S/PV.9345Resumption1 Security Council

The President: I would like 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. Flashing lights on the collars of the microphones will prompt speakers to bring their statements to a close after four minutes. I now give the floor to the representative of Mexico.

Mr. De la Fuente Ramírez (Mexico) (spoke in Spanish): The situations in the countries of the Sahel, and in Somalia and Haiti, are striking examples of how the adverse effects of climate change can multiply the risks of conflict by, among other things, increasing food insecurity and the vulnerability of populations to natural disasters. We are therefore grateful to the United Arab Emirates for convening this timely open debate, which will enable us to bring the unavoidable discussion on the effects of climate change on international peace and security up to date. Mexico believes that the threats posed by climate change should be systematically integrated into the Security Council’s agenda. In that regard, I would like to make three substantive comments. First, risk assessments for the effects of climate change should be incorporated into all Council reports in support of the work of both the Climate Security Mechanism and the Peacebuilding Commission. This is about strengthening the strategies of the United Nations system as a whole, for peacebuilding as well as for conflict prevention and mediation. Secondly, disaster risk reduction strategies and plans in special political missions and peacekeeping operations should be strengthened to ensure the availability of efficient and safe humanitarian assistance. Thirdly, emerging economies in particular require access to the means they need to meet the targets set out in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement. In that connection, accessible financing, capacity-building and technology transfer are essential. We reiterate our call for developed countries to comply with their climate finance commitments, including the new Loss and Damage Fund for harm done to the countries that are most vulnerable to climate change. My country believes that the Security Council’s efforts should consider the specific effects of climate change in conflict-prevention and conflict-management strategies. Avoiding those issues will only hinder the Council’s fulfilment of its mandate. In conclusion, we would like to assure the United Arab Emirates that Mexico will participate actively and constructively in the twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in Dubai.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Italy.

Mr. Massari (Italy): I thank the United Arab Emirates for convening this meeting and the briefers for their insights. Italy aligns itself with the statement made by the representative of Germany on behalf of the Group of Friends on Climate and Security, and with the statement to be delivered on behalf of the European Union. Recurring droughts in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, rising sea levels in the Pacific Ocean, last year’s devastating floods in Pakistan, this year’s flooding in the Great Lakes region and Cyclone Freddy in South-East Africa have killed thousands of people and displaced millions more. Those natural disasters are a stark reminder of how climate change hits fragile and conflict-affected areas with particular violence and unpredictability, adding to regional and global instability and insecurity. It is therefore no wonder that the countries most affected by climate change are sending us a clear message — which is that instead of questioning the climate and peace and security nexus, we should act to counter it. Unfortunately, the Council is in a deadlock when it comes to climate and security and has so far been unable to fully respond to the demands of an increasing number of Member States. Despite that, responsible Member States remain determined to pursue full recognition of the climate and security nexus, while factoring climate-change issues into efforts aimed at conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Italy therefore adheres to the vision and proposals outlined by the Group of Friends on Climate and Security and the European Union. In particular, Italy supports regular reporting by the Secretary-General on the security implications of climate change, the use of climate-related early-warning systems as a tool of conflict prevention and peacebuilding and the incorporation of the implications of climate risks into the mandates of United Nations peacekeeping missions, while promoting a reduction of missions’ environmental footprint. We encourage the United Nations system to continue its work on climate and security, and we appreciate inter-agency initiatives, such as the Climate Security Mechanism, that are capable of consolidating a much-needed strategic approach. At the same time, Italy is doing its part in multilateral forums to better integrate climate and environmental concerns into policy interventions and peace operations. We are working closely with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and the African Union to strengthen early-warning systems and reinforce transboundary risk management, contributing to the implementation of the Africa Road Map for Improving the Availability, Access and Use of Disaster Risk Information for Early Warning and Early Action, including in the Context of Transboundary Risk Management. Italy is also proud to host the United Nations Global Service Centre, based in Brindisi, which provides logistics and digital technology services to United Nations peace operations worldwide. The Centre has also specialized in environmental services and is helping field operations to reduce their environmental footprint and manage environmental risks, allowing United Nations missions to leave a positive legacy in the communities where they operate. As the co-Chair of the Group of Friends on Leading on Environmental Management in the Field, together with Bangladesh, Italy is particularly engaged in that area and will continue to provide its contribution. Finally, Italy, through the Carabinieri Corps, and the United Nations Department of Operational Support have agreed to cooperate in training, capacity-building and knowledge exchange in the areas of environmental management and protection. I would like to conclude by thanking once again the United Arab Emirates, as it holds the presidency of the Security Council and the incoming presidency of the twenty-eighth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Slovenia.

Mr. Malovrh (Slovenia): Allow me to first express my gratitude to the United Arab Emirates for convening this timely meeting. We welcome the presence of Under- Secretary-General for Peace Operations Lacroix, His Excellency former President Santos Calderón and Ms. Kadry. While Slovenia aligns itself with the statements delivered on behalf of the European Union and the Group of Friends on Climate and Security, I would like to share some national remarks. Climate change is the central challenge of our era, interconnected with the water cycle, environmental degradation, economic and social development, food and global security. Slovenia strongly believes in the imperative of improving collaboration on this topic and calls for stronger cooperation among countries, United Nations entities and regional organizations. I want to start by recognizing the work of the Green Group of six small countries, including Singapore, Iceland, Costa Rica, Cabo Verde, the United Arab Emirates and my country, Slovenia, for their collaboration in promoting green policies and the transition to a green economy. The group recently established a joint accelerator programme aimed at supporting communities in adapting to the challenges posed by climate change. For nearly two decades, Slovenia has been actively engaged in multilateral forums on climate change. We had the privilege of co-facilitating a decade-long process that led to General Assembly resolution 76/300 on the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, which the Secretary-General acknowledged as one of the three key multilateral achievements of last year. Allow me to highlight three crucial points that we have recognized along this journey. First, we call for a stronger cooperation with and among all partners across and beyond the United Nations system. It is crucial to effectively leverage existing mechanisms, such as the Climate Security Mechanism. The Informal Expert Group of Members of the Security Council on Climate and Security also plays an important role. Strengthening the linkages and collaboration between the Peacebuilding Commission and the Security Council is also of paramount importance. Climate-driven risks should explicitly feature in all peacebuilding mandates. In that regard, we recognize the important contribution of climate, peace and security advisers to the work of the United Nations field operations. There is a need to strengthen data collection and climate analysis in that regard. Secondly, we must address water-related risks in conflict prevention, resolution and peacebuilding efforts. The effects of climate change exert additional pressure on already strained freshwater resources, intensifying competition for those limited supplies and escalating the risk of tension and conflict. We must take decisive action to protect water resources and infrastructure during and after armed conflicts. Thirdly, the consequences of climate change are not gender-neutral, and we must enhance our understanding of their interconnectedness. A gender perspective must be fully incorporated into climate responses, while a climate change lens should be systematically mainstreamed into the women and peace and security agenda. In conclusion, Slovenia fully supports the efforts of the United Arab Emirates as the President of the twenty-eighth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), including to implement decisions on loss and damage from COP27, and calls for a meaningful reform of the international financial system to achieve a more equitable approach to climate finance. As a newly elected member of the Security Council, Slovenia believes climate-related risks to security should be addressed by the Security Council. We will actively support all efforts in that regard.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Jordan.

Mrs. Al-halique (Jordan): At the outset, I would like to congratulate the United Arab Emirates on its assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month and thank it for making the complex link among climate, peace and security a focal point of its term. No challenge facing the world today requires as great a concerted effort from all United Nations bodies as climate change. Climate change undermines the efforts of the Council to achieve and sustain peace. Measures in peacebuilding risk failure by not adequately identifying and addressing the strains imposed by climate change on existing conflict risks. The Security Council must be able to better predict and prevent the impacts of climate change on international peace and security. As many of my colleagues have articulated, among the Security Council’s responsibilities in addressing the impact of climate change, designating climate change an international security issue, not only a matter of sustainable development, stands out. Greater attention and action by the Council would reflect the growing recognition that climate change and international peace and security are indirectly, but inseparably, linked. Continuing to host meetings on issues related to climate, peace and security will further increase the visibility of climate change in conflict. Jordan would like to offer three ways to prioritize building climate-change resilience, especially in the water and agricultural sectors which underpin State stability, with the same dedication the Council devotes to addressing more immediate and visible security challenges. First, coordinating reconstruction and climate adaptation programmes ensures that such approaches account for the present and future impacts of climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has reported that climate change tends to compound existing vulnerabilities, potentially overwhelming States that face an irreversible loss of natural resources and territory. Accelerating land degradation and sea level rise, which disproportionately impact developing countries, will have far-reaching consequences beyond the regions of the world most vulnerable to massive displacement. In Jordan, increasing water scarcity amplifies the unprecedented pressure on water infrastructure placed by an influx of refugees from neighbouring countries — a flow that has increased water needs by 21 per cent throughout Jordan, estimated to grow to 40 per cent by 2045. Refugees, who bear the strongest effects of climate change, also intensify competition for arable land, employment and natural resources, such as water, which demands investments in infrastructure, such as desalination and water treatment facilities, deepening the reliance on existing, more affordable, energy sources. Extreme flooding and desertification, as well as the threat of extinction facing small island developing States, will trigger migration, exacerbating poverty and hindering development across national borders, two important catalysts of conflict. Secondly, to effectively address the underlying causes of conflict, climate considerations must be fully integrated into the analysis of peacekeeping missions. The Council is familiar with situations in which changes in natural resource access and availability have further strained ongoing hostilities, for instance, by providing armed groups with opportunities to exploit the climate crisis as a means of rallying support. Productive interventions require a focus on the links between climate change and regionally specific security risks. To that end, the Security Council could strengthen and incorporate, existing initiatives within the United Nations system, such as the Climate Security Mechanism, whose comprehensive risk assessments could act as reference points to help address climate security. The Council can further enhance United Nations climate analysis capabilities by mainstreaming climate security and increasing the presence of climate security experts in the work of field missions. Thirdly, climate change, which demands unparalleled regional cooperation, provides the Council with an entry point for mediation with a new perspective. Establishing the environment as common ground within peace processes helps foster a more enduring peace amid climate change. Coordinated approaches to energy, water and transnational natural resource management offer opportunities for regional peacebuilding in fragile situations. The destabilizing consequences of drier and more frequent drought, decreased rainfall and higher temperatures are acute in Jordan, the second most water-scarce country globally with less than a fifth of the global average of available water per person. Jordan sees the imminent threat to international security posed by climate change and the Council’s narrow window to use cooperation on climate action as a step towards international peace. The Council can count on Jordan’s full engagement at all levels at the Climate Ambition Summit to be held during the high-level week of the General Assembly in September and, two months later, at the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, hosted by our sisterly United Arab Emirates.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of India.

Mrs. Kamboj (India): It is wonderful to see the United Arab Emirates presiding over the Security Council this second time. We also warmly welcome the presence of Her Excellency the Minister of Climate Change and Environment of the United Arab Emirates. India agrees that climate change is the defining challenge of our times. The recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has underscored that human activities have unequivocally caused global warming and that vulnerable communities that have historically contributed the least to current climate change are indeed disproportionately affected. Vulnerable communities include those that are spread across conflict regions. For many of them, generations have passed in unending conflict. Conflicts in many of these regions, along with challenges associated with nation-building, are rooted in a colonial history of exploitation and often continue to be exacerbated by external influences. There exists little scientific correlation or evidence of the impact of climate change on peace and security. Therefore, any attribution of cause to conflict with respect to climate change is nothing but oversimplification. Climate change is more about development, and less about peace and security. We continue to believe that choosing to place the issue in non-mandated forums, especially those where all members do not sit on equal footing, may undermine the larger cause of securing climate justice. There exists an appropriate forum for climate change, namely, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process, where each State member has an equal stake. This is a forum where the voice of the world’s smallest and most vulnerable nations threatened by climate change carries weight equal to that of the world’s greatest emitters. We continue to be cognizant of the fact — and we need to be — that the Security Council has been mandating peacekeeping operations in situations under the ambit of Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. Peacekeeping operations will be effective by being clear on their primary calling — and not by delving into such non-mandated issues as climate change. We need to deal with climate change through transformative mitigation and adaptation. The scientific evidence in this case overwhelmingly reveals that current global financial flows to tackle climate-change adaptation and mitigation are highly insufficient, especially in developing countries. We need to look at this aspect more seriously than discussing climate change in the Security Council. We do share the concern about the erosion of commitments on climate change, particularly on the scale of support to be provided to developing countries for tackling climate change. Finance, technology transfer and capacity-building are fundamental pillars of the Paris Agreement. There are efforts to double count, dilute or divert resources in the garb of climate response. We are also seeing unilateral protectionist measures under the pretext of environmental concern. Accelerated financial support and addressing inequities in access to finance, including its costs, terms and conditions, will help address vulnerability to climate change. A global transformation to a low-carbon economy is expected to require an investment of at least $4 trillion to $6 trillion per year. The twenty-sixth session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC called upon developed countries to, inter alia, accelerate the development, deployment and dissemination of technologies. The loss and damage fund must see a decisive finalization at the twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties. India will always be a champion for real climate action and serious climate justice. We do hope that the deliberations at today’s meeting will provide an impetus for rendering the climate change debate more inclusive, more just and more action-oriented.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Luxembourg.

