmoud (Egypt): At the outset, allow me to congratulate my dearest brother Ambassador Abdou Abarry, Permanent Representative of the Niger, on his assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of December. I would also like express our appreciation for the initiative of the Niger to hold today’s open debate. We are steadfast in our commitment to addressing the challenges posed by climate change and believe that the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, as well as the relevant international conventions, especially the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, remain the platforms with the original mandate to address the climate crisis in all its manifestations and the potential for finding the solutions necessary to do so. However, given that climate change is widely recognized as a threat multiplier and a driver of conflict that affects the peace and stability of several regions globally, it is important to address the increasing connection between terrorism, climate change and security. It is crystal clear that international terrorism is a threat to international peace and security as per the relevant Security Council resolutions, notably resolution 1373 (2001). In that regard, the international community has undertaken clear and concrete efforts in the collective response to international terrorism through the myriad existing Council resolutions and the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. Cognizant of that fact, Egypt has always advocated stronger international cooperation to address this threat. Both terrorism and climate change are transboundary key global challenges. Moreover, the interlinkage between the adverse effects of climate change and environmental degradation, on the one hand, and the conditions conducive to terrorism and extremism, on the other hand, is evident. The nexus between climate change-related repercussions such as water scarcity, rising sea levels, desertification, land degradation and biodiversity loss and other conditions conducive to terrorism, including poverty and unemployment, provides fertile ground for recruitment and radicalization by terrorist groups. That results in a multidimensional human security threat. Africa is facing unprecedented pressure owing to various extreme weather events related to climate change. Those events include flash floods, heavy rainfalls, forest fires, landslides and severe droughts, which all cause displacements, migration and the loss of the lives of thousands. In that context, the recent rise in terrorist activities in different regions of the continent can be considered a vivid example of how terrorist organizations can exploit climate change-induced challenges to expand their activities and operations. In the light of that, Egypt believes that efforts to combat terrorism and address the challenges posed by climate change should be harmonized in a manner that strengthens our collective response and consolidated action to address all of those factors in conjunction with those grave menaces. In that connection, addressing the climate adaptation needs of developing countries will enable a preventive effect against terrorism. In some complex situations, purely technical approaches to adaptation will fail to address the socioeconomic variables that contribute to conflict. Therefore, conflict-sensitive adaptation that transcends technical responses should include multidisciplinary projects to build comprehensive resilience against the impacts of climate change and the related security threats. In conclusion, Egypt remains fully committed to addressing the issue of security in the context of terrorism and climate change. Moreover, Egypt looks forward to hosting the twenty-seventh session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2022, during which we will continue our global work towards reaching concrete outcomes in relation to climate change with a view to achieving sustainable development for all developing countries while ensuring their peace, security, stability and prosperity.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of Malta.

Mrs. Frazier (Malta): Malta thanks the Niger for convening this high-level debate, which focuses on two phenomena that have distinctly marked the contemporary world. Malta strongly condemns the attack against the convoy of United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali peacekeepers, and we offer our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims. We underline the importance of ensuring the safety and protection of peacekeepers, who are operating under difficult conditions. The threats posed by terrorism and climate change are multidimensional and have a long-lasting impact on our societies, economies and surrounding environment. They threaten international peace and security and require a concerted global response. The United Nations system, including the Security Council, has actively contributed to the establishment of a global framework that supports the international community’s efforts in analysing and dealing with the threat of terrorism. Resolution 1373 (2001) and the establishment of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and its Executive Directorate have strengthened our capacity to assess that threat and current trends and tailor our policy responses. That work helps Member States identify gaps and implement the relevant Security Council resolutions. The United Nations Office of Counter- Terrorism and the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy are also indispensable tools that integrate our counter-terrorism efforts across all pillars of the United Nations. Recent developments in the field of counter- terrorism have underlined the role new technologies have in spreading violent ideologies. The efforts to change the trends and patterns of the spread of violent extremism have also been impacted by the restrictions brought about by the coronavirus disease pandemic. We believe that multilateral cooperation remains vital to enabling Member States to react to those evolving realities. During the past year, we have seen an increase in attacks and terrorism activity with an upward trend in Africa in particular. That is concerning and deserves the full attention of the international community. Another issue that concerns us all and requires a determined and united response by the international community is climate change. The twenty-sixth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change reinforced the notion that climate change is a threat multiplier. Terrorist activity, especially in the Sahel region, can also be linked to climatic factors. When climate change is compounded with sustained population growth, floods or droughts can adversely impact natural resources, thereby exacerbating competition over dwindling resources. That often leads to unrest and, eventually, a vacuum for terrorist groups to exploit. In turn, that can also subsequently contribute to further environmental degradation. To fully address the interplay between climate change and terrorism, we also need to consider the issues of poverty eradication and sustained economic growth. Often, individuals are much more likely to be recruited to join a terrorist group for a potential alternate source of income. Climate change impacts everyone, particularly women and girls disproportionately, and when coupled with the impacts of terrorism and violent extremism, it can lead to devastating consequences. To confront such pressing challenges, women must have their voices heard. At the heart of ensuring that happens is the women and peace and security agenda. We must create conditions on the ground that are conducive to the full, equal and meaningful participation of women and girls in addressing such challenges as climate change and terrorism. Climate change will remain a security concern if inaction prevails, and those on the front lines will bear an unprecedented cost, especially African countries and small island developing States. That is why, if entrusted to serve on the Council for the 2023 to 2024 term, Malta will make climate and security one of our priority themes. Malta also thanks Ireland and the Niger for their invaluable work on the draft resolution on climate and security, which we are pleased to co-sponsor. We look forward to the adoption of that important draft resolution by the Security Council next week. Any strategy to prevent or counter terrorism should be aligned with our collective efforts to tackle climate change in a holistic manner and to pre-empt and mitigate its effects. The interplay between climate and terrorism should lead us to identify solutions in a concerted manner to these seemingly separate issues.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of the Philippines.

Mr. Manalo (Philippines): We congratulate the Niger for assuming the presidency of the Security Council. As an archipelagic State, the Philippines considers the climate-security nexus a vital existential issue. We have numerous low-lying coastal areas and communities that are constantly threatened by weather disturbances due to climate change. Addressing terrorism is an immense challenge by itself. Climate change, combined with terrorism, can worsen long-existing tensions and exacerbate traditional drivers of conflict such as poverty, political instability, ill-conceived domestic policies and foreign interference. Climate disasters can weaken States, a situation that terrorists can seize to advance their goals. I would like to highlight the following points. First, developing better risk assessment and mitigation strategies is important for climate-related disasters. While the Philippines emits less than half of 1 per cent of global emissions, we set the boldest national goal at the recent twenty-sixth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change by committing to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 75 per cent in 2030. We are also implementing and continuously improving a comprehensive natural disaster risk reduction and management plan. Secondly, international cooperation is indispensable. Climate change knows no boundaries, and we have no control of the actions and inaction beyond our borders. Stronger synergies among States through deeper international cooperation is imperative. Regionally, the Philippines participates in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) humanitarian assistance, which has strengthened its cooperation in line with the “One ASEAN One Response” approach. Globally, we are committed to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Thirdly, there is a need to harness international law. The impact of climate change on statehood and security is far-reaching. It includes loss of territory, displacement of populations, and the attendant tensions over access to resources, livelihoods and services. In terms of sea-level rise, the Philippines supports the work of the International Law Commission, especially on the principle of uti possidetis juris, a doctrine that favours permanent maritime boundaries. The legal stability, security, certainty and predictability of international law makes it a welcome approach. Fourthly, climate-vulnerable countries like the Philippines should receive the support and resources they need from those most responsible for the climate crisis to enable us to allocate more of our national resources towards addressing the more traditional drivers of conflicts. Lastly, there is a need to fortify structures and correct vulnerabilities that bear the initial impacts of climate-related events, and which non-State actors such as terrorists may take advantage of. Counter-terrorism strategies and plans of action at the national, regional or global levels must include aspects of climate change. I wish to emphasize that the Security Council should focus on considering security issues that result from climate change and terrorism and refrain from climate issues already being addressed by forums such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. There is a need for the Council to carefully examine the dynamics between climate change and terrorism. In addressing climate-related security risks, it is also critical that all Member States be involved in deciding the mechanisms and legal frameworks that may eventually be put in place by the United Nations. Any Security Council action on the issue under consideration should consider those points.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of Switzerland.

Mrs. Baeriswyl (Switzerland) (spoke in French): Switzerland thanks you, Mr. President, for convening this open debate, and we commend the Niger on its important contribution to the work of the Security Council over the past two years. The challenges of the fight against terrorism and the impact of climate change on peace and security in the Sahel are complex and require a concerted response. The Council’s recent visit to Mali and the Niger underlined that. Climate-related disasters have affected nearly 4 billion people around the world over the past decade. That devastation will only continue to spread. The Council could create a coherent framework for action in that regard by adopting a thematic draft resolution, which Switzerland would welcome. Switzerland associates itself with the statement to be delivered on behalf of the Group of Friends on Climate and Security. In addition, we would like to highlight three areas of action for the Council. First, natural disasters exacerbated by climate change are already causing a great deal of turmoil, including the displacement of persons, which can cause tension and conflict. Their impacts are disproportionately felt by women, children and those who are most vulnerable. The Security Council should take action based on international law and the rule of law to address the security implications of climate change. Broadly speaking, it remains important to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5°C to reduce the frequency and intensity of natural disasters and enable peoples to adapt to climate change. Secondly, climate change acts as a risk multiplier. Switzerland welcomes the fact that several peacekeeping and special political missions, including in the Sahel, have incorporated the effects of climate change into their mandates. Climate change-related security risks should be sufficiently and more systematically incorporated into peacekeeping operation mandates, as well as in the context of transitions and withdrawals of operations. In order to achieve that, the Council should further leverage the resources available within the United Nations system, as well as the advisory role of the Peacebuilding Commission. Working with academia, civil society and regional organizations fosters new approaches that can steer the work of Council. The peace and security agenda of the African Union, for example, takes into account climate-related security risks. Thirdly, the Council has a role to play in breaking the vicious cycle of conflict and the emergence of terrorism and violent extremism. Switzerland strongly condemns terrorism in all its forms. It is crucial that measures to combat terrorism be developed and implemented in strict compliance with international law, in particular international human rights law and international humanitarian law. When developing such measures, the Council must ensure in particular that they do not have a negative impact on humanitarian activities. As a candidate for the Security Council, Switzerland remains firmly committed to combating the adverse effects of climate change on peace and security. We continue to take an active part in ensuring that people can live in security and with dignity.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of Luxembourg.

Mr. Maes (Luxembourg) (spoke in French): Luxembourg thanks the presidency of the Niger for having organized this important open debate of the Security Council. We also thank the Secretary-General, the President of the Niger and the Heads of the African Union and Lake Chad Basin Commissions for informing the debate by providing us with their insights. Luxembourg fully associates itself with the statements to be delivered by on behalf of the Group of Friends on Climate and Security, and by observer of the European Union. Allow me now to add a few elements in my national capacity. Increasingly, in-depth scientific studies are establishing a causal link between the depletion of natural resources, accelerated in particular by climate change, and emerging tensions in several regions of the world. In the Sahel region in particular, in a context of population growth and increasingly limited access to natural resources, climate change is exacerbating the vulnerability of populations. It is estimated that temperatures are rising 1.5 times faster in the Sahel than in the rest of the world. Climate change is contributing to the scarcity of fertile land and water resources and, in turn, to increased competition between communities to access those resources, which is multiplying tensions and the risk of conflict in an ecologically fragile area. Granting rural populations access to rights to their agricultural and pastoral lands so that they can invest in and cultivate them sustainably, and helping those populations to restore degraded ecosystems, would contribute not only to preventing conflict but also to reducing poverty and achieving sustainable development. Addressing the root causes of problems is the only way for us to achieve lasting solutions. There is consistent evidence that terrorist groups in the Sahel are targeting the most marginalized segments of society to recruit young fighters. Addressing this challenge requires action from the international community on two levels: first, it must support the establishment of effective and democratic institutions to ensure the inclusive and equitable governance of natural resources; and secondly, it must continue to commit to the capacity-building of security forces to enable affected States to combat terrorism more effectively. Luxembourg is contributing to that dual effort. As a leading partner in support of the Niger’s water and sanitation sector, Luxembourg is working with the Nigerien authorities to strengthen inclusive public water services in fragile areas through a bottom-up approach by helping to strengthen institutions at the local level. In addition, in cooperation with the European Institute of Peace and several local actors, we plan to support a project in the Liptako-Gourma region, on the border between Burkina Faso, Mali and the Niger, to study different models of natural resource governance and identify critical success factors to support their application elsewhere. Given the undeniable link between the adverse effects of climate change and international peace and security, we believe it is essential that the Security Council, peacekeeping missions and special political missions take into account the security implications of climate change in their analyses and actions. Like many Member States, Luxembourg urges the Council to pay due attention to the link between climate, natural resources and security. In that respect, we welcome the draft resolution on climate and security presented by Ireland and the Niger. Luxembourg has decided to co-sponsor this important draft resolution, which we hope the Security Council will soon be able to adopt.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of Germany.

Ms. Leendertse (Germany): It is my honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Group of Friends on Climate and Security, a group of almost 60 members from all regions of the world united by a common concern. Climate change is the defining challenge of our time. The effects of climate change pose, inter alia, serious challenges to peace, security, stability and prosperity; to the effective enjoyment of human rights; and, in some cases, even to the existence of States and the physical lives of their citizens. We therefore strongly welcome the Security Council’s increasing attention to that threat and are grateful to the Niger, as President of the Council, for convening this important debate. The twenty-sixth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was a milestone. The world came together to limit global warming, and we must all now persevere and redouble our efforts to keep within reach of the 1.5°C limit. At the same time, it is clear that the climate is already changing; the effects of climate change are being felt around the world. Irrespective of our best efforts at mitigation, we also need to prepare for the negative effects of climate change. In particular, we must do more to increase countries’ ability to adapt to the impacts of climate change and prevent its effects from contributing to the destabilization of countries and entire regions, which risks contributing, in specific contexts, to new armed conflicts, worsening existing conflicts and helping to create breeding ground for violent extremism and terrorism. The Security Council has a crucial role to play in that regard. Building climate-resilient systems that support peace and stability urgently requires a much more concerted international effort and, in that regard, we welcome the African Union’s strong engagement and the recent landmark decision on climate change of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The entire United Nations system must address this challenge in all relevant forums and within all relevant mandates. The United Nations is already doing important work to achieve that. The Climate Security Mechanism enhances the capacity of the United Nations system to analyse and address the adverse impacts of climate change on peace and security through effective inter-agency cooperation. The Secretary-General’s report Our Common Agenda (A/75/982) rightly calls for an increased focus on the effects of climate change on peace and security. The Security Council has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. We welcome the progress made in that regard, including the recognition of the effects of climate change when considering a growing number of mandates for peacekeeping and special political missions. The work of the Informal Expert Group on Climate and Security, comprised of Council members, has proved invaluable in informing the Council’s work. Yet more needs to be done to ensure a more structured and systematic approach and to create the tools necessary to enable the United Nations to do its part in preventing and resolving conflicts that are, at least in part, driven by the effects of climate change. We therefore strongly welcome the thematic draft resolution that has been put forward. We urge the Council to adopt it swiftly. It would provide the much- needed framework to translate proposals repeatedly made by the Group of Friends into tangible action that would enhance the United Nations risk analysis, capacity-building and operational response. Climate change is a threat to international peace and security that no nation can face alone. We must act together, and we must act now. The Security Council must live up to its primary responsibility under the Charter of the United Nations to address threats to international peace and security. It should adopt a draft resolution that will allow the Council to address threats to peace and security that climate change poses and will increasingly pose.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer.

Mr. Gonzato: I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union (EU) and its member States. The candidate countries the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania; the country of the Stabilization and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina; as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia, align themselves with this statement. (spoke in French) Allow me to thank the Niger for organizing this open debate and giving us the opportunity to contribute to this complex discussion. (spoke in English) As highlighted in the report of the Secretary-General Our Common Agenda (A/75/982), climate change is contributing to instability and is affecting livelihoods, access to resources and human mobility trends. For an effective response, the human rights, development and peace and security pillars of the United Nations must work closer together at all levels. Moreover, we must not forget the linkages between those issues and gender inequality, or the imperative to continue to include young people in the discussions and decision-making processes, given that they will feel the effects of climate change the most. We continue to encourage the development of a comprehensive information basis to fully integrate climate and environmental risk factors in the assessment and management of threats to peace and security, including radicalization to terrorism and violent extremism. We would like to reiterate our support for the adoption of a Security Council draft resolution on climate and security. That is an opportunity for the Council to strengthen its ability to understand and address climate-related security risks, within its mandate. In that context, we also applaud the work of the Informal Expert Group on Climate and Security and of the Group of Friends of Climate and Security. The United Nations system has been making important strides through its Climate Security Mechanism towards the integration of climate and security considerations in its analysis, planning and implementation in field missions. We encourage the United Nations to continue working on ambitious mitigation and adaptation measures in its field missions. Hazards can be prevented from turning into disasters by building resilience. As part of the European Green Deal, the EU is enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability with a new, more ambitious EU strategy on adaptation to climate change, which was adopted earlier this year. In that regard, the EU and its member States reiterate their commitment to continuing to take into account climate and environmental factors and risks in our strategic engagement with partner countries and work on preventive measures such as early-warning systems. That is particularly relevant to our work with African partners, in line with our strategies for regions such as the Sahel, the Lake Chad basin and the Horn of Africa. The EU is working closely with African countries to support their efforts to achieve peace, security and development. A good example of our activities in the nexus of climate and security is our “FREXUS” project, on improving security and climate resilience in a fragile context through the water-energy-food security Nexus in Mali, the Niger and Chad. The European Union will continue to explore ways of enhancing cooperation with the African Union (AU) and trilateral cooperation among the EU, the AU and the United Nations in order to tackle those crucial challenges. Finally, we must ensure that our policymaking is based on evidence. We emphasize the importance of further analysing the correlation between climatic factors and terrorism to ensure that our policies account for the experiences of the communities most at risk and that are not counterproductive. We must be equipped with the most appropriate tools to face the challenges ahead of us. The European Union and its member States express our readiness to contribute further to this important topic.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of Italy.

Mr. Massari (Italy): First of all, I would like to express my solidarity and support to the Niger and to the Joint Force of the Group of Five for the Sahel in the light of the terrorist attacks perpetrated this past Sunday. I also offer my deepest condolences to the families of the peacekeepers who were victims of yesterday’s terrorist attack against the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali. Italy thanks the Niger for convening this timely debate and aligns itself with the statements delivered by the representative of Germany, on behalf of the Group of Friends on Climate and Security, and by the observer of the European Union. The adverse effects of climate change are posing a serious threat to international peace and security. We all need the redouble our efforts to heighten the Security Council’s attention to the climate-security nexus and its implications on terrorism. Climate change is a threat multiplier that has negative environmental and economic impacts, which aggravate existing social vulnerabilities. More intense and frequent extreme weather events in many parts of the world are reducing the capacity of populations, especially those in situations of armed conflict, violence or fragility, to cope with the climate shocks that carry dramatic humanitarian consequences. Furthermore, climate change often exacerbates internal conflicts and induces part of the population to migrate. Those phenomena, even when they are not directly linked to international terrorism, contribute to creating fertile ground for violent extremism. There is therefore an undeniable link between climate change and rising insecurity. In many areas of the African continent and the Middle East, climate change already has serious security implications. Terrorist activities are becoming more frequent in countries experiencing desertification and environmental degradation. To counter the root causes of terrorism and its ever-growing negative consequences in regions affected by climate change, it is vital to strengthen international corporation, particularly in areas of conflict or post-conflict situations, to support the provision of essential services to local populations. Italy contributes to several international programmes aimed at building the resilience of communities affected by terrorism, such as the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund, which supports local initiatives to address the drivers of violent extremism. Moreover, we strongly believe that the role of United Nations peacekeeping missions cannot be limited to a military perspective. In formulating the mandates for peacekeeping missions, we must pursue a holistic approach that ensures that they are carried out in the field in an efficient and sustainable way, including in terms of their environmental impacts. For that reason, in February 2018, together with Bangladesh, we launched the Group of Friends on Leading Environmental Management in the Field, which focuses on mitigating the environmental footprint of United Nations peacekeeping missions. In conclusion, I wish to express Italy’s support for strengthened cooperation on climate change, security and counter-terrorism within all the organs of the with United Nations, starting with the Security Council, which has the primary responsibility for international peace and security.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of Portugal.

Mr. Duarte Lopes (Portugal): At the outset, allow me to thank you, Mr. President, for convening us in such a timely manner. Like Italy, we also align ourselves with the statements delivered by the representative of Germany, on behalf of the Group of Friends on Climate and Security, and by observer of the European Union. The climate-security nexus has been gaining prominence in the global agenda. Higher sea levels, more severe floods, longer periods of drought and the increasing scarcity of resources are already taking their heavy toll in many countries. That is most evident in small island developing States and in Africa, including in the regions of the Sahel, the Lake Chad basin and the Horn of Africa. When climate hazards hit, vulnerable groups suffer disproportionate losses. As such, those phenomena are at the root of growing inequality and migration movements, hindering food and water and security and tensions among communities. All those factors are risk multipliers. When poverty and unemployment are exacerbated by competition for acquiring scarce resources, those conditions can be exploited by terrorist organizations for recruitment and radicalization. Climate change therefore contributes to the perpetuation a vicious circle and can be fully addressed only with the contribution of every country and by ensuring cooperation at the multilateral level. The Secretary-General’s report Our Common Agenda (A/75/982) rightly calls for an increased focus on the effects of climate change on peace and security. Portugal is in favour of more systematic involvement by the Security Council with regard to the climate-security nexus. We therefore strongly support the adoption of a cross-cutting draft resolution on climate and security, as put forward by Ireland and the Niger. In that context, peacebuilding efforts should include in their design the strengthening of countries’ capacities to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change. The mandates of United Nations peacekeeping operations and special political missions should continue to assess climate-related security risks and devise appropriate responses, including conflict prevention tools, and take into account climate risks across United Nations early-warning and planning processes. We should pursue efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of peacemaking operations, and we also encourage the inclusion of the climate-security nexus in the horizontal agendas of the Council, with a particular focus on the women and peace and security and the youth, peace and security agendas. In conclusion, tackling the adverse impacts of climate change and preventing and combating terrorism to safeguard international security will demand a broad and innovative perspective, both by individual countries and by the United Nations system as a whole. Given its historical role and concrete responsibilities, the Security Council should take a decisive lead in this effort.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of the United Arab Emirates.

Mr. Abushahab (United Arab Emirates): The United Arab Emirates is grateful to the Niger, and President Mohamed Bazoum in particular, for bringing the Security Council’s attention to the critical interplay between climate change, terrorism and extremism. We would also like to thank the briefers for their valuable input. The nexus between climate change, terrorism and extremism calls for action. Even if indirect, there is a connection between climate impacts — from migration to unemployment — and the feelings of helplessness, resentment and loss of faith in governance systems that contributes to terrorist recruitment. There are, furthermore, already examples of climate stress and terrorism together creating pockets of unstable territory that are springboards for terrorist attacks and knock-on effects, like resource competition, on a wide range of countries. Given that transnational threat, we would like to highlight two potential actions for the Security Council. First, enhanced data collection and analysis on climate security would help to guide Council members and other actors in their response to threats, including in improving early-warning capabilities. The relatively modest steps of standardized reporting to the Council and stronger in-country analytical capacity would position the Council to act more effectively. However, we must ensure that reporting and resources are prioritized for the situations where climate is clearly relevant. Secondly, the Council’s climate action and counter- terrorism work must be gender- and age-sensitive. That is critical to achieving outcomes that enable resilience and recovery and address the full needs of an affected population. Quotas, gender and youth advisers, gender and age markers and women and youth advisory boards are all proven tools from United Nations peace missions that ensure inclusion. Climate security advisers in peace missions, by design, must also work hand in hand with advisory capacities, like gender, to ensure coherent engagement and protection strategies. We must bear in mind, however, that climate security inherently requires the engagement of the wider United Nations system. We cannot overemphasize, for instance, the link between the collapse of fragile food-producing communities and increased insecurity, including violent extremism and terrorism. It behooves Member States to encourage the World Food Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank and other actors to sharply increase their budgeting and programming for those communities. Similarly, we would hope to see counter- terrorism actors incorporate climate stress as a factor when considering early-warning and capacity-building assistance in fragile settings. However, the responsibility of those actors for large parts of the climate-security response does not diminish the urgency of the Council’s leadership. This open debate reinforces the importance of a consensus-based resolution on climate security. We see two fundamental principles behind the drive for a resolution: first, better context-specific analysis and reporting for the Council on those agenda items where climate is a relevant factor and, secondly, increased international support for response measures as per an affected Government’s request. We are optimistic that all Council members can support those principles, and we are committed to continuing the work to frame and act on climate security in a way that the full Council can accept, without sacrificing the needs of vulnerable communities and regions. A unanimous call for action by the custodian of international peace and security would send a powerful message. The United Arab Emirates is committed to achieving consensus that allows for that outcome.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of El Salvador.