Mr. Maes (Luxembourg) (spoke in French): I would like to congratulate the United Arab Emirates for organizing today’s open debate on climate change and peace and security under its presidency of the Security Council and for making this theme a priority of its Council mandate. I would also like to thank the briefers for their briefings. We fully endorse the statements made by the representative of the European Union and by the representative of Germany on behalf of the Group of Friends on Climate and Security. Allow me to add a few considerations in my national capacity. The impact of climate change on international peace and security must be better understood by the United Nations and the Security Council. This impact is felt throughout the world, but it is those living in situations of fragility, conflict and violence who are hardest hit. The draft resolution submitted in December 2021 by Ireland and the Niger and supported by 113 States Members of the United Nations (S/2021/990), responded to the need to take better account of the security impact of climate change. We deeply regret that it could not be adopted due to Russia’s veto (see S/PV.8926). If the draft resolution had been adopted, we could already be seeing the first results. The impact of climate change on security is profound, and it knows no borders. We therefore need to work together, and we need to act now. We see three priorities. First, climate change must be taken into account in mediation and conflict prevention. Natural resources are at issue in many conflicts, and climate change is worsening the situation, particularly through its impact in terms of soil degradation and desertification. This is the case, for example, in the Sahel region, where Luxembourg is actively involved in promoting local conventions for inclusive and sustainable intercommunity governance of natural resources. Luxembourg is supporting a programme implemented by the European Institute of Peace in the Liptako- Gourma region, on the border between Burkina Faso, Mali and the Niger, which aims to take better account of land issues and natural-resource governance to resolve and prevent conflicts. In that regard, a workshop on the root causes of conflict was held in Niamey in December 2022. This Sahel programme also aims to strengthen local players. That brings me to my second priority. In our view, capacities and expertise in the field need to be strengthened. We support climate-related initiatives taken by special political missions, peacekeeping operations and special envoys, as well as by United Nations departments and agencies, and welcome the key role played by the Climate Security Mechanism in this respect. In addition, we encourage all United Nations missions to continue to take steps to reduce their environmental footprint and increase environmental management actions. Finally, the appointment by the Secretary-General of a special representative for climate, peace and security would, in our view, strengthen a coherent United Nations-wide approach and capacity to respond to climate-related security risks.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Austria.

Mr. Marschik (Austria): Austria also welcomes the Security Council today seizing another opportunity to discuss climate change. It is indisputable that climate change increasingly affects all of our lives — everywhere — including in terms of international peace and security. It is a threat multiplier with severe consequences. Rising sea levels, droughts, floods and other natural disasters lead to displacement and to conflicts over fresh water and fertile land. Science is clear that increasingly recurring natural disasters are a consequence of anthropogenic climate change, exacerbating such challenges as poverty and health. In severe cases, human survival in vulnerable communities is at stake. Under such circumstances, sustainable development is a challenge, and humanitarian efforts and United Nations peace operations are severely affected. That the Council addresses issues concerning climate and security as a key priority is therefore not only its right under its mandate, but also its duty — its responsibility under the Charter. Let me add in this context, that Austria also strongly advocates the inclusion of the climate, peace and security nexus in the New Agenda for Peace. With regard to the points we heard from the briefers this morning, I would like to make three comments. First, we need to further strengthen United Nations capacity to address the interlinkages between climate and security. The Security Council has already included climate issues in country and regional peacekeeping mandates, such as the United Nations Mission in South Sudan. These missions should have dedicated capacity, both in terms of personnel and training, to deliver on their climate mandates. Additionally, strengthening analysis capacities and early-warning systems in all regions as to the specific security challenges triggered by climate change are not only important for the work of the Security Council but also essential for United Nations peacebuilding efforts. We welcome the work of the Climate Security Mechanism, which has been instrumental to building this United Nations system-wide capacity on the nexus of climate and security. Appointing a Special Envoy for climate and security could further allow for a more systematic United Nations-wide approach. The impact of climate change on gender equality and women’s rights also has implications for peace and security. Establishing further interlinkages between the women and peace and security agenda and climate and security therefore makes sense, and we commend the projects of the Peacebuilding Fund on the gender- climate-security nexus. Secondly, we must explore legal avenues to address the effects of climate change. Legal certainty is needed about State obligations regarding the protection of the climate and environmental system. In that regard, we thank Vanuatu and partners for the successful initiative in the General Assembly to seek an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice. It is equally important to clarify effects of phenomena like sea level rise on territorial sovereignty or statehood, as is currently being discussed in the International Law Commission. At the same time, we should consider making widespread or long-term damage to the environment, commonly referred to as ecocide, a crime under international law. As a first step, we need a common legal definition of the environment. We understand that the Independent Expert Panel already provided a draft definition in that regard, which could be a useful starting point for a discussion. Thirdly, climate change disregards borders and therefore needs to be addressed transnationally, cross- regionally and internationally. Austria therefore supports United Nations efforts to strengthen partnerships in the context of climate and security, especially with regional actors such as the African Union and the European Union. We welcome the deployment of climate advisers in regional United Nations missions, such as in the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel and the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa. In order to further develop partnerships in the field of peacekeeping, Austria — together with the United Nations Department of Peace Operations — hosted an informal dialogue in April that explored options for more effective collaboration between the United Nations and regional organizations to respond to today’s threats. Climate change was identified as one of the strategic threats that urgently requires further close cooperation. Engagement and collaboration across the United Nations system and with Member States, regional organizations, academic institutions and civil society is crucial — not only to improve our knowledge management, but also to ensure a more tailored response to a complex crisis. At the same time, stronger partnerships could also help reduce the footprint of United Nations peacekeeping missions. Austria therefore suggests enhancing collaboration between the United Nations and regional organizations so as to mitigate the environmental impact of peacekeeping operations. In conclusion, the climate crisis is an issue that affects international peace and security in many different and increasingly alarming ways. Austria, true to its tradition as a strong supporter of multilateralism, international law and the rule of law, as well as international solidarity and cooperation, remains committed to working towards common solutions that help those most affected by climate security challenges and encourages the Security Council to actively engage on these issues.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Viet Nam.

Mr. Dang Hoang Giang (Viet Nam): My delegation appreciates the initiative of the United Arab Emirates to convene this open debate, which demonstrates the continued attention that the Council has given to the increasingly evident nexus between climate and security. Climate change has evolved into a new multifaceted problem, impacting the environment, the economy, society and security on a global scale. On the security front, climate change has become a dangerous risk multiplier. The adverse effects of climate change can intensify existing conflicts, complicate political and social stability and even contribute to the conditions conducive to terrorism. They can also destabilize nations, exacerbate the vulnerability of populations, especially women and children, exposing them to acute food and water insecurities, and even provoke international conflicts over scarce resources. In addition, climate change could impede or reverse the peacebuilding and development gains of countries in the aftermath of conflicts. In the face of those challenges, the Security Council, given its principal mandate to maintain international peace and security, could and should to more to advance the climate agenda. First, the Council should take a more holistic approach to addressing the root causes of conflicts, which should be more balanced in handling traditional and non-traditional security challenges. The impacts of climate change must be included in the Council’s conflict analyses and deliberations. Likewise, climate-risk analysis should continue to be integrated in the mandate of peacekeeping and special political missions, many of which operate in areas affected by the impacts of climate change. Secondly, the Council needs to support and work in harmony with United Nations climate action and the key international instruments for addressing climate change, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement on climate change. That would help the Council and peacekeeping and special political missions improve the quality of climate-related security-risk assessment and make better evidence-based decisions to prevent climate-induced conflicts and crises. Thirdly, it is imperative to strengthen collaboration between the Council and national and regional initiatives that address the impacts of climate change on peace and security. Regional organizations should be consulted more often on climate-related issues. As a result, the Council would be better informed and equipped to identify and address risks in different regions and circumstances. Fourthly, I would like to recall a recommendation proposedby Viet Namonseveraloccasions— toestablisha comprehensive database system on the multidimensional impacts of climate change and sea level rise, in support of global response policymaking. Viet Nam is among the countries most severely impacted by climate change. An effective response to climate change is therefore vital to our security and sustainable development. Besides having made strong commitments at the twenty-sixth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, Viet Nam is committed to supporting and actively taking part in climate-related discussions and initiatives, including the upcoming Climate Ambition Summit and the twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties, in the United Arab Emirates. We will continue to advocate for increased global cooperation to address the complex and intertwined challenges posed by climate change.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Indonesia.

Mr. Nasir (Indonesia): I thank the United Arab Emirates for convening this open debate. I also convey my appreciation to the Under-Secretary-General and all briefers for their insights. We note that climate change is an aggravating factor that can prolong and complicate conflicts, affecting the livelihoods of millions of people. At the same time, the environmental cost of conflict itself could worsen the impact of climate change on communities, putting more pressure on those with scarce resources. Against that backdrop, allow me to highlight some points. First, concrete actions, synergy and coherence within the United Nations system is central in our efforts to address climate change, including its possible implications for peace and security. Synergy means that relevant United Nations organs, entities and forums must focus on addressing issues within their respective mandates, while mutually reinforcing each other. We must also remain committed to the role of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as the leading forum for addressing climate change. Its work, including the forthcoming twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, is crucial to enhancing our collective climate ambition in three aspects, namely commitments, actions and means of implementation. Our concrete actions must also go beyond rhetoric, particularly on climate finance, which is key for vulner- able countries, including small island developing States. Without adequate climate finance and other means of im- plementation, various countries will not be able to miti- gate and adapt to climate change. It is also important is to encourage United Nations operations, including peace- keeping missions, to reduce the carbon footprint and en- vironmental impact of their operations in host countries. Secondly, addressing the climate security implications of climate change requires clarity on what corresponding measures are required. The impact of climate change on disaster risk, water scarcity and food insecurity in conflict situations requires enhanced support for the adaptive capacities of the host countries and local communities. In that regard, it is important in conflict situations for the Security Council to ensure a more tailored mandate for peacekeeping operations, along with adequate resources and peacekeepers equipped with the relevant capacities, and to assist local populations and host countries to better adapt to the security implications of climate change. Thirdly, enhancing partnerships, especially with regional and subregional organizations, is important. It would be instrumental in aligning efforts throughout the peace continuum in responding to the impact of climate change. Genuine partnerships are vital for addressing the root causes of conflict and analysing how climate change acts as a risk multiplier. The Council would also benefit from engaging in formulating an integrated response strategy, as well as maximizing collective support from various stakeholders. In conclusion, I wish to extend Indonesia’s support to the United Arab Emirates in its role as President of the twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change this year and express our confidence that the meeting will lead to an action-oriented outcome.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Liechtenstein.