Mrs. González López (El Salvador) (spoke in Spanish): The Republic of El Salvador thanks the Niger, in its capacity as President of the Security Council for this month, for organizing this important open debate. My country is not unfamiliar with the challenges posed by climate change and its adverse impacts, which affect the environment, food security, economic development and quality of life, generating higher rates of vulnerability and instability in the population. That situation, if not dealt with in a timely manner, could translate into violence and social and political instability. Those conditions are conducive to the development and strengthening of terrorist groups, which also represents a risk to international peace and security. Furthermore, the prevention of violent extremism and the fight against terrorism and transnational organized crime are challenges that must be addressed while taking into account the link with other structural factors that affect the environment, food security, social and economic development and the quality of life of all human beings. Therefore, climate change and the fight against terrorism, isolated phenomena at first glance, are related and threaten the aspirations for peace and security of the countries of the world, as well as the efforts to achieve a sound, healthy and sustainable environment. As a founding Member of the United Nations, El Salvador reiterates its commitment and support to initiatives that promote international peace and security, including those aimed at the fight against terrorism and transnational organized crime, as well as others aimed at strengthening peacekeeping operations that support political and stabilization processes. My country also recognizes that many areas in conflict situations face violence and instability and, in some cases, must also face the consequences caused by droughts, floods, cyclones, forest fires and deforestation, to mention only a few natural phenomena that aggravate their situation. My delegation also wishes to express its grave concern over the actions of terrorist groups and transnational criminal groups, which generate suffering and result in the loss of life of many, particularly those from vulnerable population groups, such as women, children, older persons, indigenous people, migrants and people with disabilities. For that reason, El Salvador calls on the international community to join national, regional and multilateral efforts to seek, through international cooperation, concrete solutions to those devastating issues. Undoubtedly, we see how terrorism increases in the absence of effective agreements and the capacity to address the underlying causes and social and political complexities, as well as because of its interrelation with the adverse effects caused by climate change. In that respect, such complexities must be recognized in order to adopt effective strategies aimed at their prevention. El Salvador urges that the profound linkages between climate, socioeconomic and international security realities be duly studied and taken into consideration in the context of the ongoing reviews of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, as well as in the formulation of peacekeeping mandates. At the same time, my country advocates the strengthening of international cooperation mechanisms, through the United Nations system and its funds and programmes, such as the United Nations Environment Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Food Programme, UNICEF and UN-Women, in direct coordination with national and local authorities.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of the Maldives.

Ms. Hussain (Maldives): I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this important high-level debate on security in the context of terrorism and climate change. As a low-lying island nation, the Maldives has long been dealing with the impacts of climate change. Moreover, having faced the threat of terrorism and extremism, just like many other countries across the globe, we appreciate the opportunity to share our perspectives here today. The Maldives stands at the front lines of climate change. Comprised of over 1,200 small islands in the Indian Ocean, stretching across the equator, our highest elevation is only six feet above sea level. Our economy, culture — whole life — is built around our ocean, fisheries, coral reefs and our beautiful beaches. We have lived on these magnificent islands in harmony with nature for thousands of years, Today the anthropogenic impacts of climate change put our very existence at stake. The effects of climate change, such as coral bleaching, ocean acidification, global rise in temperatures and the corresponding rise in sea level, greatly impact our lives. Climate change is altering the rain and monsoon patterns necessary for our limited agricultural yields. Our tourism industry, our fisheries, our rich biodiversity, responsible for over 80 per cent of our gross domestic product and over 90 per cent of our exports, are also impacted and imperilled. Our very life and future generations are threatened. What world will our children inherit? The burdens of climate change and the resulting degradation of our natural resources place an unbearable burden on small countries such as the Maldives, consuming an ever-increasing portion of our fiscal and human capacity, our clean water, sanitation, food, housing and health care — all the necessities of an enduring and durable peaceful society. Furthermore, allow me to highlight that women and children often bear a disproportionate burden from those impacts. The causes of terrorism are often complex. The Maldives realizes the impacts of climate change, added to the aftermaths of a terrorist attack, play a role in leaving many people despondent and vulnerable. We have therefore taken a whole-of-society approach to addressing it through our national strategy on preventing and countering violent extremism. That involves building a more cohesive society, while strengthening and empowering our communities and increasing their resilience. It addresses hate speech, xenophobia and related intolerances in order to teach values of respect and acceptance. We believe that our youth must have opportunities to realize their full potential. In view of a bleak future, disillusionment arises, with the potential for extremism. Terrorism and violent extremism are pressing global issues, and we must remain vigilant in addressing their root causes, both domestically and internationally. If the current issues related to climate change and terrorism continue, we will face a future of increasing violence and the possible breakdown of societies. Those climate impacts will manifest themselves in different forms in different contexts — droughts, floods, fires, deforestation, soil loss or sea level rise. Whatever the specific impacts, resource contention, mass migrations and other consequences of our climate breakdown drive radicalization. The Maldives condemns terrorism in all its forms and reiterates its steadfast commitment to work with the international community to counter terrorism and violent extremism in a coordinated and comprehensive manner. That should be a multidimensional approach involving domestic and international efforts because these issues transcend national borders. To implement effective strategies to combat terrorism, we must address the root causes and drivers of violent extremism, including climate change. We must also put in place the regional and multilateral mechanisms to share information and work together to address this growing concern. In that spirit, the Maldives welcomes the draft resolution initiated by the Niger and Ireland on climate and security and is pleased to join as a co-sponsor. The draft resolution is an essential step in capturing the important work of the Council on the nexus of climate and security and in taking steps to continue to ensure that the Security Council and the United Nations system more broadly continue to consider this vital linkage. We look forward to continuing to engage on this issue and to build a shared understanding and consensus.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of the Netherlands.

Ms. Brandt (Netherlands): The Kingdom of the Netherlands aligns itself with the statements made on behalf of the European Union and by the representative of Germany on behalf of the Group of Friends on Climate and Security. I make these additional remarks in my national capacity. I would like to start by thanking the Niger for organizing today’s debate on the issue of security in the context of terrorism and climate change. The climate crisis is arguably the greatest challenge of our time. It threatens to uproot entire communities and to be a catalyst for conflict. We already see this happening in various parts of the world, such as in the Sahel region. Given the Council’s responsibility for maintaining peace and security, the Kingdom of the Netherlands sees a clear role for the Security Council when it comes to addressing the security implications that result from climate change in a more effective and systematic way. Although the impact of climate change is felt worldwide, it disproportionately affects already disenfranchised and marginalized communities. We need to better understand its impact on creating conditions that could lead to increased radicalization and the creation of a breeding ground for terrorism. The Kingdom of the Netherlands believes we need to integrate climate considerations in the work of the United Nations on peace and security every step of the way. Allow me to briefly highlight two points. First, we must focus on holistic prevention approaches. Too often, counter-terrorism efforts are predominantly informed by the security dimension. It is clear that imminent terrorist threats require an imminent response. However, we must also look past the imminent threats and focus on the longer-term goal of prevention. For that, we need holistic prevention approaches, including wider peacebuilding efforts that help communities and countries to build resilience and adapt to the impacts of climate change, all with human rights and gender equality at its core. In that way, development, climate and prevention objectives can be achieved at the same time. Secondly, we must strengthen the knowledge bases. Some of the countries that are most impacted by terrorist attacks, like those in the Sahel and Horn of Africa, are also among the most vulnerable to climate change and often lack the means and capacity to adequately address this. It is therefore crucial to better understand whether and how investing in climate solutions can also have an effect on the factors that will move individuals towards joining or supporting violent extremist groups, as well as on wider conflict issues. To that end, the Netherlands, together with Germany, will organize a conference in February 2022 with the aim of better understanding the dynamics of violent extremism in West Africa. We look forward to strong participation and improved coordination and cooperation on this topic, particularly, of course, from and with the countries in the region. In conclusion, climate-related security risks require our sustained attention. The Kingdom of the Netherlands therefore welcomes the thematic draft resolution on this matter, which we proudly co-sponsor, and look forward to its adoption by the Council, hopefully on Monday. We stand ready to continue working with all Member States on this.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of Greece.

Mrs. Theofili (Greece): At the outset, we wish to congratulate the Niger for convening this very important and timely meeting. Greece aligns itself with the statement made by the observer of the European Union (EU) and by the representative of Germany on behalf of the Group of Friends on Climate and Security. The climate crisis is one of the greatest challenges of our time, and a complex one. Moreover, acting as a threat multiplier, it can affect peace, stability and security, increasing the risk of hunger and poverty. Its impacts are no longer a distant eventuality, but a present reality. No country is immune to the direct and indirect consequences of climate change. In Greece and throughout the Mediterranean, catastrophic forest fires, diminishing water resources, progressively prolonged seasonal droughts and floods pose a serious threat to sectors such as agriculture, fisheries and tourism. That is the main reason that a new climate crisis ministry was created this year to address all the relevant issues comprehensively and holistically. Raising climate ambition and intensifying climate action is now more needed than ever in order to prevent the worst-case scenarios forecasted by scientists. As our Prime Minister announced in his intervention at the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Glasgow, our plans for a cleaner environment include the closing of all our lignite power plants by 2028 at the latest, banning single-usage plastics across the country from 2021 on, decarbonizing key sectors such as shipping and tourism, enhancing investments in renewable energies, turning our islands into self-sustaining green communities and protecting our seas and mountains more intensively from environmental degradation. Our Government strongly supports the strategic long-term vision for a climate-neutral EU economy by 2050. For us, it is not just an obligation but also an opportunity. Since climate and security challenges are cross- cutting, a holistic approach is necessary to address their dimensions at the same time, and the United Nations should play a central role in that regard. Furthermore, we need to upgrade our knowledge base, which will lead to improved risk assessment and more effective field-level policies. At the same time, climate security concerns have to be integrated into early-warning and conflict prevention systems for more effective prevention of future crises. We should not let entire communities in the most vulnerable countries become prey to the inflammatory rhetoric of terrorist and extremist groups. In that regard, more extensive fact-finding research is needed to establish connections between the rise of extremist groups, as reflected in the concept paper (S/2021/988, annex), and the adverse climatic events that affect the same regions, especially in Africa and the Sahel. In conclusion, if we fail to reduce emissions and build our capacity to cope, the impact of climate change will become more acute and will lead to insecurity and instability. By investing in resilience and adaptation efforts along with mitigation and by explicitly linking climate action today with a more secure tomorrow, we can strengthen our response to climate change while ensuring a safer and more peaceful and prosperous future for people and our planet.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of Poland.

Mr. Szczerski (Poland): Poland aligns itself with the statement of the European Union. In addition, as a member of the Group of Friends on Climate and Security, we fully support the statement delivered today on behalf of the Group. Terrorism and extremism remain a key threat to security, stability and peace. No country or region is free from it. Recent years have shown that, in many cases, a driver of terrorism — and of conflicts in general — are the deteriorating environmental conditions caused by climate change. The nexus between climate change, poverty and terrorism is particularly visible in developing countries with fragile State institutions. Climate change threatens the stability of many regions of the world. It will increasingly exacerbate conflicts over natural resources. That in turn opens the way for the infiltration of the vulnerable populations by terrorist organizations. A dire result of the instability driven by climate change can be uncontrolled migration, exploited by human trafficking groups or control orchestrated by the States. Poland strongly condemns such activities. We consider the United Nations to be the key international forum on counter-terrorism issues, which we have stressed on many occasions, including as a non-permanent Member of the Security Council in 2018 and 2019. We commend the growing number of United Nations activities and efforts in the field of counter-terrorism undertaken despite the coronavirus disease pandemic. Acting one-step ahead of terrorists, especially in the light of a changing environment and the use of the new technologies, is crucial for maintaining regional and global security. The experience of the international community calls for a multidisciplinary, multi-agency and integrated approach in order to tackle terrorism effectively, while ensuring that any measures taken respect human rights and fundamental freedoms. We stand ready to contribute our share and to work hard with all here in order to minimize terrorist threats globally. The challenges of climate change, instability and terrorism have to be at the core of our joint efforts within the international community. That requires a two-pillar approach: fighting terrorism on the ground and fighting its sources — not the least of which being the consequences of climate change. In that regard, we believe that the entire United Nations system must address the issue of climate and security in all relevant forums. I would like to emphasize that Poland continues to support the inclusion of the climate-security nexus in the formal work of the Security Council. We join the call of many delegations speaking today for concrete tangible actions to be considered by the Security Council. The adoption of the thematic draft resolution on climate and security would serve as an important and very much welcomed step in that regard. In that context, I would like to recall that in three weeks Poland will start its chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the world’s largest regional security organization. Bearing in mind the OSCE’s comprehensive concept of security, we would like to praise the recent adoption of the new OSCE ministerial decision on strengthening cooperation to address the challenges caused by climate change, which brings momentum to the OSCE’s work in that regard. With that decision, the OSCE participating States have confirmed that finding a consensual approach to the issue of climate change — which may negatively affect prosperity, stability and security — in the OSCE area is possible.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of Albania.

Mr. Hoxha (Albania): Let me thank the Niger for organizing this high-level open debate. The topic could not be timelier. We thank the Secretary-General for his insightful remarks this morning, and all other briefers for bringing us a better view and closer to the realities on the ground. Climate Change is without a doubt the major challenge of our time. It has profound and adverse consequences for peace and security, our well-being and ultimately our survival. We need no longer wait for proof since we have far too many recent examples, including in our own vicinity — as the representative of Greece highlighted earlier. Those examples have convincingly shown how climate change is affecting every aspect of life, everywhere, causing huge economic downturns, throwing thousands back into extreme poverty, provoking migration and displacement and making those affected more vulnerable of being recruited and used by terrorist groups. We are concerned by the findings of the annual assessment report of the United Nations counter- terrorism mechanism, the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate and the Office of Counter-Terrorism, which emphasized that the number of cases of individuals being recruited by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Al-Qaida, Boko Haram and the like belonging to families living in bad environmental conditions has increased. Even more concerning are the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which show that climate disruption caused by human activities is widespread and intensifying. We cannot ignore that. Under those circumstances, we strongly believe that there is an urgent need to increase efforts and to take concrete action to address climate change and climate-related risks in the context of international peace and security. That is why we think that the United Nations system, and the Security Council in particular, should play a greater role in addressing, properly and continuously, the climate-related risks to international peace and security. The Council should fully integrate knowledge of climate-related risks into all aspects of its work. In that regard we welcome the draft resolution initiated by Ireland and the Niger calling for a more systematic United Nations analysis of climate security, including on the security implications of climate change for the regions and countries on the Council’s agenda. Albania co-sponsored the draft resolution. We hope the Council will be able to adopt this concrete landmark initiative, showing that the Council is there when people and the world need it. Albania is working hard to achieve the United Nations global goal to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 45 per cent in the next decade, and to achieve net- zero emissions by 2050, in accordance with Paris Agreement. Our national strategy on climate change and the mitigation action plan on greenhouse-gas emissions is at the core of our development road map. Aware that climate-related security risks to international peace and security are real and increasing, Albania has defined climate change as one of its priorities in the Security Council for our term starting in January 2022. In that context, we will work to better integrate the climate-security nexus in the Security Council agenda. (spoke in French) In conclusion, I wish to recall that our children and future generations will, rightfully and with good reason, hold us to account for our action or inaction on climate change. We now regret not having done more 20 or 30 years ago. We believe in human wisdom and the capacity of humankind to learn from its mistakes, correct its course and take due action. That is why we stand ready to join forces with like-minded countries in taking this agenda further. Albania will continue to be an active and proactive member in upholding and promoting the climate and security agenda.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of Chile.

Mr. Ruidíaz Pérez (Chile) (spoke in Spanish): We thank the Niger for organizing this open debate. We also thank the President of the Niger for being here to preside over this meeting, as well as the briefers for their contributions this morning. This meeting presents a timely opportunity to exchange observations and analyse the issue of security, terrorism and climate change. This year, we saw the information that scientists and experts gave us with respect to the acceleration of climate change and its irreversible consequences. That data must be used to make the best decisions in pursuit of development and international security. This phenomenon must be considered in a multidimensional way. As has been established, climate change and environmental degradation can aggravate international conflicts and affect peace and stability and, in the most unprotected areas, put food security at risk, trigger migration and refugee flows and expose already vulnerable groups to other threats. It is therefore clear that the various aspects and consequences of climate change must be addressed. The role of cooperation in the international community and multilateral action are essential for that purpose. Without that, any national effort is undertaken in vain. For that reason, it is essential to strengthen the information-exchange mechanisms among the various relevant agencies and bodies, including police units, financial and terrorism-prevention units that are sometimes also connected to these situations. It should also be emphasized that international judicial cooperation is key to avoiding impunity for those responsible for terrorist acts. It is also important to respect and comply with the resolutions issued by the various sanctions committees of the Security Council. These debates are important, just as, on previous occasions, we have also discussed the relationship between climate change and peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations. It is important to conduct further research on the link between climate change and international security, based on evidence, particularly with a focus on the most vulnerable regions and groups. Initiatives on climate change and international security must also take into account the views of affected communities, which may, and often do, suffer the effects of these phenomena and their consequences, with fewer resources to protect themselves from the same. That will strengthen sustainable results and avoid the intensification of these scourges. Finally, I would like to highlight that a report on the link between security and climate change is currently being considered in my country, within the context of multidimensional threats. Chile has incorporated climate change within its 2017 National Defence Book and its 2020 National Defence Policy among the new global challenges for security and defence.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of Lebanon.

Ms. Mudallali (Lebanon): I would like to congratulate the Niger on its assumption of the presidency of the Security Council this month. We welcome the presence of the President of the Republic of the Niger, who presided over the debate this morning. We also pay tribute to Mexico for its successful presidency in November. And we thank the Secretary- General and the other briefers for their contributions this morning. Today’s open debate attests to the increased focus placed on the impact of climate change on peace and security. We all know that the Council does not have consensus on this issue, but I am sure as the evidence accumulates daily around us, and as there is an urgent need to work together to mitigate the harmful impact of climate change on our planet, that we will find unity and consensus again, especially on the issue of climate and security. While the world is still struggling to emerge from a pandemic that has compounded existing challenges and threats, it has become clear that climate change puts an additional strain on such challenges and threats. That is especially the case with countries already severely affected by economic and social challenges, and that are already hit by water scarcity, droughts, fires and floods, as is the case in the Horn of Africa, where climate-induced events are driving people out of their homes and villages and leading to threats of social upheaval and instability. An article in the current issue of Foreign Policy paints a very bleak picture of the devastating impact of climate change on sub-Saharan Africa, where 40 per cent of internal displacement in 2019 was due to natural disasters. As the Secretary- General put it in his report Our Common Agenda, “The disastrous effects of a changing climate — famine, floods, fires and extreme heat — threaten our very existence.” (A/75/982, summary) We see that in many places around the world, and not only in Africa. Severe climate negatively impacts peace and security by fuelling more instability, risking leading to further conflict and violence, and pushing more people towards poverty and marginalization. We know that terrorist and violent extremist groups are on the lookout for grievances and injustice to exploit. We have consistently recalled the imperative to tackle root causes of conflict and instability. The disruption in the societies caused by climate disasters truly undermines that imperative by exacerbating the root causes. That reality was recognized by the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, which for the first time acknowledged the harmful impact of climate change on peace and security in the region. Locals know better, and we need to heed the counsel of Africans when they say the two issues are linked. They know better because they are taking the brunt of the disruptions to lives and livelihoods on the continent. With respect to climate, implementation is of the essence. At the twenty-sixth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in Glasgow and which concluded less than a month ago, countries agreed on a process to keep the 1.5°C goal alive. Implementing that commitment remains the first line of defence to prevent the adverse impact of climate change and is an effective way towards climate security. As we expressed in previous debates, the Security Council, which is entrusted with the maintenance of peace and security, should work towards ensuring that conflict prevention and peacebuilding approaches increasingly integrate climate considerations into their strategies. To that end, we are of the view that coordination between the Security Council and the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) could be enhanced by including the issue of climate security in the agenda of the PBC and of the Council. Prevention can also be strengthened by the adoption by the Council of a thematic draft resolution on climate security. Ten years after this organ agreed on a presidential statement on the impact of climate change on the maintenance of international peace and security (S/PRST/2011/15), the time has come for more concrete action by adopting a draft resolution. In that regard, Lebanon co-sponsored the draft resolution prepared by the Niger and Ireland, and we are hopeful that all members of the Council will adopt it in the upcoming days.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of Peru.

Mr. Ugarelli (Peru) (spoke in Spanish): First of all, I thank the Niger presidency of the Security Council, especially President Mohamed Bazoum, for taking the initiative to convene this open debate, which is providing us with an opportunity to jointly assess the issue of international security in the context of terrorism and climate change, as their implications constitute a threat to the maintenance of peace. In a world marked by an increase in situations of violence and in which ensuring transition processes from conflict to peace and development are becoming increasingly important, safeguarding civilian populations from terrorist threats and poor environmental management as a risk multiplier in terms of their consequences for ecosystems, water supply and food security, calls on us to determine the best way to generate synergies among States, regional and subregional organizations, civil society and the United Nations system for the management, prevention and mitigation of such risks. The importance of prioritizing joint efforts to appropriately determine actions to address climate change and terrorism, as root causes of conflicts, must already be part of our agenda and must be aimed at strengthening multilateral commitment as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, the peaceful settlement of disputes and the principle of collective security, given that both phenomena develop transnationally, are limitless in their devastating effects and know no borders. Peru agrees with what the Secretary-General sets forth in his report Our Common Agenda (A/75/982) in that our collective peace and security are increasingly threatened by new risks and dangerous trends that are very difficult to address with traditional methods of prevention and management, given that they involve transnational networks and new actors that are often linked to terrorism. Peru shares the report’s vision, given that the consequences of climate change contribute to instability, the displacement of entire populations, desertification and consequently limit access to the means of subsistence and resources, resulting in scarcity, which is often the trigger of conflicts. Efforts to prevent violent acts related to terrorism must consider approaches based on respect for human rights and the rule of law and, at the same time, promote inclusive pluralism to help avoid the threats posed by the rise of xenophobia, racism and other forms of intolerance, be they in the name of religion or belief. The twenty-sixth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, recently held in Glasgow, which focused on global warming, places us at a crossroads between immobility and ambitions far removed from the demands of the climate crisis, which is manifested in floods, droughts and other related consequences leading to individualism characterized by human need and misery, and which, as a whole, contribute to generating conflicts. The current international system, characterized by instability and inequality among nations and segments of society within States, requires a new world governance that builds peace from a structural and multidimensional perspective in which actions to prevent terrorism and mitigate the consequences of climate change contribute to the maintenance and consolidation of peace. In that regard, we support the new United Nations guidelines for both peacekeeping operations and the Organizational Committee of the Peacebuilding Commission to include the continuous evaluation of both phenomena in their areas of work.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of Qatar.

Ms. Al-Thani (Qatar) (spoke in Arabic): At the outset, we sincerely congratulate the Niger on assuming the presidency of the Security Council. We were pleased to see His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Bazoum, President of the Republic of the Niger, presiding over the open debate this morning. We also thank His Excellency Secretary-General António Guterres; His Excellency Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chair of the African Union Commission; and His Excellency Mr. Mamman Nuhu, Executive Secretary of the Lake Chad Basin Commission and Head of the Multinational Joint Task Force, for their valuable briefings. As peace, security and sustainable development are interrelated, the State of Qatar has sought to ensure the holistic nature of its global efforts to achieve peace and security taking into account the multi-aspect threats to peace and security, including the phenomena of terrorism and climate change. Aware of the persistent threat of terrorism to international peace, security and stability, the State of Qatar has stepped up its national efforts to fight terrorism and its financing. We have enhanced cooperation with international partners and our participation in international and regional arrangements. The State of Qatar enjoys an effective partnership with the United Nations in the area of counter- terrorism, including addressing the multi-aspect threats of terrorism and links to other risks, such as the link between the financing of terrorism and human trafficking. In addition, the State of Qatar supports United Nations programmes to build the capacities of Member States to counter this heinous scourge. With regard to climate change, the State of Qatar has taken a number of concrete steps to address this threat at the national and international levels. We hosted the eighteenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2012 and have actively participated in subsequent related sessions, including the latest twenty-sixth, session held in Glasgow, at which the delegation of the State of Qatar was headed by His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar. We have also taken the initiative of establishing the Global Dryland Alliance, one of the international mechanisms to address climate change. We recently announced our nationally determined contributions, which reflect the goals that we set for ourselves to adapt to climate change and mitigate its effects. As we are aware of the significant burden placed upon small island developing States and least developed countries resulting from climate change, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar, announced at the 2019 Climate Action Summit a contribution of $100 million to support and build the capacities of those countries to counter climate change. Fighting climate change and addressing its effects will be of the major issues on the agenda of the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, which will be hosted by the State of Qatar from 23 to 27 January 2022. We hope that this Conference would provide a vital opportunity to shed light on innovative plans and solutions to address climate change and its effects on international peace and security. In conclusion, the State of Qatar commends the Security Council for considering the challenges of climate change and terrorism and other threats to stability and security, as it fulfils its mandate of maintaining international peace and security. On its part, the State of Qatar will continue its efforts at the international level to contribute towards addressing emerging and multidimensional threats.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of the Dominican Republic.