Mr. Wenaweser (Liechtenstein): From weather extremes to sea level rise, all regions of the world are affected by the devastating consequences of climate change, increasingly so with respect to the peace and security of States and their populations. Peace and security impacts of the manifestations of climate change exacerbate existing conflicts, as in the case of the increasing droughts in the Horn of Africa, and can spark new conflicts on their own, such as the conflict between farmers and herders in the Sahel. But, fundamentally, we must understand that climate change itself creates insecurity and is, as such, a threat to peace and security. We have known for some time that we are off track to avert the worst consequences of climate change. But increasingly, we are seeing the wayposts fly by. The United Nations Environment Programme has stated that there was “no credible pathway to 1.5°C in place”. The World Meteorological Organization recently warned that global temperatures are now more likely than not to breach 1.5°C within the next five years. These are not future hypotheticals anymore; they are imminent threats. Liechtenstein has committed to reducing green- house-gas emissions by 55 per cent until 2030, as com- pared to its 1990 levels, and to achieve net-zero emis- sions by 2050. Such reduction measures are particularly meaningful when they are taken by those with the highest emissions, and they are necessary to reverse the trends. Sea level rise is one of the most dramatic effects of climate change. Its consequences are among the clearest in atoll nations and volcanic island nations. The profound injustice is that the people living in those countries are among the lowest contributors to carbon dioxide emissions, while they face the gravest consequences. The unprecedented scenario of the full or partial inundation of the territory of a State or country, or the relocation of its people, should not change the general presumption in international law that only the relevant people are able to make decisions on how to exercise their right to self-determination, including through Statehood. We were proud to be part of the core group on General Assembly resolution 77/276, which requests an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the obligations of States in respect of climate change. That historic decision is complementary to, and reinforces the efforts made under, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change process, whose twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties we hope will see a successful convening under the United Arab Emirates leadership later this year. We are confident that the International Court of Justice will provide us with clear, authoritative guidance regarding the complex questions of international law pertaining to climate change and hope that many States will make submissions on that important topic. The Security Council can take many steps to better address the range of climate impacts. The work with the Peacebuilding Commission to ensure a systematic, preventative approach to climate risks is of particular significance. The Council can also consider climate and peace and security as a standalone agenda item, as was proposed in draft resolution S/2021/990 by Ireland and the Niger in December 2021 (see S/PV.8926), with strong backing from the United Nations membership. The draft resolution, at that time, was unfortunately blocked by the use of the veto. We encourage the Council to reconsider the issue, including in the light of the new platform for accountability and complementary action by the General Assembly created through the veto initiative. The Council would thereby send a clear message that human security is part and parcel of security threats in the twenty-first century.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Mr. Iravani (Islamic Republic of Iran): I congratulate the United Arab Emirates on its presidency of the Security Council this month and thank it for convening this open debate. I also thank the briefers for their informative briefings. Climate change has severe impacts on our planet and society, posing significant challenges that demand global cooperation, solidarity and collective action. Addressing climate change means focusing on its root causes and finding effective solutions to mitigate its effects. International agreements, such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, provide frameworks for addressing this urgent issue. Iran, like other nations, is confronted with environmental challenges and climate change impacts such as pollution, water scarcity, sand and dust storms, desertification and biodiversity degradation. Those challenges are worsened by restrictions on access to foreign goods and services due to the unilateral coercive measures imposed by the United States. The United States illegal measures impede international funding, hinder renewable energy investment and access to environmentally sound technology and restrict joint environmental research and educational opportunities. Consequently, environmental degradation in Iran negatively affects the right of its people to a healthy environment and a decent standard of living. Despite such pressing challenges, we are steadfast in our commitments. In that context, the Islamic Republic of Iran, with the support of the United Nations, is organizing the International Conference on Combating Sand and Dust Storms on 9 and 10 September in Tehran. The Conference aims to bring together all affected countries and interested partners to discuss the ways and means to address the key challenges posed by sand and dust storms and to find the best solutions and mechanisms possible for mitigating their global risks and impacts. The Conference exemplifies Iran’s commitment to addressing environmental challenges with a collaborative approach. We emphasize the importance of global cooperation and genuine commitment from all nations to effectively tackle climate change and environmental issues. Together, and with a commitment to shared but differentiated responsibility, we can actively contribute to creating a more sustainable and resilient future that benefits everyone. In pursuit of that goal, we advocate the following essential measures. Developed countries should fulfil their obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, as well as ensure transparency in the implementation of their commitments. They should also provide sufficient support, including financial assistance and technology transfer, to help developing countries effectively implement their commitments. Developing countries, within their capabilities and national circumstances, should receive assistance from the international community to overcome obstacles hindering the implementation of their commitments. Unilateral coercive measures must end immediately, as they pose barriers to countries’ contributions to climate change mitigation efforts. Economic, financial and technological assistance should be provided to countries in need, and relevant platforms such as the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change should address those issues appropriately. The Security Council should refrain from encroaching upon the mandates of other United Nations organs, as it lacks the expertise and tools to efficiently respond to climate-related security risks. Such an approach ensures compliance with the principles outlined in the Charter of the United Nations. Lastly, Iran firmly opposes the idea of linking climate change to international peace and security and strongly rejects any attempt to politicize technical matters such as climate change. Climate change is essentially an issue related to sustainable development rather than a matter of international peace and security. It is vital that the matter be addressed and pursued within the appropriate organs of the United Nations in accordance with their respective mandates. Categorizing climate change challenges within the realm of international peace and security unnecessarily politicizes a matter that fundamentally pertains to technical considerations. By focusing on the root causes of climate change and finding effective solutions through international collaboration and environmental frameworks, we can address environmental challenges and secure a sustainable future.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Bangladesh.

Mr. Muhith (Bangladesh): I congratulate the United Arab Emirates on its assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for June and thank it for convening this important debate. I would also like to thank His Excellency Mr. Juan Manuel Santos Calderón, Under- Secretary-General Lacroix and Ms. Salma Kadry for their insightful briefings. While we acknowledge that climate change has a serious impact on the development process, it is a risk multiplier that may affect various dimensions of human security. In particular, the displacement of affected persons is a significant security threat resulting from climate change. In certain humanitarian and security contexts, climate change and related disasters exacerbate existing insecurity. Cyclone Mocha, which recently passed through Rakhine state of our neighbourly country Myanmar, presents a classic example of how climate-related disasters can compound the risks of violence. I wish to refer to the most recent synthesis report of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which states that “climatic and non-climatic risks will increasingly interact, creating compound and cascading risks that are more complex and difficult to manage.” Indeed, a broad understanding and a recognition of the negative impacts of climate change on peace and security are critical for taking appropriate action. In many parts of the world, including in Bangladesh, in addition to the increased frequency and intensity of floods, cyclones, droughts and the loss of biodiversity, climate change is severely affecting food, energy, water, health and economic security. In that regard, we recall General Assembly resolution 77/276, through which the General Assembly sought an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the legal implications of climate change. In the countries in which peacekeeping operations and special political missions are operating, climate change can obstruct smooth transitions and undermine national and international efforts to build and sustain peace. Let me highlight a few points. First, dealing with the negative impacts of climate change exceeds the mandate of peacekeeping operations. However, they can play a potential supporting role to help the host country. For example, in many countries, peacekeeping operations are helping the host authorities to tackle the humanitarian consequences of natural disasters and other challenges, such as violence over land, farmer-herder conflicts and the like. Having said that, we believe that, in the absence of any clear and standard mandate, such issues should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the realities on the ground. Secondly, in order to address the challenges posed by climate change, the international community needs to support national authorities in building their institutions and strengthening their mitigation and adaptation efforts. In that regard, climate financing, technology transfer and capacity-building are crucial. Developed countries must fulfil their commitments to strengthen the supportive measures of vulnerable countries. We welcome the establishment of the loss and damage fund at the twenty-seventh Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) to support the global response to the adverse impact of climate change and call for its operationalization. We look forward to the holding of COP28 in the United Arab Emirates for achieving meaningful progress on climate action, infusing more dynamism in the process and filling existing gaps. Thirdly, while helping Governments, peacekeeping missions should focus on reducing their own environmental footprint. As the leading troop- and police-contributing country, Bangladesh has long been working to reduce its own environmental footprint by using environment-friendly materials and introducing renewable energy, among other measures. We underscore the importance of reducing the environmental footprint of all United Nations field missions. Fourthly, the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) is an effective platform, which can help to amplify the voice of local and regional stakeholders in the Security Council. We also emphasize the advisory role of the PBC, which is a fruitful mechanism for strengthening the Council’s engagement on the impact of climate change on peace and security. Fifthly, climate change can affect women and girls differently than others, and it can accelerate pre-existing gender inequalities. In that regard, we emphasize the implementation of women and peace and security agenda in the context of climate change.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Colombia.

Mrs. Zalabata Torres (Colombia) (spoke in Spanish): Colombia is grateful for the convening of this debate, which provides the perfect opportunity to reaffirm the strong commitment of the Government of President Gustavo Petro Urrego to making Colombia a world force in the promotion of life and to making progress on the full realization of social and environmental justice and peace as a comprehensive right — a people- and planet-centred total peace within and beyond borders. We are facing a serious climate crisis that represents a common challenge of enormous proportions, which will dramatically set us back, and which, like war, threatens the survival of humankind. Moreover, climate change can act as a risk multiplier for conflict. In the specific case of Colombia, it can undermine the subsistence of rural families, indigenous and Afro- descendant populations and vulnerable groups that we have committed ourselves to protecting. Furthermore, the crisis increases the frequency of natural disasters, which has a negative impact on the dynamics of internal displacement. Colombia wants to build bridges to achieve peace, protect life, fight climate change and halt the loss of biodiversity, with the understanding that adaptation to climate change contributes to peace and mitigate risks associated with natural disasters. As the impacts of climate change worsen, we will require additional financial resources to build our resilience, address hazards at the national level and deal with climate-related loss and damage, especially in the most vulnerable countries. The Government of Colombia is committed to transforming its production model and is accelerating its transition to a bioeconomy-based model to ensure productivity and create greater knowledge, innovation and employment opportunities for its population, while at the same time taking advantage of Colombia’s resources and ecological potential. In conclusion, I would like to highlight the words of President Gustavo Petro Urrego at the recent twenty- seventh Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change: “Decarbonization is a real and profound change of the dominant economic system. It is time to prioritize humankind, not markets.”

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Kenya.

Ms. Kinyungu (Kenya): Kenya commends the leadership of the United Arab Emirates in recognizing that climate action, peace, security and economic development are not merely related but are different facets of complex and linked challenges. The climate crisis is transforming the global security landscape, producing new drivers of conflict and amplifying fragility worldwide, from Africa to small island developing States. The crisis is creating environmental refugees, worsening socioeconomic conditions, damaging coastal infrastructure and fostering conflict. Without ambitious action on that nexus, our peace will wilt in the face of climate change’s destructive power. We need to direct all available resources to a multidimensional United Nations-centred approach to climate action. In that context, Kenya stresses three key points. First, Security Council members should agree to recognize the strong connection between climate and peace and security and move past divisive narratives. The response to the climate-security link of the Security Council’s members and those aiming to join is a key indicator of their readiness to listen and address most countries’ needs and situations. That consensus will not only drive urgent action but also foster conversations supporting practical peacekeeping and peacebuilding in the face of environmental and climatic crises. Secondly, we must be more effective in leveraging the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the leading global environmental agency within the United Nations. By tapping into UNEP’s diverse expertise in science, policy, technology and finance, we can better coordinate our collective climate-resilience and green-economy efforts. The Climate Security Mechanism’s establishment represents progress in that direction. Thirdly, we need to ensure that the twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), hosted by the United Arab Emirates, effectively connects climate action and development finance, including the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund. We propose aligning use of the Fund in countries experiencing environmental insecurity and fragility with peacebuilding and political processes. In conclusion, I invite members to Nairobi for Africa’s first climate action summit, to be held in September and co-hosted by Kenya and the African Union Commission. The summit will spotlight Africa’s potential as a global solution centre for climate issues, paving the way for an inclusive and action-oriented COP28.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Singapore.

Mr. Gafoor (Singapore): Let me begin by congratulating the United Arab Emirates on its assumption of the presidency of the Security Council. We thank the presidency for convening today’s debate on climate change and peace and security, which is a highly relevant and important topic. I also thank the briefers for their very insightful briefings earlier today. I also want to take this opportunity to commend the United Arab Emirates for its leadership and preparatory work in its capacity as incoming president of the twenty- eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. As a small and low-lying island nation, Singapore is especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Indeed, climate change is an existential threat to our very survival. In recent months we have seen record temperatures across South-East Asia, and studies have shown that climate change has made such deadly heatwaves 30 times more likely. The climate crisis is also compounding other situations, particularly food, water and energy crises, with severe effects on people’s lives and livelihoods. At the Security Council open debate on sea level rise held on 14 February, my delegation spoke about how climate-change-induced sea level rise could threaten the very existence of small island developing States, including through a loss of territory (see S/PV.9260 (Resumption 1)). It is clear that climate change has the potential to exacerbate instability and conflicts and undermine international peace and security. In that regard, there is no doubt that climate issues should be discussed here in the Security Council. While the primary multilateral forum for addressing climate change issues would be the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Security Council has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. It should therefore take on that responsibility when international peace and security are directly affected by climate change. In that regard, let me add that the Council’s very relevance and responsiveness to the challenges of the day depend on its ability and willingness to deal with the nexus between climate change and international security. I would like to highlight three points on how the Security Council can play a role in addressing the impact of climate change on peace and security. First, the Council should adopt a more multidimensional approach to climate security. Climate change is not the only source of conflicts and insecurity, but it has a tremendous ability to aggravate other root causes such as poverty, hunger and inequalities. The World Food Programme has estimated that climate change could increase the risk of famine and malnutrition by as much as 20 per cent by 2050. We should therefore address the multiple and interlinked impacts of climate change in a holistic and integrated manner. The New Agenda for Peace proposed by the Secretary-General could provide a useful platform for our discussions on that effort. Secondly, the Security Council should strongly encourage all countries to fulfil their commitments to multilateral efforts addressing climate change. That includes implementing the nationally determined contributions and long-term low-emissions development strategies under the Paris Agreement. Although Singapore’s contribution to global emissions is negligible, we are committed to doing our part to tackle climate change and have raised our climate ambition to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Thirdly, the Security Council should promote enhanced support for vulnerable developing countries, particularly small island developing States, to strengthen climate adaptation and resilience. That includes sustained investment in innovation and technologies that address climate risks. The development of climate-resilient water infrastructure, for example, would be critical in regions where water scarcity is exacerbated by climate change and contributes to instability. Climate change is a threat to all of humankind, and Singapore will continue to do its part to combat it. We are ready to work with all Member States to address the multidimensional impacts of climate change, including on international peace and security.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Chile.