Mr. Blanco Conde (Dominican Republic) (spoke in Spanish): The Dominican Republic thanks the Niger and its President, Mr. Mohamed Bazoum, for convening this meeting. My delegation associates itself with the statement delivered earlier by the representative of Germany on behalf of the Group of Friends on Climate and Security. We have sufficient evidence and testimonies from real people that the negative effects of climate change have diverse and profound repercussions. The potential for their effects to translate into root causes of conflict is becoming increasingly clear. We are therefore faced with a reality that the Security Council cannot ignore. The primary responsibility of this organ is to ensure international peace and security. That is indisputable but, at the same time, it has the unique ability to draw the attention of the entire United Nations system to how the Organization must integrate into its work the tools necessary for identifying, anticipating and eventually staving off the sources of destabilization and armed conflict. For that reason, during its term as a non-permanent member of the Council, the Dominican Republic advocated a comprehensive approach that would include climate risk in its deliberations and an increase in the flow of systematic and contextualized information provided by the Secretary-General. The draft resolution submitted by the Niger and Ireland constitutes both a historic opportunity and a great responsibility. It contains the essential elements to better equip the Council and increase its analytical competencies with regard to the entire peace and security pillar of the United Nations, opening the door to impactful action in line with the realities on the ground. My delegation calls on every member of the Council to not miss this opportunity and to vote in favour of the draft resolution and to channel their efforts towards rendering the Council more relevant, better informed and better prepared to take timely action. The Dominican Republic is honoured to co-sponsor the draft resolution and will do everything in its power to achieve its full implementation.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of Ukraine.

Mr. Vitrenko (Ukraine): Ukraine appreciates the initiative of the Nigerien presidency to hold this important high-level debate and welcomes the personal participation of the President of the Niger and the President of Estonia. We also express our gratitude to the Secretary-General and the other briefers for their rich insights. Having played an active part in the first-ever visit of the Security Council to the Lake Chad basin, in March 2017 and having witnessed first-hand the devastating impact on the ground of the terrorism and climate change nexus — to which I can personally testify, as one of the visit participants — Ukraine is closely following the challenge at hand. We also look forward to the adoption of the relevant Security Council draft resolution. While we align ourselves with the statement delivered by the observer European Union, I would like to make the following remarks in my national capacity. We fully share the view that both terrorism-related threats and the security implications of climate change should remain in the focus of the United Nations. Terrorism threatens our core values and principles, Any act of terrorism is unjustifiable and shall be punished. Unfortunately, Ukrainians know too well how evil terrorism can be. The Russian armed aggression against Ukraine has led to a sharp increase in terrorist threats in the occupied territories and throughout the country. It suffices to mention the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH-17 by the Russian Buk missile system, killing almost 300 innocent people of 17 nationalities. Ukraine remains fully committed to fighting terrorism and violent extremism. That includes taking effective measures to address conditions that allow the spread of that menace. We highly value civil society engagement, including that of women and youth, in counter-terrorism efforts at the domestic and global levels. We are convinced that combating the activities of individual terrorists and terrorist groups will not be sufficient if the problem of State-sponsored terrorism is not addressed in a robust and comprehensive way. Another matter of concern are attempts to use counter-terrorism as a pretext for repressive purposes in situations of occupation. We are appalled by the practices of the Russian occupying administration to oppress Crimean Tatar activists, human rights defenders and journalists in temporarily occupied Crimea under the guise of counter-terrorism measures and to terrorize civilians in temporarily occupied parts of Donbas. It is our joint task to ensure that all perpetrators, organizers, mentors and sponsors of terrorist activities be brought to justice. The environmental impacts of armed conflicts and terrorism also remain a source of serious concern. As a non-permanent member of the Council from 2016 to 2017, Ukraine made its own contribution to the advancement of new counter-terrorism standards by raising the issue of the protection of critical infrastructure from terrorist attacks. That resulted in the adoption of resolution 2341 (2017). Yet it is crucial for States to develop and put in place a strategy that would assign relevant tasks and responsibilities regarding the protection of critical infrastructure from terrorist attacks and extend its applicability to the area of environmental security. As the President of Ukraine stated at the twenty- sixth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Glasgow last month, “Our planet has two eco-bombs in the centre of Europe: occupied Crimea and part of Donbas”. The militarization of Crimea, which Russia is attempting to transform into its naval military base, has an adverse impact on the unique ecosystem of the peninsula and its adjacent waters. In that context, we welcome the adoption earlier today by the General Assembly of the fourth resolution entitled “Problem of the militarization of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine, as well as parts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov”, in which the international community reiterates, inter alia, its concern “regarding multiple military exercises of Russian armed forces held in Crimea and parts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, which undermine regional security and entail considerable long-term negative environmental consequences in the region (General Assembly resolution 76/70, para. 11). Moreover, the continued Russian aggression in Donbas also harmfully affects the environment in the region and creates high climate-related risks. For instance, in the occupied areas of Donbas, many coal mines have had their power supplies cut. The shut-down of mine ventilation and pumping systems often leads to volley emissions of mine gases and the flooding of mines and nearby areas. Yet the situation of occupation makes it impossible to assess the precise environment- and climate-related risks in those territories and implement the measures required to address them. The fight against terrorism and an efficient response to climate-related security risks are indispensable prerequisites for the maintenance of international peace and security. To deliver practical results, we need strong preventive diplomacy and resolve in returning to the tenets of international law. Our deliberations, therefore, must be followed by concrete actions to break the cycle of impunity and hold violators accountable.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of Guatemala.

Mr. Lam Padilla (Guatemala) (spoke in Spanish): We thank the delegation of the Republic of the Niger for convening this open debate on such a pertinent topic, namely, curbing the impacts of climate change and terrorism. Guatemala also appreciates the presence of His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Bazoum, President of the Republic of the Niger, to lead our deliberations today. The phenomenon of climate change and its negative impacts constitute an undeniable reality. It is necessary to address the issue as a threat to international peace and security without delay, as we will bear witness to the catastrophic long-term consequences if we do not act immediately and forcefully. As the international community, we are at a turning point in ensuring global peace and security. Today we face not only the pandemic caused by the coronavirus disease and its socioeconomic repercussions, but also the increasingly devastating effects of climate change that exacerbate existing trends, including migration and displacement. Unfortunately, in addition to all of that is the scourge of terrorism and its close links to organized crime, which affects millions of people, including women and children. As indicated in the concept paper (see S/2021/988), the negative impacts of climate change have been increasing, particularly in the Sahel region, as well as in many countries in Central America and the Caribbean. As such, we believe that it is necessary that the Security Council make the discussion of measures to prevent climate change from becoming a threat to international peace and security a high priority on its agenda. That will require protecting the most vulnerable and acting immediately to save lives, especially in emergency, disaster and crisis situations, by implementing humanitarian actions focused on building more resilient communities. My delegation has repeatedly stated that terrorism is a global phenomenon that must be addressed from its roots. All States are vulnerable to terrorist acts, since they represent a serious threat to international peace and security, undermine democracy and create political instability, impeding the economic and social development of our populations, as well as the full enjoyment of their human rights. Guatemala again stresses the danger posed by the link between transnational organized crime and terrorism, a relationship that promotes the illicit use of financial assets. Owing to its geographical position, our region has been affected by transnational networks that encourage the commission of crimes, especially those related to illicit drug trafficking. It is due precisely to the phenomenon of drug trafficking that trees have been cut down and tropical forests destroyed in order to build clandestine landing strips for loading and unloading drugs. Those reprehensible acts are having a devastating impact on the environment. In addition, my delegation wishes to emphasize that the impact of climate change on food security has the potential to lead to massive migration and conflict over water. We must prioritize health, the protection of lives and respect for the human rights of the most affected populations, including the most marginalized, as they are the most likely to fall prey to criminal and terrorist networks. The Security Council must prioritize conflict prevention in order to take decisions on issues that threaten international peace and security on the basis of scientific data, since its resolutions are binding. Climate change is a reality that is changing our lives. It is therefore necessary to take measures to promote stable and peaceful societies, while prioritizing the development of our populations.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of Sweden.

Ms. Eneström (Sweden): I have the pleasure to deliver this statement on behalf of the Nordic countries — Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and my own country, Sweden. I would like to thank you, Mr. President, and through you the President of the Niger, His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Bazoum, for convening this timely meeting. The recent twenty-sixth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting highlighted the urgent need of halting climate change in order to avoid disastrous consequences in the very near future. Without countermeasures, nature’s hand will shift from benevolent to malevolent. There will be no place to hide, and no society will be spared. Climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation have severe impacts on the availability of and access to natural resources such as water, food, forests and land. Those changes can increase competition over natural resources. That competition, in turn, can escalate into violence, particularly in areas that have already experienced conflict and where certain groups are excluded from natural-resource management. Today transnational environmental crime generates an estimated 38 per cent of the financing for illegal, non-State armed groups, including terrorist groups, representing their largest source of income. Armed groups increasingly capitalize on climate-related disasters and livelihood losses to expand their recruitment pool. They can use the impacts of climate change to position themselves as alternative service and relief providers where Government efforts are insufficient or unresponsive. We are way past the point for moving from words to action. United Nations missions and United Nations Resident Coordinators must play an active role in addressing local climate- and security-related risks and reporting to the Security Council. That work needs to be supported by the United Nations agencies that make up the Climate Security Mechanism. They need to build on local expertise in order to do so. Interventions should be based on the best available science. To understand the security risks of climate change, we need to look at a longer-term timescale. Simply dealing with the current climate variability is not enough. Close cooperation with national weather services, regional climate centres and the World Meteorological Organization is of the essence. The Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), with its emphasis on local ownership and inclusion, should address those risks. The PBC should also advise the Security Council on those matters. Six of the 10-largest United Nations missions operate in some of the countries most exposed to climate change. Research from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the Norwegian Institute for Foreign Policy and others has shown the importance of integrating a climate-change lens into peacekeeping and peacebuilding. The debate today, the continuing increase in members of the United Nations Group of Friends on Climate and Security and the recent landmark decision of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe on climate change are testament to the demand for systemic global action. Regular, periodic Secretary-General reports on the security implications of the adverse effects of climate change could form the basis of regular debates in the Security Council. We strongly support the adoption of a draft resolution by the Security Council to that effect, and we would like to thank you, Mr. President, for the strong commitment of the Niger and Ireland in that connection. In conclusion, how we decide to act today on the risks of climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation will determine the prospects for peaceful societies and human security for millions of people in the coming decades. Common challenges need a common understanding, solidarity and strong multilateral institutions for a secure and sustainable future.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of Australia.