Mr. Ojeda (Chile) (spoke in Spanish): Chile thanks the United Arab Emirates for convening today’s meeting. We have taken note of the contributions and statements of the briefers and other members. As we have already said in other open debates and Arria Formula meetings of the Council, we believe that today’s topic is entirely relevant. That is because it has become evident in recent years that climate change is a threat multiplier. Acting in combination with socioeconomic and geopolitical factors, it aggravates the risk of violence and intensifies drivers of conflict such as food insecurity, economic crises and migration. Latin America and practically every other region of the planet are experiencing the consequences of climate change, which are manifest in rising sea levels, floods, droughts, heatwaves, biodiversity loss, air pollution and deforestation, among many others. In view of that, we must consider the fact that peace operations by their very nature are deployed in scenarios that are vulnerable, including from an environmental perspective. As a multidimensional phenomenon, climate change is therefore having a direct impact on the armed forces concerned, including on military installations and operations and personnel themselves. That requires the implementation of adaptation and mitigation measures, especially in terms of energy transformation and efficiency. It also affects the roles of the armed forces in the face of a phenomenon that is increasing the frequency and intensity of natural disasters. When a conflict has escalated to the point of seriously affecting international security, it triggers other emergency situations that have more to do with the immediate protection of affected populations than with the deeper factors that explain the causes of the conflict. It is therefore essential to include the climate dimension as a cross-cutting and determining factor in economic and planning policies. In line with the above, we are seeing changes in the increasingly varied tasks being done by armed forces and therefore in the very nature of their operations. In the face of extreme natural disasters, that is expressed in a greater demand for humanitarian assistance activities and actions such as firefighting, medical evacuations and search-and-rescue operations. It is therefore clear that climate change should be addressed in all its various aspects and consequences. The role of cooperation among the international community and in multilateral action is crucial, as any purely national efforts will be futile. It is therefore essential to strengthen the mechanisms for information exchange between the various relevant agencies and bodies, including police and financial institutions, as well as counter-terrorism units, since terrorism is also sometimes linked to such situations. We believe this is an opportune moment to remind everyone of the relevance of the provision of climate financing, which continues to be lacking at the global level, especially for developing countries. In that regard, we believe that the reason that climate change affects international security lies to a great extent precisely in the fact that financial flows have not been sufficient to prevent the consequences of global warming in time. We also reiterate that climate change and international security initiatives should take into account the views of affected populations, local communities, indigenous peoples and civil society — especially women and girls — who may often suffer the effects of such problems and their consequences in terms of security, with fewer resources to protect themselves. That will help to reinforce sustainable results and prevent these problems from sinking into ever-deeper cycles. Finally, we wish the United Arab Emirates every success in hosting the twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and reiterate Chile’s readiness to work to that end.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Poland.

Mr. Szczerski (Poland): I would like to thank the United Arab Emirates for convening this important debate and to express our appreciation for its efforts to promote and operationalize the climate and security agenda, especially as the host country of the twenty- eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. We also thank the briefers for their valuable and thought- provoking remarks. As one of the founding members of the Group of Friends on Climate and Security, Poland aligns itself with the statement delivered by Germany on its behalf. Poland welcomes the progress that has been made in addressing climate change in several United Nations peacekeeping and peacebuilding mandates, since most of those operations are deployed in countries that are very exposed to climate change. We are pleased that the Security Council has incorporated climate-change language into resolutions concerning peace operations, and its work in that regard should continue. As climate security risks vary, depending on the specific country or region, Poland underscores the crucial role of partnerships between the United Nations and regional organizations in tackling those challenges. It is also critical to support regional and national partners in building resilience in the affected areas and preparing long-term strategies. In addition to deteriorating security resulting from climate issues, we are also seeing human-made environmental disasters that are related to ongoing conflicts or are simply being used as a tactic or weapon of war. The most recent such case is the destruction of the Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro River. Not only is that another example of Russia’s deliberate disregard for the fundamental rules and principles of international law, butit also creates a serious threat to the safety of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant and constitutes a grave ecological disaster with unprecedented consequences for the entire Black Sea region. In focusing on the main theme of today’s debate, which is how climate change affects the capacity of United Nations peacekeeping and special political missions to implement their mandates, I would like to share three key considerations. First, Poland believes that systematic training efforts dedicated specifically to the climate-security nexus are critical for equipping United Nations peacekeepers and the wider community of peace and security practitioners with the skills they need to better understand the challenges resulting from climate change. Knowledge and experience on the topic are still limited. Secondly, it is evident that issues such as access to water and energy in the field, methods of operation and the mobility of troops will be increasingly affected by climate change in mission contexts. In that regard, Poland strongly supports continued efforts to enhance the operational resilience to climate-related impacts of United Nations peacekeeping and special political missions so as to ensure their effective and undisrupted implementation of their mandates. That should be done with as little cost as possible to the natural environment and with minimal global greenhouse effects through the implementation of modern technologies such as Smart Camp. Thirdly, as the effects of climate change are increasingly felt around the world, it will be crucial to improve emergency responses in line with the humanitarian-development-peace-nexus approach. Collaboration between the United Nations peace and security architecture and Resident Coordinators, as well as the consolidation of efforts to enhance overall resilience to climate change in conflict and post- conflict settings, should be further strengthened. In conclusion, I would like to reiterate Poland’s view that the Security Council urgently needs to identify the additional measures needed to enable United Nations peacekeeping and special political missions to properly plan for and address climate-related security risks in mission contexts.

The President: I now give the floor to Mr. Skoog.

Mr. Skoog: I would like to express our appreciation to the United Arab Emirates for organizing this debate and for inviting us to speak. I will speak on behalf of the European Union (EU) and its member States. The candidate countries of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, and the potential candidate country Georgia, align themselves with this statement. This is an abbreviated version, and we will submit the full text in writing out of respect for all the other participants who wish to speak this afternoon. The correlation between climate, peace and security is evident. It will grow stronger as the climate crisis unfolds. The most vulnerable populations will suffer most, particularly women and girls. I will not go into detail on the multiple connections between climate, the environment and conflict here, as we have discussed them in seven debates in the Security Council in the past two years alone. We have heard a number of testimonies this morning as to how climate change drives conflict. It is worth reminding ourselves — and the Council — of General Assembly resolution 63/281 of 2009, which invited the relevant organs of the United Nations to intensify their efforts to address climate change, including its possible security implications. While it was vetoed, the Council’s draft resolution S/2021/990 of 2021, sponsored by 113 countries, was a clear indication of broad support for action. The climate crisis is leading to water scarcity, food insecurity and environmental degradation. It will drive conflicts for decades to come. Therefore, we support the proposals put forward by some members of the Security Council during this debate, in particular to encourage United Nations Special Representatives to provide the Council with climate-related information during their briefings and to present recommendations for targeted action; to strengthen the mandates of all United Nations missions, so that they can support the most vulnerable countries in climate-related risk assessments and management; and to continue to support the work of the United Nations on the ground. The climate, peace and security advisers deployed to United Nations missions and the Climate Security Mechanism play particularly important roles. We support the position of the Group of Friends on Climate and Security in favour of consideration of a regular report by the Secretary-General and for a dedicated United Nations envoy on climate and security. I also want to express our appreciation for the Informal Expert Group of Members of the Security Council on Climate and Security. Building on the broad support for this topic, the United Nations and Member States have been integrating climate as one central aspect into the mandates of missions such as the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan and the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq. The EU and its member States support the United Nations in that vital endeavour. Climate and environment are an integral part of the EU-United Nations strategic partnership priorities for peace operations and crisis management. Thirteen out of 22 current EU civilian and military missions and operations are deployed in parallel with the United Nations missions, for example, in Mali, the Central African Republic, Somalia, Libya and Iraq. The EU’s progressive deployment of environmental advisers to all its missions and operations will enable joint EU-United Nations local capacity-building efforts, data sharing and management of the environmental footprint. Let us not forget that armed forces also have to contribute to the global target of net zero by mid-century, following up on the Environment Strategy for Field Missions. The EU will further step up its engagement. We will soon adopt a joint communication on a new outlook on the climate and security nexus, which will address the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation on peace, security and defence. Strong partnerships are needed. We welcome and encourage increased joint work between the EU, the United Nations system, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and NATO. We look forward to an ambitious twenty-eighth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in the United Arab Emirates that moves us forward on the energy transition and keeps 1.5°C alive.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Costa Rica.

Ms. Chan Valverde (Costa Rica) (spoke in Spanish): We thank the United Arab Emirates both for this debate and for including a relief, recovery and peace agenda in the twenty-eighth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP) which will provide an opportunity to all interested parties to discuss the climate, peace and security nexus. Its recommendations and the agreements established in COP decisions will be an invaluable guide to ensure that the Security Council and those responsible for implementing its decisions do so in a cross-cutting manner. In that regard, allow me to make three remarks. First, the focus on climate, peace and security has neglected Latin America and the Caribbean. It has overlooked the unique climate-related challenges faced by the region and the potential implications that they have for security. A clear example of that neglect is the dry corridor in Central America, which faces delayed and irregular rainfall, severe and protracted droughts, hurricanes, significant harvest loss and growing levels of food insecurity, all of which creates tension in the management of and access to land and water. That, together with organized crime activity, exacerbates tensions within and among communities. Conflict prevention in the dry corridor in Central America requires a comprehensive approach that combines sustainable land management practices, climate-resilient agriculture, equitable access to water resources and inclusive governance frameworks and that addresses the root causes of resource scarcity and social disparities. Secondly, we need a coordinator for the climate, peace and security agenda that coordinates and promotes cooperation among various Government stakeholders, international organizations and civil society to comprehensively address climate change-related challenges and the impact that they have on peace and security. In that regard, Costa Rica points to the role played by the Climate Security Mechanism as a platform for coordination on that issue in United Nations operations. Through its work on the ground, the mechanism has generated invaluable knowledge and insight based on national and local contexts to increase its impact. The deployment of climate security advisers, the improvements made to training programmes and the strengthening of data-based evaluations, including indigenous knowledge, have been crucial for analysis, early warning and the response to climate-related security risks. Costa Rica calls for that mechanism to deliver regular reports on its successes and challenges to the Security Council and the Peacebuilding Commission. And we call for an increase in the support provided to the mechanism and increased participation of members in its work. Thirdly, for Costa Rica, it is crucial to have a women and children-centred approach because they are the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Indeed, they are more vulnerable to those effects than men. It is vital to have a gender-sensitive approach to support capacity-building for women and girls in vulnerable areas that is focused on their protection and empowerment. We should also collect gender- disaggregated data and work with relevant agencies, funds and programmes in order to inform policies in a holistic manner. A degraded climate also leads to legitimate impatience in aggrieved communities in the face of a security sector that is increasingly equipped for militarized responses. If there has ever been a fight that cannot be won through force, this is it.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Denmark.