Ms. Webster (Australia): Australia thanks the Niger for organizing this forum and welcomes this important discussion on the maintenance of international peace and security in the context of climate change. Climate change exacerbates the existing root causes of poverty and disproportionately affects the most fragile countries and the most vulnerable people within those countries. It acts as a threat multiplier, indirectly escalating the risk of conflict through mechanisms such as food and water insecurity, economic shocks and human mobility. Of course, the Niger has first- hand experience of the stresses imposed by a changing climate, including desertification and severe droughts. Addressing climate change requires global cooperation. We must reduce emissions, invest in mitigation and adaptation strategies and build social and economic resilience. In some countries, including those in the Sahel and the Lake Chad basin, political, social and environmental vulnerabilities intersect. In those regions, building resilience and enhancing efforts to avert, minimize and address the impacts of climate change is a key element of conflict prevention. Responsible management of the environment and natural resources, together with mitigation and adaptation planning and capacity-building, must be better integrated into peacebuilding activities. While assistance has been provided through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, regional coordination on climate change action and governance support could help drive more effective outcomes. For example, in Australia’s own neighbourhood, the Pacific islands are at great risk of the adverse consequences of climate change, and we have shown collective leadership to address the challenges. The Pacific Islands Forum countries signed the Boe Declaration, which acknowledged that climate change remains the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and well-being of our peoples. To help implement the Boe Declaration, Australia is working with Pacific partners to establish the Pacific Fusion Centre, which is operating in Vanuatu, to enhance regional information-sharing and analysis and to draw on climate data and disaster analysis to inform responses to shared security threats. The relationship between security and climate change is complex to understand and complex to address, but that cannot be an excuse for inaction. Australia recognizes that global and national efforts to reduce emissions and limit warming must be at the centre of our approach. Finalizing the Paris Agreement rulebook at the twenty-sixth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change this year was a significant step forward. It reaffirmed the importance of meeting global challenges with global solutions through the rules-based order and provides a framework to bring the Paris Agreement to life. Australia believes the Security Council can and should be engaged on this issue. Other parts of the United Nations system must complement global, regional and national efforts and assist us to better understand and address the security implications of climate change. Australia would welcome the opportunity to help the many valuable parts of the United Nations system to coalesce around a collective response to these pressing issues.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of Ecuador.

Mr. Montalvo Sosa (Ecuador) (spoke in Spanish): At the outset, I thank your country, Mr. President, the Niger, for the work it has done during its two years on the Security Council, which are coming to an end with this presidency. Since my delegation will not have another opportunity to do so in this principal organ, I also take this opportunity to recognize Estonia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia and Viet Nam for their contribution to the Security Council during the 2020- 2021 term, as it draws to a close. Ecuador is convinced of the crucial contribution of the elected members and the need for a more frequent rotation, which will only be achieved by expanding the category of non-permanent seats on the Security Council, an organ on which Ecuador aspires to serve in 2023-2024. On this occasion, I especially thank the leadership of the delegation of the Niger in convening this open debate, which complements the one organized by Ireland on climate and security, on 23 September (see S/PV.8864), during the high-level week. On that occasion, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ecuador, Ambassador Mauricio Montalva Samaniego, called for peacekeeping operations to be provided with the technical capabilities and mandates to assess climate-related security risks according to their specific contexts. Today’s meeting is an opportunity to reiterate and strengthen that call. Throughout the day, we have heard a number of statements about the Security Council’s competence in the area of international peace and security in the context of their link with climate change and terrorism. Similarly, the focus on conflict prevention promoted by Secretary-General António Guterres, clearly laid out in Our Common Agenda (A/75/982), as he reminded us at the beginning of this debate, and the outcome of the United Nations 2020 review of the peacebuilding architecture, contained in resolution 2558 (2020), require joint efforts by the Security Council and the entire United Nations system that include the climate issue in strategies to enhance sustained peace. Exactly one week ago, it was the seventeenth anniversary of the issuance of the report of the High- level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change (see A/59/565), established by then Secretary General Kofi Annan, which recognized that infectious diseases, environmental degradation and war are mutually reinforcing. With the loss of biodiversity, desertification and drought and with sea-level rise, there is an exacerbation of socioeconomic problems, such as food insecurity, precarious health-care systems, unemployment and a lack of means of subsistence. The catastrophic humanitarian consequences of climate change are also reflected in the loss of millions of lives, displacement and the weakening of the social fabric, with a disproportionate impact on women and girls and on vulnerable groups. Socioeconomic deterioration and marginalization generate conditions for the spread of violent extremism and organized crime. That is why, as we have previously stated, this meeting covers a key element of the problem of climate change and terrorism. Ecuador expresses gratitude for the statements delivered this morning. We agree on the advisability of strengthening the synergies among the Security Council, the other bodies of the United Nations system and regional and subregional efforts to combat terrorism and insecurity, such as the Group of Five for the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin Commission. Adequate financial resources, capacity-building and technology transfers for developing countries are essential. We recognize that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is the principal intergovernmental forum with the necessary experience and capabilities to negotiate a global response to climate change. These Security Council debates enable a complementary approach, rightly in my view, to the links between the climate and security. In addition to promoting complementarity and synergies within the United Nations, they also contribute to national efforts to prevent conflict and build peace. Finally, Ecuador supports the initiative of the Niger and Ireland that calls for the Security Council to adopt the draft resolution on climate and security, which will allow for a comprehensive understanding of this important item on the international agenda.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of Burkina Faso.

Mr. Sinka (Burkina Faso) (spoke in French): Before I begin, I would like, on behalf of His Excellency Mr. Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, President of Faso, congratulate the Security Council presidency of the Niger and in particular congratulate His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Bazoum, President of the Republic of the Niger, whose presence at this debate demonstrates the importance of the issue under consideration. I would also like to congratulate all Council members on the successful organization of this debate on such an important theme, namely, the maintenance of international peace and security in the context of terrorism and climate change and thank them for allowing us to participate in this event. I thank all speakers for their contributions, which have given us a better understanding of the topic. The achievement of international peace and security is one of the main purposes of the United Nations. The world is facing multiple challenges that threaten the achievement of our Sustainable Development Goals. Terrorism and climate change are new contemporary threats that further complicate the achievement of the common ideal of peace for humankind. In Africa, and in particular in the countries of the Group of Five for the Sahel (G-5 Sahel), including Burkina Faso, these two threats have led to an unprecedented security and humanitarian crisis, severely hampering the opportunities for growth and developments, and civilians, in particular women and children, are paying the highest price. Our populations are facing, on a daily basis, the adverse effects of these threats, which can be seen in unprecedented natural disasters, including increasingly prolonged droughts, heat waves, intense dust clouds, significant loss of biodiversity and so forth. On a more global level, we are witnessing an alarming increase in temperatures and the emergence of extreme weather phenomena, which threaten the survival of populations and jeopardize their already meagre means of subsistence, often turning them into climate refugees. Climate change is a source of instability. It causes and accentuates conflicts between communities with regard to access to meagre shared resources; this is as true for water management as it is for arable land. Along the same lines, armed terrorist groups are undermining the State’s presence in the affected areas, making access to basic social services even more difficult. They exacerbate intercommunal tensions, undermine the foundations of the rule of law and democracy and force people to move away from their homes. In Burkina Faso, more than 1 million people have been forced to flee their homes owing to the threat of terrorism, which, unfortunately and dangerously, makes life more precarious for many families. Insecurity caused by terrorism and climate change constitutes a serious threat to international peace and security. In that regard, I would like to appeal to the members of the Security Council to adopt stronger measures in support of affected countries. We must act now before it is too late by providing more support to existing programmes and mechanisms, including the United Nations Support Plan for the Sahel, Agenda 2063 of the African Union and the efforts of the G-5 Sahel, as well as those of individual countries. In that context, I would like to recall, and express our support for, the Secretary-General’s initiatives contained in his report Our Common Agenda (A/75/982), which provides a good basis for collectively addressing the challenges of peace and climate change. Finally, I would like to stress the need for financial support for all initiatives to maintain international peace and security. We must work harder to mobilize sufficient, predictable and sustainable funding. That must be done in a coherent manner, closely involving all relevant multilateral and bilateral partners, as well as civil society and the private sector. Burkina Faso supports the initiative of the Niger and Ireland proposing a draft resolution on climate change. It is through more meaningful cooperation and collaborative action that we will ultimately succeed in putting an end to terrorism, curbing the degradation of our environment and safeguarding our common good, which is the planet.

The President (spoke in French): The representative of the Russian Federation has asked for the floor to make a further statement.

Mr. Chumakov (Russian Federation) (spoke in Russian): I apologize for taking the floor again. We listened very carefully to what has been said today. We are very concerned about the problems occurring in the region. However, we are against generic discussions because they can be used for politicization. Specifically, the delegation of Ukraine made that mistake just now. We are convinced, and see, that for our Ukrainian neighbours any Security Council meeting is now used as an excuse to present a distorted picture of the world, where Russia is guilty of all ills. I am sure that everyone has had enough of that. We can see that in today’s vote in the General Assembly, which had nothing to do with the actual situation regarding Ukraine. Despite Kyiv’s efforts, the support significantly decreased and did not even achieve a third of the votes. We therefore urge that we do not concern ourselves with unnecessary matters but instead implement the Minsk agreements.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of Nigeria.

Mr. Edokpa (Nigeria): At the outset, let me congratulate you, Mr. President, on the Niger’s presidency of the Security Council for the month of December. I thank you and your delegation for organizing this important meeting. Nigeria appreciates the opportunity to speak at this event, and we wish to reiterate our unwavering commitment to promoting international peace and security. Let me also thank the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, His Excellency Mr. Faki Mahamat, and the Executive Secretary of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, Ambassador Mamman Nuhu, for their comprehensive briefings. Nigeria condemns in the strongest possible terms the recent multiple attacks against peacekeepers from Mali and Togo and calls for the prosecution of the perpetrators of those grave crimes. In that regard, Nigeria joins others in sponsoring the draft resolution on climate and security proposed by the Niger and Ireland. Terrorism and climate change remain among the greatest threats to international peace and security for our generation. Both phenomena are capable of triggering violent conflict and insecurity, especially in communities with pre-existing tensions, weak governance and other socioeconomic challenges. The adverse effects of climate change on communities, including the loss of livelihoods, hunger, poverty, inequality and migration, can often prompt clashes over resources that can create an enabling environment for terrorist groups to recruit and spread their extremist ideology. Given the Security Council’s important role in maintaining international peace and security and its noteworthy efforts in combating global terrorism, today’s meeting is an opportunity to give the highest priority to climate action and seek holistic responses to the threats that both climate change and terrorism pose to international peace and security. In that regard, allow me to underscore five measures that Nigeria considers vital to that goal. First, it is often said that where there is a lack of development, there is also likely to be a lack of peace. As developing nations are among the hardest hit by climate impacts, providing essential services and critical infrastructure to catalyse economic growth remains imperative. In addition, strengthening their criminal justice systems remains key to ensuring that all terrorists are made to account for their crimes. In that regard, there is a need for Governments and international partners to enhance collaboration in areas of development to prevent terrorism and terrorist groups from exploiting the deficiencies of Governments. Secondly, international cooperation on combating climate change and countering terrorism remains vital to ensuring global security, and it requires a whole-of- United Nations response. Member States should ensure the integrated and balanced implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy along its four pillars, as well as upholding their obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The United Nations system has a responsibility to maintain its support to all Member States in fulfilling those objectives. Thirdly, multilateral support for regional efforts to curb the threats of terrorism, especially in the Sahel and Lake Chad basin regions of sub-Saharan Africa, which have fast become a hotbed for insecurity, should be enhanced. That could ensure that collaborations such as the Multinational Joint Task Force and the Group of Five for the Sahel Joint Force receive adequate external support to build capacity and develop appropriate solutions to effectively neutralize the threat of Boko Haram, the Islamic State in West Africa Province and other terrorist groups in the region. Fourthly, there is a need to enhance capacity and build expertise across the United Nations on the growing interlinkages between climate impacts and violent conflict. Such knowledge could help bolster the already immeasurable impact of peacekeeping and political missions. As most of those missions already occur in conflict settings that are challenged by a loss of biodiversity, desertification or other climate change-related issues, such knowledge should bring about tailored mechanisms for building lasting peace and criminalizing extremism. Finally, despite a low contribution to greenhouse-gas emissions and global warming, many African countries are most vulnerable to extreme weather conditions and natural disasters that affect livelihoods. The impacts are exacerbated by rapid population growth, fragile economies, a high dependence on rain for agriculture and a weak climate-adaptive capacity. Against the backdrop of the recently concluded twenty-sixth session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in Glasgow, let me reiterate the need for developed countries to honour their promises to mobilize $100 billion yearly to support climate action in developing countries. That could go a long way to provide predictable sources of financing for climate-adaptive measures, such as early-warning systems, within many climate-affected regions, especially on the African continent. In conclusion, as no one nation or region in the world is completely immune or safe from the effects of climate change or terrorism, we call for a unified and comprehensive approach, through stronger partnerships and strengthened global efforts, to address these challenges. Furthermore, let me reiterate Nigeria’s unwavering determination to meet its climate goals as a means of alleviating the untold hardship and improving peace and security in Nigeria, the subregion and beyond.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of Bahrain.