Mr. Hermann (Denmark): I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Nordic countries, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and, of course, my own country, Denmark. Let me at the outset congratulate the United Arab Emirates on assuming the presidency of the Security Council and organizing this discussion today. We also very much welcome the joint pledge made by the non-permanent Security Council members, I should say the elected Security Council members — the United Arab Emirates, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland — to continuously address the climate, peace and security issues. I have a couple of points to make. First, the climate crisis is, in our view, one of the greatest threats to international peace and security, and it is becoming increasingly urgent to address connections among climate change, peace and security. The Nordic countries are in full support of the concrete suggestions from the Group of Friends of Climate and Security, as presented by Germany during this meeting earlier today. We have seen that it is possible to integrate climate into the mandates of United Nations missions, and we emphasize the importance of United Nations missions continuing their efforts to mainstream climate-related security risks into assessments and strategies. Furthermore, in our view, the advice from the Peacebuilding Commission can bring value to Security Council deliberations on the peacebuilding implications of the adverse effects of climate change, not least the recent example from the Pacific Islands and the Sahel demonstrate that. The Security Council has a responsibility and must be accountable to conflict-affected populations and include their views and new needs. We know that women are disproportionately affected by climate-induced conflicts, and it is key to ensure their full, equal and meaningful participation in all stages of conflict towards building resilience and peace. We must also promote the important participation of young people and persons with disabilities, among other affected groups. Climate change in essence underlines the absolute necessity of the women and peace and security and the youth, peace and security agendas. There have been some encouraging statements made today by some Security Council members indicating perhaps somewhat of a movement in position. To those on the Council who are still sceptical, may we suggest that the Security Council conduct field visits to countries facing security threats induced by climate change, which can provide opportunities for Council members to experience first-hand the very real consequences facing communities. My second point is that we believe it is critical to increase climate financing, especially financing for climate adaptation in fragile and conflict-affected countries, as well as a part of a conflict-resolution and peacebuilding strategy. We cannot build peace if we do not address what drives conflict. All climate financing should be conflict-sensitive, and it should be used as an opportunity to underpin peacebuilding efforts. Thirdly, we remind the Security Council of the need to accelerate energy transition in United Nations peace operations. Among United Nations activities, peacekeeping operations mandated by the Security Council are the main emitters of greenhouse gases. Currently, only 6 per cent of the energy supply for United Nations peace operations for peacekeeping comes from renewable energy. The result is a significant climate footprint for the operations, in addition to their footprint on the local environment. Let us be real: trucking fuel for peace operations exposes our peacekeepers to unnecessary security risk. Greening the blue is truly a win-win. We welcome the targets for the United Nations Secretariat to reduce its carbon emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 and sourcing 80 per cent of electricity from renewable energy. These are steps in the right direction, and Member States must support efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of United Nations peace operations, including through a transition to renewable energy, wherever possible. Finally, in the light of the well-documented adverse effect of climate change on peace and security, the Nordics call on the Security Council to take action — to be accountable to the affected populations and to take action in response to their calls.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Thailand.

Mr. Chindawongse (Thailand): Thailand congratulates the United Arab Emirates as it continues its presidency of the Security Council this month. We also welcome its initiative in convening today’s open debate on the critical issue of climate change. We thank the briefers for their insights. Climate change is the defining existential crisis of our times. We cannot turn away from the facts. We cannot turn a blind eye to their implications. In 2021, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) declared a “code red for humanity ” that we are at risk of hitting 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. In March, the Sixth Assessment Report of the IPCC warned us that climate change has led to widespread impacts and related losses and damages to nature and people, as well as a 1.1°C rise in global temperature since 2020. Just last month, the World Meteorological Organization reported that global temperatures are likely to surge to record levels in the next five years. The conclusions are clear. First, climate change poses an existential threat to many countries, especially to small island developing States and their people. Secondly, climate change brings about multidimensional impacts on the livelihoods of people — from water scarcity and droughts to floods and land degradation, from exacerbating food insecurity and job insecurity, to sparking mass migration and sometimes conflict. And in all these negative impacts, women and girls are disproportionately affected. Thirdly, the negative impacts of climate change have direct consequences on human security and sustainable development, and therefore become a multiplier of risk, which affects the lives of people and the stability of States and societies. What then can the international community do? I offer the following four points. First, multilateralism and international cooperation are the only viable solutions to addressing the challenge of climate change and its negative impacts on human security and on the long-term stability of States, communities and indeed our planet. We must therefore uphold the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Paris Agreement while respecting the principles of common but differentiated responsibilities and of equity as the cornerstone of global climate governance. To this end, we fully support and look forward to the twenty-eighth session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC to be held in Dubai later this year. The United Nations, including the Security Council, should extend its support to this process. Secondly, developing countries need means of implementation and support to enhance their resilience to adverse impacts of climate change and to reduce risks. Thailand therefore echoes the call of the Secretary-General to developed countries to deliver the $100 billion annually to replenish the Green Climate Fund and to deliver on their finance commitments to adaptation. This is not only an investment in the future of the planet, but also an investment in human security and the stability of States and societies. Thirdly, in United Nations peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations, we can all promote more effective measures to reduce the environmental footprint, including through better environmental management in the field. We can encourage policies that will enable societies and communities overcoming conflict to be better prepared to surmount the negative impacts of climate change. We therefore support effective implementation of the Environmental Strategy for Peace Operations and the environment-related mandates of respective missions. Fourthly, and lastly, countries in conflict may encounter shortfalls in capacities to address climate-change mitigation and adaptation. Therefore, the Council should focus on climate-change-induced risks in country-specific settings in order to mobilize greater resources and support for such countries from the United Nations system and the international community. These efforts will increase the chances of sustainable peace and stability in the post- conflict period.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Portugal.

Ms. Zacarias (Portugal): We align our statement with those delivered by the representative of the European Union and by the representative of Germany, who spoke on behalf of the Group of Friends on Climate and Security. I would like to commend the United Arab Emirates for convening this meeting and for further bringing to the attention of the Security Council the importance of the climate, peace and security nexus. We also appreciate the valuable contributions of today’s briefers, in particular the thoughtful briefing by President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón. From our perspective, the consequences of climate change for peace and security should be regularly considered by the Security Council, and we welcome the voluntary commitment of the United Arab Emirates, Mozambique, Malta and Switzerland to addressing climate and security issues during their mandates. The risks posed by climate change to international peace and security are clear, and there are multiple instances where those risks have unfortunately materialized. As Mozambique stated last November, for some countries the climate, peace and security nexus is not a future prospect, but the present reality. It is crucial that the United Nations system, as the platform best placed to promote a cooperative and coordinated response to these challenges, works coherently to better prevent, prepare for and respond to the security implications of climate change. In particular, it is key that the Council continues to work towards a comprehensive approach to addressing the security impacts and risks posed by climate change. It must also develop early-warning mechanisms, including by taking advantage of information generated by the Climate Security Mechanism. When appropriate and relevant, the Council should likewise continue to further integrate climate-related security issues in its resolutions. That having been said, climate action can also be a tool of conflict prevention, resolution and peacebuilding. The Peacebuilding Fund, in particular, plays an important role in bringing climate financing to conflict-afflicted areas, as its portfolio of climate-informed peacebuilding projects in Africa clearly shows. In a nutshell, recognizing that the Security Council should integrate climate-related security risks into its work in a more systematic manner does not mean that other forums, and in particular the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, would lose their role in addressing the topic of climate change. Nor does it entail a securitization of the issue. What that recognition aims to do is to ensure that the Council properly takes into account the effects of climate change when carrying out its conflict-prevention duties. That was the overarching theme and purpose of the draft resolution introduced by Ireland and the Niger, which Portugal, along with 112 other Member States, co-sponsored back in December 2021 (S/2021/990). Let me also commend the work carried out on the topic of sea level rise and international law by the International Law Commission, whose Study Group is co-chaired by Patricia Patrícia Galvão Teles of Portugal. We also fully support the Vanuatu initiative to request an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the obligations of States with respect to climate change. We support the Secretary-General’s recommendations in his report entitled Our Common Agenda (A/75/982), particularly that the United Nations strengthen its support for regional capacities, coordinating efforts with regional and subregional organizations, to address the effects of climate change on security. We look forward to the policy brief on the New Agenda for Peace, which we expect to include a stronger focus on the nexus between climate, peace and security, especially in Africa, and taking into account a gender perspective. That could give a renewed impetus to Security Council discussions on this topic.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Romania.

Mr. Feruță (Romania): I also want to echo other speakers in thanking the United Arab Emirates for this important and topical meeting, especially now in the run up to the Climate Ambition Summit at the United Nations and the twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In addition to the statements delivered on behalf of the European Union and of the Group of Friends on Climate and Security, I want to add a few points. For Romania, today’s ministerial debate is straightforward. Climate change poses security risks to our very existence. The impact of climate change is worldwide and spares neither countries nor individuals. Just last week in New York, we saw the unusual effects of wildfires, and we are getting more than a glimpse of what awaits us should we not keep the promise to limit global warming to 1.5°C. Since the effects of climate change are immediate, we expect the Security Council to act in unanimity on this topic. We cannot afford to lose time or lives. We need to start integrating in our policies best remedies to address security risks posed by climate change. Time is of the essence for the most exposed and vulnerable countries and communities from small island developing States and low-lying coastal countries. Sea level rise is a direct negative effect of climate change, with an unprecedented impact on livelihoods and human security. The topic of sea level rise was addressed by Malta in February in the Security Council (see S/PV.9260), and Romania was happy to participate and shed light on climate and sea level rise, which is also provoking new legal questions that are at the very core of national and State identity. The International Law Commission Study Group on sea level rise in relation to international law, which was also mentioned by my previous colleague, whose co-chair, the Foreign Minister of Romania, was also present in this Chamber, agreed that climate-change-related sea level rise poses a real risk to over two thirds of the States Members of the United Nations. Romania was also part of the core group of the Vanuatu-led initiative to seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on climate change. Climate change is one of the drivers of insecurity and conflicts in many parts of the world. Under-Secretary- General Lacroix’s statement this morning and the impact of climate-driven risks on the implementation of the mandate of United Nations peacekeeping missions is a testament to that. Solutions must therefore be global. The United Nations ecosystem can coordinate within the peace and security, human rights and development nexus, but the Council’s action is indeed needed to reduce climate change as a risk multiplier.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of the Syrian Arab Republic.

Mr. Sabbagh (Syrian Arab Republic) (spoke in Arabic): At the outset, I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, and the sisterly United Arab Emirates on its presidency of the Security Council for this month. We wish you every success in your work. My delegation aligns itself with the statement delivered by the representative of the sisterly Arab Republic of Egypt on behalf of the Group of Arab States. My delegation expresses it appreciation for holding this important debate dedicated to the impact of climate change on international peace and security at a time when the problem of climate change is exacerbating and affecting the stability of a number of countries, as well as compounding the causes of conflicts around the world, such as competition for resources and water, which creates new risks that must be addressed. The unprecedented impact of climate change on today’s world goes beyond environmental considerations and also includes socioeconomic and security aspects. Developing countries are some of the most affected. That is particularly true of countries that already suffer from situations of vulnerability, instability and insecurity. It is therefore important to pool efforts to counter and mitigate those impacts, including through the use of the mechanisms provided for by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement on climate change. Like other States, the Syrian Arab Republic has been affected by climate change. We have experienced droughts due to a lack of precipitation in the majority of our regions. Other areas, however, are experiencing rainstorms, which significantly harm agricultural yields. That is compounded by heat waves and forest fires that destroy wide areas, not to mention the increased frequency of dust storms that affect public health. In addition to natural factors, the terrorist war imposed on Syria has in turn had its own serious environmental impact. I will just cite the significant pollution created by terrorist groups and separatist militias that in north-east Syria control oil, oil delivery and oil refinery activities, carried out primitively and carelessly and without consideration for environmental aspects such as soil contamination. In addition, a significant number of fruit-yielding trees are being stolen and sent to other countries, while forest trees are indiscriminately cut down and used for heating purposes. Those practices have polluted the air, soil and water and have a catastrophic impact on the population’s health, as well as on biodiversity and food security, not to mention the socioeconomic impact for the inhabitants of that region, who primarily rely on agriculture for their livelihoods. We must also mention the impact of illegal unilateral coercive measures imposed by certain Western States on the Syrian people. Those measures have hindered the transfer of environmentally friendly technologies and have hampered the implementation of many other projects aimed at protecting the environment. In addition, the capacity to address and mitigate the effects of environmental problems has been reduced, and new obstacles to development have been created because those countries do not meet their financial obligations or provide technical support for capacity-building in order to address climate change and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. In conclusion, the examples that I mentioned are just a sample of the risks related to climate change that are now a major threat and must be addressed as soon as possible. Climate change increases the frequency and impact of natural disasters and creates scarcity of resources, which only worsens situations of instability, displacement, migration and conflicts, while contributing to new conflicts. My delegation looks forward to urgent joint international action. In that context, my delegation looks forward to the twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held by the sisterly United Arab Emirates in Dubai. We hope that the Conference will lead to resolutions that will reduce the negative impact of climate change on the peoples of our countries and on international peace, stability and security.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Guatemala.