Mr. Alrowaiei (Bahrain) (spoke in Arabic): At the outset, it is my pleasure to thank you, Mr. President, as well as His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Bazoum, President of the Niger, for presiding over today’s meeting. I also thank the Permanent Mission of the Niger for convening this meeting on the maintenance of international peace and security in the context of terrorism and climate change. I also thank His Excellency the Secretary- General, Mr. António Guterres, and the other briefers for their contributions today. Terrorism is one of the greatest challenges faced by the international community, which is addressing this dangerous phenomenon as it increases insecurity and lack of stability, targets achievements by States and peoples and prevents progress and prosperity. The Kingdom of Bahrain continues its efforts to combat this serious scourge, which is spreading and becoming a global threat. The Kingdom of Bahrain has always actively contributed and coordinated with various States in the fight against terrorism and its financing by acceding to many regional and international conventions and treaties. The Kingdom also participates in and supports the efforts of the international coalition to combat the Da’esh terrorist organization. The Kingdom of Bahrain reiterates its commitment to implementing the various international resolutions on combating the financing of terrorism. We regularly submit periodic reports pursuant to the relevant Security Council resolutions. We also implement the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, adopted by the General Assembly in 2006 (resolution 60/288), and the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force on money laundering and terrorist financing. As a small island developing State, the Kingdom of Bahrain pays close attention to climate change. We believe that climate change is an international challenge that requires international collective solutions. Although Bahrain’s emissions do not exceed 0.07 per cent of global emissions, it has adopted a number of measures to counter the negative effects of climate change. Our country is affected by temperature and sea-level rise. According to our economic vision for 2030, my country has adopted integrated plans to increase the use of renewable energy. It recently adopted many initiatives to eliminate carbon, in particular through increasing mangroves by a factor of four, planting more trees in general and investing directly in carbon-capture techniques. Bahrain supports the Middle East initiative announced by the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in October. We support initiatives adopted by the Middle East Green Initiative Summit. His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, announced at the climate change conference in Glasgow in November that our country is committed to reaching carbon neutrality by 2060. Moreover, the Kingdom of Bahrain has endorsed four important international initiatives on climate change — the global coalition for the oceans, the Global Methane Pledge, the Greening Government Initiative and the United Arab Emirates strategic initiative to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 — in support of international cooperation and hard work, in order to address challenges and implement commitments to achieving whatever is possible to meet climate goals that contribute to preserving our planet and ensuring a safer and better future for future generations. Finally, the Kingdom of Bahrain is ready to hear all points of view on combating terrorism and security threats related to climate change in the context of maintaining international peace and security. We are also ready to work towards strengthening international cooperation to address such challenges, particularly during conflict or post-conflict times. We hope that the discussions at this meeting will help us to arrive at a clearer concept about the relationship between terrorism and climate change. The Kingdom of Bahrain confirms its support for any international consensus in this regard to achieve stability, security and prosperity for all peoples and nations of the world.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of Sri Lanka.

Mr. Pieris (Sri Lanka): I wish to congratulate the Republic of the Niger on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for this month and appreciate the convening of today’s high-level meeting. The Security Council has been at the forefront of the united international response to combat terrorism, as we have seen in the benchmarks set by resolutions 1373 (2001) and 2560 (2020), the latter adopted in December 2020. However, we must note that the face of terrorism has become extremely complex. Its roots have gone beyond spreading religious or political ideology. Terrorism has become a governance mechanism and a lucrative economic activity for some. It is this phenomenon and the new modus operandi that we must recognize and take a more proactive stance in curbing. The scourge of terrorism will be a persistent threat to global peace and security as long as its feeders and threat multipliers are not addressed, and climate change has established itself as one of the greatest threat multipliers. The interplay between climate change and terrorism is a critical dimension of the climate-security nexus and needs to be evaluated, discussed and met with a unified global response. It is a cyclical and complex relationship wherein natural disasters exacerbate existing structural and social vulnerabilities and add pressure to the already tenuous relationship between resources and civil unrest. Peace and security are often found together in the sense of maintaining international peace and security. Whereas peace was traditionally conceived as the absence of war, resolution 46/14, of October 1991, defined peace in a more positive sense to foster human rights, social and economic development, disarmament, protection of the environment and improvement of the quality of life for all as sine qua non for the establishment of peaceful societies. Owing to its inherent intersubjectivity, security as a concept poses a considerable challenge in terms of detecting any definitive normative or legal meaning, but there is no doubt as to the legal effects of security. Security considerations often prevail in drafting and implementing laws. In terms of the international legal order, security is not traditionally viewed as a legal principle but is seen, along with peace, as the primary purpose of the United Nations Charter and the Organization constituted by it. The International Court of Justice declared that “[t]he primary place ascribed to international peace and security is natural, since the fulfilment of the other purposes will be dependent upon the attainment of that basic condition”. Without peace nothing is possible. While this is a broad and open-ended definition of peace, security is perhaps more elusive, and it has not been the subject of formal definition or elaboration by the United Nations. According to the academics, the concept of security is politically very savvy. It is weakly conceptualized and a highly contentious concept. In general terms, security is an absence of threats to States, groups and individuals, and it implies methods to achieve a condition of security through measures designed to prevent threats from materializing at all. When one undertakes an international legal analysis, it tends to focus on the principles of the Charter, set out in Article 2, which includes the principles applicable to the United Nations of sovereign equality and non-intervention and the duties of States, primarily the obligation to settle disputes peacefully and the duty to refrain from the threat or use of force. However, Article 1 is important for international law more broadly because it sets the purposes — arguably the values that the United Nations system aims to achieve and uphold. It is worth considering Article 1, paragraph 1, in greater detail because it only places security — partly, I would say — within the framework of international law by declaring that the maintenance of peace and security can be achieved through the taking of effective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and by bringing about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustments or settlements of international settlements or disputes or situations. The prospect of United Nations security action unbound by international law, as one academic puts it, runs like a red thread through the Charter. First, there is the principle that the United Nations should not intervene in domestic affairs, but that does not prejudice action taken by the Security Council under Chapter VII. Secondly, the ban on the use of force allows for only two exceptions: self-defence and military action taken to combat threats to, and breeches of, the peace as authorized by the Security Council under Chapter VII. The content of the Charter seems to favour security, especially the collective coercive type found in Chapter VII, unfortunately, over the law. The achievement of peace and security is the raison d’être of the United Nations, and the enforcement of international law is secondary to that. Let me say a quick word with regard to security and climate change. A central question is whether climate change is a security issue. In the late 1980s, climate change was seen as second only to a global nuclear war. In 2009, the General Assembly adopted resolution 63/281, on climate change and its possible security implications. The resolution resulted in a report prepared by the Secretary-General (A/64/350), which identifies five aspects that are considered as having an impact on security. The first is vulnerability. The report states that climate change threatens food security and human health and exposes humans to extreme events. The second is development. The report states that climate change results in reversing the development process, and it exacerbates the vulnerability and undermines the stability of States. The third is coping and security. The report states that migration, competition over natural resources and other coping responses increase the number of domestic issues. Fourthly, it deals with statelessness, whereby there are implications for rights, security and sovereignty of the loss of statehood because of the disappearance of territory. Lastly, it deals with international conflict in the context that there may be implications for international cooperation from the impact of climate change on undemarcated international resources. Climate change has therefore brought the world to face unprecedented problems. It has the potential to affect the lives of individuals who live in coastal regions, or a farmer who is dependent on rain. It can affect national security by disrupting livelihoods, lead to displacement and migration and increase conflict over limited resources, people’s property and the economy and safety of a nation. In certain regions of the world, we have seen where the loss of traditional livelihoods has increased the opportunity cost of exploring membership in armed groups, and we have seen the increase of youth viewing the potential of terrorist and rebel groups as providing an alternative source of income. Increased insurgent activity fuels environmental collapse, agricultural and infrastructure loss, the degradation of natural resources and desertification, creating an environment of internal unrest, migration, statelessness and ending in conflict over scarce resources. Understanding the root causes and ensuring that we do not underestimate the impact of climate change is imperative to ensure a long-standing global peace. Terrorism and climate change are not siloed threats to humankind, but rather different manifestations of the same threat that builds on human fear and insecurity.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of Korea.

Mr. Cho (Republic of Korea): First of all, I thank the President for convening this timely open debate on security and climate change. As the report of the Secretary-General Our Common Agenda (A/75/982) highlights, climate change is contributing to instability and is affecting livelihoods, access to resources and human mobility trends. We have witnessed those trends in many parts of the world, especially in the Sahel region, where climate change has affected people, and communities are struggling for their livelihoods, often falling into the hands of terrorist groups, and in the small island countries, where one severe weather event can threaten the very existence of the people and the State themselves, resulting in tens of thousands of migrants moving away. It is now our common understanding that, in most of the conflict-affected regions, where the activities of United Nations peacekeeping operations and special political missions are ongoing, climate change is aggravating already-vulnerable situations on the ground. Therefore, in preventing conflicts and rebuilding peace after conflicts, it is essential to take into account climate change-related factors and build greater resilience to them. In doing so, we especially need to take heed of how terrorist and violent extremist groups exploit such situations and counter such acts appropriately. In that connection, Korea believes that an all- of-United Nations approach is needed to address the climate-security nexus, including the active engagement of the Security Council. Korea supports the work of the Climate Security Mechanism and the Informal Expert Group on Climate and Security. We also welcome the idea of the Secretary-General regularly reporting on this issue before the Council. In order to better cope with the climate threat posed to security, we need to address the root cause itself, that is, climate change. Last month, we took an important step in Glasgow. Yet science tells us that that is not enough. We must aim higher and do more to reduce emissions and limit temperature rise with urgency. Korea has been accelerating its efforts in that regard. Last year, in the middle of the pandemic, we declared 2050 the year by which we would achieve carbon neutrality. This year, we established a presidential committee on carbon neutrality and enacted a framework act for green growth and carbon neutrality. After intense discussions with all stakeholders, this year Korea announced its enhanced 2030 nationally determined contribution of reducing emissions by 40 per cent below its 2018 level. Climate change will increasingly pose a threat to global peace and security. The Security Council, as the primary organ responsible for maintaining global peace and security, needs to be more involved in this issue. In recognizing the importance of the linkage between climate change and global security, Korea recently joined the Group of Friends on Climate and Security. In this light, we are also delighted to co-sponsor the draft resolution on climate and security, presented by the Niger and Ireland. The Republic of Korea, as a candidate for membership of the Council for the term 2024 to 2025, is willing to join forces in global actions to address existing and potential security threats, including climate change. We will spare no effort to promote global peace and security.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Mr. Pérez Ayestarán (Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela) (spoke in Spanish): As this is our first time taking the floor this month, allow us to wish you, Sir, every success at the helm of the Security Council during December. We would also like to take this opportunity to recognize the work of Mexico in its presidency over the Council in November. At the outset, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela would like to reaffirm two central issues in its statement, namely, its categorical rejection of international terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and its firm commitment to the fight against climate change. We agree that, as indicated in the concept paper prepared to guide the deliberations of this debate (see S/2021/988), the intensification of both scourges in recent years is a source of great concern for the entire international community. In that vein, we reiterate that international terrorism today represents one of the greatest threats to international peace and security. The criminal acts committed by terrorist groups threaten the territorial integrity and political unity of States, while seeking to generate terror, destabilize legitimate Governments and undermine their constitutional order. We reject, in that connection, the exploitation of the ongoing pandemic for the perpetration of terrorist acts and reiterate that the use of terrorism and violence to promote the overthrow of legitimate Governments is clearly unacceptable. For its part, while climate change — the consequences of which have accelerated in recent months — constitutes an existential threat to all humankind, that phenomenon has a major impact on the countries of the South, and especially on small island developing States. We insist, in that regard, on the need to comply fully with the relevant commitments in that area, including the three pillars in our joint response to global warming, and to always observe the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. We further stress that the illegal application of unilateral coercive measures has serious repercussions on climate action, as they undermine, inter alia, the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and efforts aimed at adaptation, mitigation, financing and the acquisition and transfer of technologies. We agree that, in situations of armed conflict or post-conflict, the adverse effects of climate change may represent an additional threat that has the potential to further exacerbate the situation on the ground. However, we must express our concern over attempts to securitize such a sensitive issue that concerns us all, without exception, by having it addressed by the Security Council, which has a clear mandate to ensure prompt and effective action by the United Nations in cases that threaten international peace and security. Furthermore, if that practice were to be consolidated, it would open the door to invoking issues related to climate change for the purpose of including certain countries on the agenda of this organ for purely political motivations that are clearly not in line with those established in Article 24 of the Charter of the United Nations. Similarly, we reiterate that climate change must be addressed through cooperation and concerted action; that is, within the framework of multilateralism and under the auspices of the United Nations, in order to ensure the due participation of the entire international community. Therefore, the General Assembly, as the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the main forum for discussing and comprehensively addressing that important issue, represent more inclusive platforms for forging consensus and adopting decisions, jointly and on an equal footing, on the course of action to follow in order to achieve the goals we have set together. In conclusion, we echo the words of the Secretary- General in that there is no planet B. That is why there can be no other option than collective action with a sense of urgency to make climate justice a reality now, without political calculations or pettiness. Venezuela is determined to continue participating actively and constructively to that end, but we would warn of the dangers of including the issue on the agenda of the Security Council. On the one hand, it would do nothing to contribute to the efforts under way to address the climate crisis. On the other, it would perpetuate the organ’s practice of usurping functions that are not within its scope of competence by insisting on addressing issues that go beyond the powers conferred upon it by the founding Charter of our Organization.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of Morocco.