Ms. Rodríguez Mancia (Guatemala) (spoke in Spanish): We thank the presidency of the Security Council for convening this open debate on climate, peace and security. We value this space, as the United Arab Emirates is also the President-designate of the twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which contributes to strengthening synergies in the work of the Organization. We also thank the briefers for their contributions. It is urgent to address climate change because it is a dangerous risk multiplier that aggravates humanitarian crises and exacerbates conflict and instability, especially in fragile situations where Governments have limited means to help their populations adapt. There is a need to protect the most vulnerable and to act immediately to save lives by improving the security environment and humanitarian response. As a country highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, Guatemala supports the incorporation of the climate perspective into the Organization’s peace and security pillar. It is important that the United Nations have the necessary leadership and tools to respond to situations that put people’s well-being at risk. Conflict prevention also requires a long-term perspective and action to address risks before they translate into crises. Given its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, we believe it is important for the Security Council to incorporate climate security assessments into all the reports on the situations on its agenda and to systematically analyse meteorological forecasts and identify risks with the help of regional and national climate perspectives. One valuable proposal in that regard is the Early Warnings for All initiative of the Secretary-General, and we appreciate having been included among the first group of countries to work on it. From experience on the ground, we have noted that climate change is having a significant impact on the capacities of special political and peacekeeping missions. Extreme disasters, such as droughts, floods and storms hamper humanitarian access and the protection of the most vulnerable people, increasing risks in conflict zones and tensions over competition for natural resources. Climate action provides opportunities to address the causes of conflicts and promote lasting peace. We strongly support the role of the Peacebuilding Commission, and we believe that it is important to strengthen climate action in its activities by ensuring that they are sensitive to climate-related social conflict and to humanitarian needs, such as food insecurity and migration flows, and that its interventions are respectful of natural resources. Climate migration must be addressed from a comprehensive and multidisciplinary perspective. Taking into account the ravages caused by climate change in the Central American and Caribbean region, we support preventive efforts and regional action, including through the Greater Caribbean Climate Mobility Initiative. I would like to conclude by calling for greater efforts to create opportunities and innovative solutions focused on building more resilient and peaceful communities. That is in line with our support for the strengthening of multilateralism, upon which, we hope, Our Common Agenda (A/75/982) and the New Agenda for Peace will be built.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Papua New Guinea.

Mr. Rai (Papua New Guinea): I have the distinct honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the 14 member States of the Pacific Islands Forum with presence at the United Nations. We thank the United Arab Emirates for convening this important debate. As we look ahead to the United Arab Emirates hosting a successful twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, we are heartened by its recognition that climate change is a multidimensional challenge with implications across our multilateral system, including for the Security Council. The Pacific Islands Forum leaders have repeatedly confirmed that climate change remains the single greatest existential threat to the Blue Pacific region, underscoring the urgency to limit global warming to 1.5°C through rapid, deep and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Our leaders have declared that the Pacific is facing a climate emergency that threatens the livelihoods, security and well-being of its people and ecosystems. Through the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, endorsed by Forum leaders as the overarching blueprint to advance Pacific regionalism, we recognize that responding to climate change is critical to ensuring our countries and territories are able to realize a safe, secure and prosperous future. Through the Boe Declaration on Regional Security, we recognize an expanded concept of security, including the need to build resilience to disasters and climate change. Without a stable climate, the Pacific will not have peace and security. Without peace and security, our people cannot prosper. We know that rising seas will cause coastal disasters and displace communities. We know that more frequent and intense weather events will cause increasing death, destruction and displacement. We know that our blue economy will suffer as our oceanic environment is degraded. Through the Declaration on Preserving Maritime Zones in the Face of Climate Change-Related Sea-Level Rise, Pacific leaders have reaffirmed our proactive approach and leadership in addressing the unique challenges posed by climate change. And through the Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific, we are strengthening our resilience against the impacts of climate change, including through disaster preparedness, disaster response and how we will deal with potential climate change-induced migration. The scale of the climate crisis and its multidimensional nature require us to urgently consider how climate security can be incorporated across our multilateral system in a complementary manner. The Council has an essential role to play and must align its mandate with the United Nations bodies, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Peacekeeping, peacebuilding and conflict resolution must all be climate-sensitive, and the impacts of climate change on the security of women and girls, minorities, the disabled, the displaced, the elderly and all vulnerable groups must be addressed in a coherent and verifiable manner. The Pacific Islands Forum welcomed the General Assembly’s adoption of resolution 77/276, the Vanuatu- led initiative to request an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the obligations of States in respect of climate change. We see the adoption of the resolution an example of our resolve to address the climate crisis in a complementary manner, firmly grounded in the norms and principles of the multilateral system. We are encouraged by the growing recognition of the climate-security nexus among other Member States and stand ready to work with all parties in good faith in that common cause. In that regard, we again call for the Security Council to appoint a special rapporteur to produce a regular review of the global, regional and national security threats caused by climate change. The Council and our multilateral system as a whole must act now on those issues, which are very urgent for the Pacific region and humankind as a whole.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Kazakhstan.

Mr. Rakhmetullin (Kazakhstan): At the outset, I commend the United Arab Emirates presidency for highlighting climate change as a security threat and a risk multiplier, triggering conflict during peace times and aggravating even greater violence in conflict. This is an opportunity for the Security Council to build on past deliberations and further assess the impact of climate change on vulnerable local areas and social groups, their livelihoods and existing food, water and energy insecurities. We share the understanding of the mutually reinforcing effects of climate change and displacement, migration and scarce resources on human survival and support. In fragile States, climate change also undermines the capacity of States to provide the opportunities and services needed in societies to carry out their functions and duties of good governance, thereby aggravating political instability, dissent and disruptions. The Council therefore needs to incorporate a climate focus into all its peacekeeping mandates, especially those in highly vulnerable locations. Measures must be taken and based on science-based evidence related to climate change for early warning, information management and formulating future road maps. Kazakhstan supports the efforts of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and the Department of Peace Operations to introduce field staff to climate and peace and security concepts and to explore how to address climate-related security risks and leverage climate-informed activities for peace. Of great relevance is to build them into the women and peace and security and youth, peace and security agendas and, especially, to protect environment defenders. Likewise, the Peacebuilding Commission and the Peacebuilding Fund should take proactive steps to support efforts, including in our region, such as forming partnerships with women’s organizations and the Central Asia Women Leaders’ Caucus. Just as climate change can aggravate sources of social tension, so can action around climate change serve as a platform for peacebuilding and resilience efforts towards achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, building on frameworks, indicators and criteria developed together. With its vast territory and diverse ecosystems, Kazakhstan has experienced first-hand the detrimental consequences of climate change. Rising temperatures, erratic weather patterns and the degradation of our precious and fragile natural resources pose significant challenges to our country and the entire region. We are therefore working jointly with our neighbours on many fronts to mitigate the consequences of climate change, including, for instance, within the framework of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea. Kazakhstan proposes creating a project office for the Central Asian countries on climate and green energy in Almaty, as well as holding a regional climate summit in Kazakhstan in 2026. In conclusion, Kazakhstan remains committed to multilateral climate action aimed at meeting the goals set forth in Our Common Agenda (A/75/982) for the sake of the security of present and future generations.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Latvia.

Mr. Pildegovičs (Latvia): At the outset, let me thank the United Arab Emirates for organizing today’s open debate and the briefers for their valuable presentations on the current challenges related to climate change and peace and security. Latvia aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the European Union. The sixth synthesis report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, published in March, is stark in its assessment: “Climate change is a threat to human well-being and planetary health ... [There is] a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all”. With such an assessment, it is evident that climate change and its adverse impacts pose risks to peace and security. It is high time — as it was on 13 December 2021 when a draft resolution (S/2021/990) on the matter was sponsored by 113 Member States and vetoed by one — for the Security Council to be actively seized of this matter. Through their inherently destructive nature, wars and armed conflicts also put the opportunity to secure a sustainable future further out of reach. That is evident in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions, caused widespread environmental damage and created a toxic legacy. The destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in the Kherson region of Ukraine by the Russian Federation is the most recent and devastating example, which has created not just another humanitarian crisis but an environmental disaster of proportions that are only gradually being revealed. It is clear for all to see that nature too is a casualty of Russia’s war. Climate change is indeed the defining challenge of our time. In order to address it, we need collective action, and we need all parts of the United Nations to join in. We were therefore pleased to be a sponsor of General Assembly resolution 77/276, which asked the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on climate change. We are confident that the Court’s advisory opinion will bring greater legal clarity with regard to the climate crisis. We are equally confident that by integrating climate-change considerations into its conflict-prevention, conflict-resolution and peacebuilding efforts, the Security Council will be better attuned to a world in climate crisis. Climate risks are highly context-specific. They range from the existential threat that sea level rise poses to small island developing States to the increased water and food insecurity created by extreme-weather events. United Nations missions mandated by the Security Council should have the capability to fully understand the context in which they operate and to address climate-related risks and contribute to building resilience. We commend the work already undertaken, and we believe that a more systematic integration of climate risk management and resilience strategies into conflict prevention and peacebuilding efforts is needed. Furthermore, the systematic sharing of findings, analyses and results with Member States through briefings and regular reports by the Secretary- General would contribute to a fuller understanding of how climate change plays out and contribute to building our planning and early-warning capacities. It will be important to continue the efforts aimed at greening the Blue Helmets. United Nations peacekeeping missions should implement sound environmental practices and solutions so as to reduce the footprint of United Nations peacekeeping activities. Using clean energy and reducing waste production and the use of plastic, along with enhancing environmental awareness, are just a few examples. The Council can play an instrumental role in that regard by factoring environment aspects into the renewal process for missions’ mandates. The best way to limit the risks that climate change poses to international peace and security is by keeping the goal of 1.5°C alive. Latvia is determined to reach climate neutrality by 2050 and is committed to the European Union’s target of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions by at least 55 per cent by 2030. We look forward to the twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in Dubai, as a decisive moment for stepping up ambition, and we encourage all to arrive prepared. In conclusion, let me say that Latvia will support future debates on the climate, peace and security nexus if it is elected to the Security Council as a non-permanent member in June 2025.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of the Republic of Korea.

Mr. Hwang (Republic of Korea): The Republic of Korea thanks the United Arab Emirates for convening today’s open debate, especially as it will be hosting the upcoming twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change as well. I also thank Under-Secretary- General Lacroix and the other briefers for their informative briefings. My delegation aligns itself with the statement made by the representative of Germany on behalf of the Group of Friends on Climate and Security. My delegation would like to reiterate the calls to the Security Council to systematically address the climate, peace and security nexus. There has been considerable progress within the Council. Climate language in several peacekeeping and special political mission mandates has created positive synergy on the ground involving United Nations agencies, local communities and host Governments. While my delegation encourages the Council to further integrate a climate perspective into all of its relevant mandates, we note that it still lacks systematic gateways to support the regions and countries that face the worst levels of instability and threats related to climate change. I would like to make some points in that regard. First, it is high time that the Council asked the Secretary-General to issue a report dedicated to the peace and security implications of climate change in every part of the world. By integrating all climate-risk analyses made within the United Nations system, the new report could provide for the mapping of fragile situations and identify the areas that require urgent attention for early warning, including in non-mission regions such as the Pacific and many parts of the Caribbean. Furthermore, it could include context- specific recommendations for prevention and mediation. Secondly, climate change knows no borders, and, in that regard, regional political missions such as the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel, the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa and the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia have a unique potential in comparison to country-specific missions. The Council and the Secretariat could consider stronger mandates for those offices on developing prevention strategies and early-warning systems in close consultations with regional organizations. Thirdly, the demand for financial and human resources in climate-informed field operations is increasing. However, only six climate security advisers are currently deployed to fill the missions, based on voluntary contributions, and efforts should therefore be made to secure sustained financing to increase the number of advisers and enable them to work permanently. My delegation will also explore avenues to support field training and capacity-building, including through the Climate Security Mechanism. The Republic of Korea has announced that climate and security will be one of its priorities on the Council as an incoming member next year. My Government’s efforts on the Council will be built upon its ambitious climate action and climate diplomacy. As stipulated in our new national security strategy, the Republic of Korea will expand green official development assistance and share green technologies with developing countries, including the most affected countries, to support low- carbon transitions. Furthermore, we will establish a hydrogen cooperation platform, in line with our efforts to promote clean hydrogen as a future energy source. At the first Republic of Korea-Pacific Islands Summit, held in May, we reaffirmed the joint commitment to countering the climate crisis and expressed support for preserving maritime zones in the face of sea level rise. The climate issue will also be one of the main agenda items at next year’s first-ever Republic of Korea-Africa Summit. In conclusion, we look forward to working closely with many of the fellow Council members who are eager to seek progress on this important agenda.