Mr. Kadiri (Morocco) (spoke in French): At the outset, I would like to thank the Republic of the Niger for having convened this high-level Security Council debate on the crucial matter of international peace and security in the context of terrorism and climate change, and I welcome the presence earlier today of His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Bazoum, President of the Republic the Niger. I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate the brotherly Republic of the Niger for its highly appreciated contributions as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, doing great honour to our African continent. I would also like to thank the briefers for their extremely valuable interventions. Morocco is situated in a region that clearly demonstrates the interlinkages between climate change, security and sustainable development. The African continent and the Sahel region in particular disproportionately suffer under the impacts of climate change, to which it has made practically no contributions. In that vein, Morocco is fully committed to pursue the dynamic launched at the first African Action Summit aimed at reaching a continental agreement on an ambitious and specific transnational project in line with the guidelines of His Majesty Mohammed VI. Morocco will continue to provide political, financial and technical support within the framework of South-South cooperation with the Lake Chad Basin Commission, the Group of Five for the Sahel and landlocked developing States. With regard to the various environmental issues resulting from climate change, there is also an increasingly clear causality between climate change and rising levels of violence and instability and the spread of scourge of terrorism in certain regions. Indeed, in several regions, climate change is a threat multiplier, as it exacerbates vulnerabilities due to a scarcity of resources. The lack of economic resources as a result of the loss of traditional livelihoods has created fertile ground for recruitment by terrorist and armed groups, in particular among young people. It is therefore vital that the international community act wherever climate change poses a threat to international peace and security by creating conflict situations or security issues. By committing to taking action on the ground, the United Nations must deal with increasingly complex situations and asymmetric threats. That reaffirms the need to take those threats into consideration as part of peacekeeping operations and their working methods. In the context of the fight against asymmetric threats, it is important to deepen the triangular dialogue on cooperation among the Security Council, the Secretariat and troop- and police-contributing countries in order to better coordinate United Nations peacekeeping missions, define their mandates and ensure proper use of resources. Moreover, peacekeeping missions must decrease their environmental footprint and support host countries in their environmental initiatives. As a troop-contributing country, Morocco strives to ensure that its participation in peacekeeping missions has a minimal environmental impact in line with the aims of the United Nations environment strategy for missions on the ground. We commend the positive results achieved with the completion of the first phase to that end. In that connection, the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces have adopted a national strategy, the measures contained in which concern all Moroccan contingents deployed on the ground within the framework of peacekeeping operations. Furthermore, Moroccan contingents have also benefited from specific training modules to raise awareness among Blue Helmets of their environmental responsibility. Once again, Mr. President, I thank you very much for convening this extremely important debate.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of Fiji.

Mr. Prasad (Fiji): We are very heartened by the Niger’s sustained leadership throughout its Security Council tenure, as well as the efforts of Ireland, to maintain interest and actions on the debate on climate and security within the Security Council. At the recently concluded twenty-sixth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the world’s attention was focused on one number — 1.5°C. We left Glasgow with hope for 1.5°C, but that hope is hanging by a weak thread. Securing 1.5°C is, by far, the most important peace and security investment that the world can make today. It is that simple, because the members of the Security Council are deeply aware that even at 1.2°C, the majority of Council’s peace interventions are engagements where climate crisis already shapes, exacerbates and defines the contours of conflict that our peacekeepers are trying to redress. This afternoon’s debate in the Security Council therefore must help to build climate resilience in ways that promote peace and stability, rather than lead to inaction, which would fuel conflict, instability and even possible State collapse. That is what is before the Council — not more, not less. Throughout the day and during earlier discussions on climate change and security, many countries shared their experiences with the Security Council. Country after country has shown evidence that repeated climate catastrophes, combined with slow-onset climate change, are transforming stable regions into regions that now face heightened instability, growing fragility and intensifying conflict. Today we also heard about the rise of new weapons of war. One would have thought that those new weapons would be cyberweapons or high-tech weapons, but that is not so. The climate crisis has brought to the forefront new weapons of war — selective access to increasingly scarce water resources, fertile lands and homes unaffected by sea-level rise. We are also seeing strong positive trends, such as how Security Council peacekeeping interventions and Blue Helmets are investing in desilting lakes and river systems for the sake of peace and security. Some are building nature-based solutions to protect communities from sea-level rise, which is helping to restore peace and stability. We hope that those lessons are also taken into account as we consider the draft resolution before the Council. The Security Council is at an important crossroads. How the Security Council takes forward the advice of many Member States in the General Assembly will shape how well and how substantively the world can respond to growing, more diverse threats to peace and security within regions and between countries. Allow me to convey to the Security Council two important messages from Fiji and Pacific leaders. At its most recent meeting, Fiji and Pacific island leaders issued the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Ocean Statement 2021, indicating that our maritime zones and the rights and entitlements that flow from the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea shall continue to apply without reduction, notwithstanding any physical changes connected to climate change-related sea-level rise. That is Pacific island leaders doing the work of the Security Council. That Statement follows our Boe Declaration on Regional Security, in which our leaders assert that: “climate change remains the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and well-being of the peoples of the Pacific.” I underscore that the Declaration does not say that climate change is the second-most important threat or one of the main threats, but the single greatest threat. Against that backdrop, we are heartened and welcome the draft resolution co-sponsored by the Niger and Ireland and submitted for the Security Council’s consideration, and we urge its speediest adoption. The text before the Council provides a pragmatic way forward and a good starting point. I have two final observations to share. First, none of the small States of the Pacific were members of the Organization when the Charter of the United Nations was adopted, for if we had been, we might have helped the United Nations frame the security discussions differently. At no time in the Security Council’s 75-year history has a Pacific island ever sat on the Council, but at every opportunity, we have said to the Council that we see security and peace differently from others. For 30 years, we have consistently said that climate change is the most persistent and gravest threat to peace and security. We have reiterated that message before the Council time and again at every opportunity. Secondly, the Security Council is at a cusp. It can take a measured, small and necessary step forward by adopting the draft resolution under consideration. By doing so, the Council would be telling us, our communities and our people, who face constant dislocation, that this is also their Security Council. The Council would be telling thousands of Pacific Islanders today — in the Marshall Islands, in Kiribati, in the Solomon Islands, in Papua New Guinea — whose homes were flooded for the first time in one of the rarest of king tides, that this is also their Security Council.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of Belarus.

Mr. Pilipenko (Belarus) (spoke in Russian): Belarus shares the serious concern of the international community regarding the topic of today’s open debate, namely, combating terrorism and overcoming climate change. Belarus is an active participant in combating these issues, both as part of its national efforts and in the international arena. It is indisputable that both are international and transboundary issues. In that context, Belarus urges further international cooperation and collaboration to effectively and efficiently combat terrorism and climate change. By the same token, we view climate change and natural disasters as just one of the many issues and factors that have a direct and indirect impact on international security. This topic is multidimensional and varies according to the unique climate and environmental conditions in each country, taking the form of desertification in one place, floods and tsunamis in another, earthquakes in a third, the disappearance of mangroves in a fourth, and so on. That is why a generic approach is impossible. Instead, this requires an individual approach and assistance based on the requests of each State. In that connection, we underscore the importance of taking action only with the consent of the national Governments of the recipient States. Belarus also believes that all countries, especially developing and least developed countries, need to strengthen their national capacities to overcome the problems each of them face. To that end, we must work together to facilitate access to technology, education and financing, among other things. We are concerned that focusing on climate change in the work of the Security Council could mean neglecting hundreds of other factors affecting international security and instability. Access to vaccines, poverty, unilateral coercive measures against individual States, women’s rights, the protection of children and other topics may have an equal or even greater impact on peace and security in certain situations. In that context, we believe that the primary responsibility of the Security Council should remain to address and eradicate the root causes of conflict. Focusing the Council’s work on climate change would also violate the principle of division of responsibilities and tasks among the organs, bodies and agencies of the United Nations system, and could therefore lead to the duplication of functions. In that regard, we call for utilizing the full potential of existing mechanisms under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and engaging in more active work in the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development and other specialized forums to address climate change specifically. Belarus is a candidate for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council for 2024-2025 and is prepared to cooperate with all States on these matters in all forums in the search for mutually acceptable solutions to issues challenging international peace and security.

The President (spoke in French): I now give the floor to the representative of Uzbekistan.

Mr. Ibragimov (Uzbekistan): First of all, let me commend you, Mr. President, and the Permanent Mission of the Niger for convening this open debate on maintaining international peace and security in the context of terrorism and climate change. Today global warming causes extreme natural cataclysms around the world, such as droughts, hurricanes, debilitating heat, fires, torrential rains and floods, which present significant challenges for the international community. The Government of Uzbekistan has been making consistent efforts to address climate change, which is one of the important prerequisites for maintaining international peace and security. As President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan has noted, today every country feels the destructive effects of the consequences of climate change, and these negative consequences directly pose a threat to the stable development of the Central Asian region. Scientists warn that, if global warming continues at the current pace, then by the end of the twenty-first century the average temperature in the world will increase well above 2°C, and in Central Asia that indicator could be even higher. In that regard, Uzbekistan welcomes the outcome of the recent Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which resulted in agreeing the Glasgow Climate Pact to keep warming to 1.5°C and finalize the outstanding elements of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. For its part Uzbekistan, remains firmly committed to moving towards renewable energy sources. In particular, it envisages doubling the energy efficiency of our economy by 2030 by increasing the share of renewable energy by 25 per cent and developing environmentally clean transportation. To achieve those goals, we have adopted a national strategy for the transition to the green economy for the period 2019 to 2030. In addition, during the general debate at the seventy-sixth session of General Assembly last September, the President of Uzbekistan proposed to develop a global environmental charter aimed at laying the foundations for a new environmental policy of the United Nations. Climate change also results in shrinking already scarce water resources in various part of the world, which becomes a potential source of instability. Uzbekistan stands for cooperation in the field of water resources on the basis of sovereign equality, territorial integrity, mutual benefit and good faith in the spirit of good-neighbourliness and cooperation. According to some projections, by 2050 the water resources of the basins of the two major rivers in Central Asia, the Syr Darya and the Amu Darya, are expected to decrease by up to 5 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively. In addition, the shortage of fresh water in the region by 2050 could lead to the reduction of the regional gross domestic product by 11 per cent. The only way to effectively address the negative consequences of those challenges is to increase mutual trust and understanding and strengthen bonds of friendship and cooperation. In that regard, the Central Asian countries have been making concerted efforts in this direction. In particular, at the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan, the Central Asian countries have jointly established the platform of consultative meetings of Heads of State to constructively discuss the entire range of issues pertaining to our region with an aim to maintain peace and security in Central Asia. During the third consultative meeting, held in August, the President of Uzbekistan called for the development of a regional programme — a green agenda — for Central Asia, which will contribute to the adaptation of the countries of the region to climate change. Terrorism and violent extremism today continue to pose persistent transnational threats, which require close international cooperation against that evil. Central Asia was the first region where a comprehensive and integrated implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy was launched. On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the Joint Plan of Action for the Implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia, Uzbekistan will host an international conference next year entitled “Regional Cooperation among Central Asian States within the Framework of the Joint Plan of Action for the Implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy”. We hope that it will provide a good opportunity for the countries of our region to further forge close cooperation in the fight against terrorism. In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that Uzbekistan attaches great importance to the issues of maintaining peace and security and tackling climate change and remains committed to continue close cooperation with Member States and other stakeholders in this realm. The meeting rose at 5.55 p.m.