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

Ms. Al-Thani (Qatar) (spoke in Arabic): We congratulate the sisterly United Arab Emirates on its presidency of the Security Council and on convening today’s debate, which is presided over by Her Excellency Ms. Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment of the United Arab Emirates. We also thank the briefers for their briefings earlier today. My country’s delegation aligns itself with the statements made on behalf of the Group of Arab States and the Group of Friends on Climate and Security. The State of Qatar has made protecting the environment and addressing climate change a top priority. We have launched several projects and initiatives to address the impact of climate change. Qatar’s National Vision 2030, along with our first and second national development strategies, has established projects, objectives and initiatives aimed at protecting the environment and achieving sustainable development. The State of Qatar recently made significant progress in reducing emissions due to the energy and water sector. The opening by His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Prince of the State of Qatar, of the Al Kharsaah solar power plant is a prominent example of our interest in investing in projects aimed at reducing carbon emissions and protecting the environment. We also adopted the national plan for climate change 2030, which is geared towards strengthening our efforts to address climate change and includes measures to reduce emissions and limit effects of climate change. The national environment and climate change strategy of the State of Qatar, which was launched in 2021, reflects our ongoing commitment to protecting and strengthening the environment and achieving a more sustainable future. The Doha Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries has shown that those countries are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. It is very important to promote their capacities and resilience and finance adaptation measures. During the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, which was hosted by Doha in March, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani announced a financial contribution of $60 million to support the implementation of activities under the Doha Programme of Action. That is part of a comprehensive approach of the State of Qatar in support of international efforts to strengthen peace and security, development and human rights. The State of Qatar has a long history of supporting international efforts to address climate change and adapt to it. One of the important milestones for the State of Qatar was hosting the eighteenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. We look forward to participating in the twenty-eighth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) and hope that it will take ambitious measures in support of climate action. We express our sincere appreciation to the sisterly United Arab Emirates for hosting that session. We look forward to participating effectively in COP28. Last year, my country hosted the FIFA World Cup. It was the first time that it was held in the Middle East and the Arab region. It was the first World Cup free of carbon emissions and the most eco-friendly championship. The protection of the environment was part and parcel of the development of the infrastructure for that championship. In conclusion, the State of Qatar supports the important place accorded to climate change and its impact on peace and security as reflected on the Council’s agenda. We also support its incorporation into the mandate of several peacekeeping and special political missions.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Ms. Olson: On behalf of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and its 191-member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, I am pleased to address the Security Council today. Our National Society volunteers from their local communities tell us that the climate crisis is the number one humanitarian crisis that communities face around the globe, threatening human security. Currently, 90 per cent of all disasters are climate- and weather-related, resulting in the deaths of more than 410,000 people in the past decade and impacting 1.7 billion people. The impacts of the climate crisis are compounding other crises — food insecurity, disease outbreaks, water shortages and large population movements — reversing development gains and thereby impacting global peace and security. Although the climate crisis affects us all, the science and data show that it does affect us all equally. Our focus must be on the communities that are most affected and at risk, especially those in fragile settings. While we know that a one-size-fits-all solution to reducing climate risks does not exist, the IFRC proposes three important shifts to address the magnitude of the climate crisis before us. The first is a focus on community leadership, ownership and reach. Investing in large-scale disaster risk reduction, climate mitigation and adaptation at the community level, where it is most needed and has the greatest potential impact, is essential. Local organizations are critical to designing and implementing climate action and channelling climate finance to the right places, to those most in need. They must drive the change. The second is filling the financing gaps. Approximately 30 of the most climate vulnerable countries — a majority of which are fragile contexts — receive only $1 per person per year in climate adaptation funding. We must change how we finance climate action. There must be a more integrated approach to humanitarian, development, climate and peace financing, while putting the needs of communities at the centre. The funding must reach the local level to build and empower local institutional and response capacities and solutions. Empowered local communities form the foundation of peaceful societies. The third is forecasting and anticipatory action. We must all scale up early-warning and early-action systems that provide communities with information and funding to act before climate events become disasters. That means giving local organizations more direct access to financing and decision-making processes through mechanisms such as the IFRC’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund, which provides direct funding to National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies that play a key role in protecting people from the impacts of climate change. All of us, whether from the humanitarian, development, climate or peace sectors, must work together to address immediate needs and strengthen long-term resilience to prevent and alleviate human suffering, and thereby contribute to the maintenance of human dignity and peace in the world.

The President: I now give the floor to Ms. Mohammed.

Ms. Mohammed: At the outset, permit me to congratulate you, Mr. President, on taking over the presidency of the Security Council and on scheduling today’s important open debate on such a central topic. I would also like to thank the briefers for their insightful briefings. As your country, Mr. President, is embarking on the unique experience of hosting the twenty-eighth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change by the end of this year, scheduling today’s meeting demonstrates your commitment to advancing our collective efforts to tackle the negative impacts of climate change, especially on peace and security. In the fight against climate change and its effects, the African Union remains committed to supporting global efforts, particularly given that Africa is one of the most affected continents, despite being one of the regions that contributes the least to greenhouse-gas emissions. In various parts of the continent, we have witnessed the link between climate and peace and security. Many regions in Africa are extremely vulnerable and exposed to its adverse effects, with extreme weather patterns manifesting in floods, droughts, heatwaves, forest fires, storms, cyclones and slow-onset events such as the rise of sea levels and changing and unpredictable rainfall patterns. That has led to a negative impact on food security and stability in a number of African States. We have also witnessed the consequences of climate-induced displacement giving rise to large numbers of internally displaced persons and refugees, which creates complex humanitarian situations in addition to those linked to protracted armed conflicts and insecurity. In short, the impact of climate change on peace and security in Africa has been a major challenge to our efforts at silencing the guns and achieving the African Union’s Agenda 2063 — our development agenda — having a negative impact on the peace, stability and development of our continent. Against that backdrop and in recognition of the above, permit me to share with the Council some efforts undertaken by the African Union (AU) on climate and peace and security and the interconnections. The AU Peace and Security Council has made several pronouncements on the nexus between climate and peace and security through different sessions held over the past three years, including at the ministerial and Heads-of-State levels, thereby translating the AU’s commitment on this important file. The Peace and Security Council has highlighted the need for an informed climate-security-development nexus for Africa, making clear the African Union’s stance on the topic and indicating it as a threat multiplier to the peace and security landscape. It has also underscored the multiple pathways through which climate-related changes interact with political, social and environmental stresses to compound existing vulnerabilities and tensions, while noting that responding to the needs of communities — particularly in terms of adapting to changing climate conditions while maintaining their livelihoods, basic needs and security — is a high priority. In terms of prevention, the AU Commission is making efforts to mainstream climate change in all its activities, particularly in early warning and the prevention of climate change-related violent conflicts on the continent. As a concrete measure, the Continental Early Warning System will include in its regular briefings to the AU Peace and Security Council looming climate change-related security threats on the continent. The African Union is also working towards improving its capacity to come up with immediate and prompt responses. In that regard, the African Union Executive Council endorsed the creation of a continental civilian capacity for disaster preparedness and response, which will draw from national individual capacities in order to provide timely assistance to disaster-stricken countries on the continent. The AU Heads of State demonstrated their commitment to that proposal during the extraordinary session of the AU Assembly held in Malabo in May 2022. I would also like to use this opportunity to mention the AU Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy and Action Plan 2022–2032, which was adopted last year to support the realization of the AU’s Agenda 2063 by setting out principles, priorities and action areas for enhanced climate cooperation and long-term climate resilience development. In view of designing a comprehensive approach to face climate change effects on peace and security, the AU Commission has been tasked by the AU Heads of State to develop a common African position on the climate change and peace and security nexus. Such a document will provide us with more clarity on the matter in order to contribute to the collective efforts of the international community in setting up the adequate responses and the right frameworks. With regard to the mandate of United Nations peacekeeping missions in relation to the effects of climate change, the AU Peace and Security Council has also clearly underlined the importance of a “climate-sensitive planning dimension in peacekeeping and post-conflict reconstruction and development efforts to prevent any relapse into armed conflict in fragile communities”. We also wish to note with satisfaction the language inserted in the resolution adopted this year for the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) (resolution 2677 (2023)) whereby the Council requested the United Nations Secretary-General to report with an analysis of risks associated with climate change that may adversely have an impact on peace and security in South Sudan and the implementation of UNMISS’ mandate. Such references in resolutions concerning African countries with difficult environmental settings are more necessary and relevant than ever. Regular reports on the matter will provide us with clarity on the way forward and on how we should agree to identify suitable frameworks to deal with climate and peace and security. From the gender perspective, the effects of climate change are perpetuating pervasive and entrenched gender inequalities that undermine the rights of women and girls. In the Sahel region, for example, women are key players in agriculture and contribute to 40 per cent of agricultural production, 80 per cent of agricultural processing and 70 per cent of agricultural distribution labour regionally. Furthermore, women continue to face systemic violence that intensifies during conflicts and wars, which, in some cases, result from the effects of climate change. Women are also internally displaced, placing them in vulnerable conditions. The nexus between climate change and peace and security presents a dire need for a gender-sensitive and -responsive approach to climate change mitigation, adaption and peacebuilding efforts. It is time for Member States to integrate gender- responsive and multi-layered partnerships into climate change mitigation, adaptation and peacebuilding efforts. I also call on the Security Council to actively engage with Member States, particularly those most affected by climate change, such as those in the Sahel region and others. Finally, I cannot conclude without mentioning the issue of climate financing, which has been raised by several speakers during this open debate. Scaling up climate finance to meet the ambitious climate goals as outlined in the Paris Agreement is crucial for our efforts both now and in the future. It must also take into consideration accessibility, in order to bridge the finance gap and support developing countries in their climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. The international community, through continued cooperation, transparency and continued commitment, is crucial to mobilizing climate finance and to ensuring its effective use to address the global climate challenges, especially for those who are most affected. The African Union’s commitment to supporting global efforts against climate change is driven by the understanding that climate change is a global challenge requiring collective action. By emphasizing the importance of equitable and sustainable development, promoting renewable energy, advocating for climate financing and engaging in international negotiations, the African Union seeks to address the impacts of climate change in Africa and foster a more resilient future not only for the continent, but globally.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Ethiopia.

Mr. Sabo (Ethiopia): Let me congratulate you, Sir, on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for the month of June. We convey our appreciation to the United Arab Emirates for taking the initiative to convene this open debate on climate change and peace and security. Climate change-induced extreme weather conditions affect the minimally resilient and those least responsible for causing climate change. The Horn of Africa, where my country Ethiopia is found, is one of those regions, experiencing perennial drought and extreme and devastating flooding. Climate change is having an impact on our water sources, degrading fertile soil and causing the livelihoods and social protection systems that support the lifestyle of our communities to deteriorate. It is evident that, when livelihoods are threatened, populations search for alternatives and create coping mechanisms. There are times when those coping responses give rise to security concerns. Recognizing that challenge, our multilateral deliberations since the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio in 1992, have produced normative frameworks and institutional platforms for cooperation. In the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, we approach climate change from an interdisciplinary point of view rooted in science, law, economy, development and social factors. Despite the setbacks, mainly resulting from non-adherence by the major economies, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is serving our purpose. Our journey so far has also shown us that climate change is best addressed in the multilateral platform that has the whole membership of the United Nations participating on the basis of sovereign equality. The securitization of climate change may generate a mandate for the Security Council to deliberate on the outermost consequences of climate change. However, discussions of the consequences with a political and security perspective may not adequately contribute to a resolution of the real problems themselves. On the other hand, the securitization of climate change may inadvertently undermine the hard-earned consensus within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It could subject development efforts and natural resource utilization in developing countries to unnecessary security considerations. Displacement because of drought or flooding, the competition over water and grazing lands and clashes between communities within and across borders are not something we want the Security Council to be preoccupied with. That is a socioeconomic challenge for which we have workable national plans and programmes and bilateral mechanisms with neighbours and other cooperation frameworks. Decreasing emissions, implementing our climate finance commitments for mitigation and resilience and investing in national forecasting, preparedness and prevention efforts will take us a long way in addressing those problems. Furthermore, we invite the United Nations system as a whole to support in an impactful manner our tangible initiatives, such as the Great Green Wall Initiative of the African Union, which aspires to green the entire Sahel belt. We also have the Green Legacy initiative of Ethiopia, which was launched five years ago by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and which resulted in the planting of billons of trees. Such initiatives deserve concrete support from the United Nations system. I would like to conclude by underscoring our conviction that our climate action will give our populations better coping mechanisms for the impacts of climate change thereby addressing the derivative security challenges. Local and regional solutions will better address the climate-related security needs of the people. The application of the security measures and tools at the disposal of the Security Council are very unlikely to deliver results comparable to local context- specific solutions. Finally, we believe that the Security Council, which is primarily responsible for global peace and security, would better serve humankind if it continues to focus on the main global peace and security issues by adopting a balanced approach and leaving the climate-related security issues to local and regional mechanisms, such as the African Union.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Ireland.

Mr. McSwiney (Ireland): Ireland aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the European Union and the statement delivered by the Group of Friends on Climate and Security. We thank the United Arab Emirates for convening today’s important debate and also thank our briefers for their insightful reflections. The dark yellow haze and horrendous air quality that gripped New York last week, as a result of wildfires in Canada, should leave the Security Council with no doubt that climate change is already having an immediate and undeniable impact on our daily lives. In fragile and conflict-affected settings, the consequences are even more severe and far-reaching. Environmental degradation, resource scarcity and extreme weather events compound existing challenges, increasing the risk of displacement, food insecurity and the potential for further conflict. More often than not, those impacts disproportionately affect women and girls, persons with disabilities and marginalized groups. Shockingly, we know that the more fragile a country is, the less climate finance it has received from bilateral funders and multilateral climate funds. That is a key climate finance issue and one that Ireland is keen to tackle, including via our membership of the Transitional Committee on Loss and Damage. Later this year, at the twenty-eighth Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Dubai, Member States will have the opportunity to rethink, reboot and refocus the climate agenda. Keeping temperatures to 1.5°C is our last, best hope of mitigating the most severe impacts of the climate crisis, but it cannot be done without deep, rapid and sustained emissions reductions. Time is rapidly running out for us to act. Yet that is only one part of the solution. A concerted multilateral response to climate change and its effects, involving all the organs of the United Nations, is urgently needed. We welcome that the Security Council has recognized the adverse effects of climate change on conflict dynamics across a growing number of mandates for peacekeeping and special political missions. But it can and must do more to better understand and address climate-related security risks in the maintenance of international peace and security. We commend the leadership of elected Security Council members the United Arab Emirates, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland towards developing a joint pledge to continuously address climate and security issues in the Security Council. It is not by accident that 8 of the 15 countries most vulnerable to climate change are hosting United Nations peace operations, nor is it a coincidence that 80 per cent of United Nations peacekeepers are currently deployed in such countries. Where climate change is a factor in exacerbating instability and undermining peace and security, the Council has a duty to use all the tools at its disposal to address it. Anything less is a betrayal of the responsibility entrusted to it by us, the Member States. By adopting a comprehensive and collaborative approach that prioritizes prevention, resilience, international cooperation and conflict resolution, we can still forge a future where peace and security thrive alongside a sustainable and resilient planet. Ireland, alongside the Niger — one of the countries most impacted by climate-related security risks — committed to advancing the issue of climate and security during its recent term on the Security Council. While we were naturally disappointed when the Russian Federation, a permanent Council member, vetoed draft resolution S/2021/990 on this topic in December 2021, it is clear that this agenda enjoys huge support from all corners of the United Nations. The question of whether the Security Council should factor the security risks of climate change into its decision-making is no longer a matter of if, but when. Only then will the Council be truly able to fulfil its obligations to the most vulnerable among us.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Spain.

Mr. Santos Maraver (Spain) (spoke in Spanish): Spain thanks the presidency of the United Arab Emirates for convening this open debate. We align ourselves with the statements made by the European Union and the Group of Friends on Climate and Security. Climate change is a security risk multiplier. The Security Council has included climate considerations in its work since 2017 and up to the recently adopted resolution 2682 (2023) on the situation concerning Iraq, but a more systematic approach is needed. Spain regrets that, in December 2021, the Council was unable to reach agreement on draft resolution S/2021/990 on the security implications of climate change, which was sponsored by 113 countries. The text offered a comprehensive approach that systematically integrated climate-related security risks into conflict prevention, conflict management and peacekeeping. Spain recognizes the link between climate change, peace and security. In December 2021, we organized, in Seville, the Workshop on Climate, Peace and Security, where the impact of the climate crisis on peace was emphasized and operational initiatives to address those challenges were explored. Spain joins the countries calling for more concrete and tangible actions, including but not limited to the appointment of a special envoy for climate, peace and security and the implementation of early-warning, conflict prevention and peacebuilding systems. Furthermore, we welcome the efforts of the United Nations Secretariat to integrate climate considerations into its analysis and planning mechanisms and into its prevention, mediation and peacebuilding strategies. We support the work of the Climate Security Mechanism and the United Nations Community of Practice on Climate Security. These initiatives do not undermine the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, but they do complement the work of the various bodies of the system, as does the recognition by the General Assembly and other forums of the right to a healthy, clean and safe environment, a milestone in the field of human rights. As a country suffering from the impact of prolonged droughts, we are aware of the challenges posed by extreme weather conditions. Droughts have a high human, social and economic cost and particularly affect migration, accounting for 10 per cent of the increase in total migration. For this reason, Spain, together with Senegal, launched the International Alliance for Drought Resilience, which had the initial support of several specialized organizations, United Nations agencies and funds and 30 States to promote the fight against desertification and water insecurity as the only way to address the impact of climate in countries affected by conflicts. In addition, Spain’s recently approved humanitarian diplomacy strategy recognizes climate change as one of the causes of conflict and considers it necessary to include climate considerations in early-warning mechanisms as an integrated approach to preventive diplomacy. One of the main lines of action of our foreign policy is to advocate that the mandates of peace and security operations and missions incorporate a climate approach, taking into account the relationship between climate, peace and security. The consequences of climate change are multidimensional and endanger the security of States and peoples — directly, as in the case of Pacific small island States, but also indirectly, due to disruptions caused by extreme weather events, competition for scarce resources, and new geostrategic scenarios. The Secretary-General’s most recent report on the protection of civilians in armed conflict (S/2023/345) states that among the 25 countries said to be most vulnerable to climate change, most were also suffering from armed conflict — and are bankrupt or on the verge of bankruptcy owing to debt pressures. The historical experience of the so-called Little Ice Age in the seventeenth century is worth remembering. Its consequences on agricultural production affected the entire planet, forced ruthless competition for agricultural incomes and eventually triggered conflicts in Moghul India, Edo Japan and Ming China. Europe was devastated by the Thirty Years’ War, which could be ended only by the Peace of Westphalia and the beginnings of a multilateralism that remains our main instrument for maintaining peace and security. A similar effect is already being felt by farmers in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent, with pandemic diseases and mortality on the rise. Social inequalities and inequalities in carbon dioxide emissions go hand in hand, and all reports point to 2050 as a tipping point that will be very difficult to manage. The consequences of climate change, especially in fragile and exposed contexts, can aggravate instability and conflict. We, the States Members of the United Nations, must respond to this challenge, and the Security Council must fulfil its primary responsibility to maintain international peace and security.

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

Mr. Hilale (Morocco) (spoke in French): First of all, I would like to thank the sisterly United Arab Emirates for organizing today’s open debate in the Security Council on the crucial issue of climate and security. This commendable initiative is the determined face of the Security Council’s continued action to address the global challenges of climate change and a fitting opportunity to take our messages to the United Nations and the world and to raise awareness of the security implications of global warming. Climate change is not a theoretical subject or the object of rhetorical debate, still less is it an inevitability. It is a reality, with harsh phenomena affecting populations and natural ecosystems. My country, Morocco, is located in a region where the recurrence of droughts and the pace of soil degradation are major challenges. In Africa, millions of hectares are threatened by desertification due to the advance of the desert, which in some regions is moving forward at a rate of 5 kilometres per year. Land degradation is a vulnerability multiplier, leading in many cases to population instability. Alongside climate and environmental security, water and food security, human security and security in general are also at stake. Land that is lost to life is land given over to insecurity. As we have seen in our region, areas suffering from extreme climatic degradation are often also those where conflicts break out, populations are displaced, and terrorist groups and extremist separatists seek to infiltrate. Preparations for the negotiations at the twenty- eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (COP28) are currently under way, with the aim of achieving substantial results in the fight against the climate crisis. We welcome the actions taken by the United Arab Emirates presidency to ensure the best possible success for COP28 in Dubai, as it is essential that we all raise our sights to achieve the goals set out in the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement. The Kingdom of Morocco is determined to lead the fight against the common enemy that is climate change through coordinated action and solidarity. Several flagship regional initiatives, tailored to African realities, are helping to build African resilience to global warming. Morocco has stepped up its efforts to combat climate change since the Africa Action Summit for Continental Co-Emergence organized in Marrakech on the initiative of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, on the sidelines of the twenty-second Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC. In this respect, it is important that the United Nations Climate Security Mechanism, which is an excellent example of inter-institutional cooperation within the United Nations system to analyse and address the adverse effects of climate change on peace and security, works in complementarity with the three Climate Commissions for Africa that emerged from the 2016 Marrakech summit, namely, the Climate Commission of the Congo Basin, the Climate Commission of the Sahel region, and the Small Island States Climate Commission. Furthermore, our debates within the Security Council on the climate-peace-security nexus also resonate with the “triple A” initiative for Adaptation of African Agriculture, and the “triple S” initiative on Sustainability, Stability and Security in Africa, which Morocco launched jointly with brother African countries, and which particularly benefit the sister Sahel region. Given its responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, the Security Council has a crucial role to play. Morocco therefore welcomes the progress made in this respect, notably the growing recognition of the effects of climate change when reviewing peacekeeping mandates and special political missions, the majority of which are deployed in countries highly vulnerable to climate change. As a major troop contributor that is concerned about ensuring that its participation in UN peacekeeping operations has no impact on the local environment, Morocco supports the Secretary-General’s efforts to reduce the ecological footprint of peacekeeping operations through a dedicated strategy. Our contingents are making an effective contribution by adopting such measures as the use of solar energy and mobile photovoltaic power systems, automatic supervision of information-technology and air-conditioning equipment, and the deployment of equipment and supplies that meet environmental standards. Morocco also welcomes the leadership of the United Arab Emirates, along with other Council members, in developing a shared commitment to strengthening the climate-peace-security nexus within the Council, especially when it comes to climate change risks in specific national or regional situations. Staying within the 1.5°C limit is essential. However, this reflects only part of the challenge ahead. We have to admit that we can no longer prevent all the negative impacts of climate change. Particularly in fragile contexts, these impacts act as a risk multiplier. That is why countries and the international community must also invest in adaptation measures to strengthen resilience in times of climate change. In conclusion, Morocco urges the international community to rise to the call for action from the vulnerable countries, those most affected by climate change. The Kingdom is ready to continue to support all international efforts aimed at improving the global assessment of climate risks, capacity-building and operational responses in the affected, brotherly countries, especially in Africa.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Lebanon.

Ms. Mrad (Lebanon): I would like to start by thanking the United Arab Emirates for convening us on this important topic of climate change and its adverse impact on peace and security. It has become increasingly clear that climate change has consequences that reach the very heart of the security agenda — flooding, disease and famine, resulting in migration on an unprecedented scale in areas of already high tension, as well as drought and crop-failure, leading to intensified competition for food, water and scarce energy. Increased competition for resources like fertile land and fresh water is already disrupting societies and uprooting entire communities, thus exacerbating current conflicts and fuelling new ones. Climate change is considered among the greatest risks for peace and security in the twenty-first century. As the planet’s temperature rises, extended droughts, rising sea levels and more frequent and intense storms are affecting the lives and livelihoods of people in all corners of the globe. The Arab world is one of the regions most affected by climate change. Sixty-three per cent of fertile lands are highly vulnerable to climate fluctuations, which means there is an increasing dependency on imports in already highly indebted countries. Furthermore, two thirds of freshwater resources in the region cross one or more international boundaries, which could aggravate conflict in the absence of peaceful settlements based on international law. Warming in Middle East region is twice the global average and, according to international specialized reports, it will be 4°C warmer by 2050, compared to the 1.5°C global goal for a safer planet. Many cities in the region may literally become uninhabitable before the end of the century. The climate, peace and security nexus brings us to the following equation — the causal link between climate change and conflicts. Is it wars that impact climate change or does climate change, as a threat multiplier, fuel civil wars and other armed conflicts? What is sure is that they are mutually reinforcing. In the past two decades, the Middle East region witnessed devastating wars and cross-border conflicts that exponentially destroyed its biodiversity and continue to contribute significantly to the climate crisis. Unstable climate is an emerging threat to security that must be met with greater urgency and ambition. As we look forward to the upcoming landmark conferences and summits — namely, the Sustainable Development Goal Summit, the Summit of the Future and the twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, under the able leadership of the United Arab Emirates — the international community has to ensure that the climate, peace and security nexus is at the forefront of our deliberations.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Israel.

Mr. Miller (Israel): I would like to take this opportunity to extend Israel’s appreciation to the United Arab Emirates for initiating this timely debate and for the Emirati leadership in hosting the upcoming twenty- eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The decision to hold this event once again in the Middle East, a region profoundly affected by climate change and security issues, carries great significance. The State of Israel attaches great importance to the subject of climate change. The growing connection between climate change and security is increasingly evident. Now more than ever, it demands our immediate, collective attention. Climate change is not just an environmental issue, but a significant risk multiplier that directly impacts national, regional and global stability, intensifying existing security threats and creating new ones. In the Middle East and the Sahel region, the combination of climate change, the shortage of resources and, at times, uncoordinated development policies, leaves those areas particularly vulnerable to security challenges and provides a fertile ground for terrorist organizations to grow. Not only do terrorist organizations flourish in climate crisis areas, but they also abuse the cause of climate change to spread violence and harm. One such example is Hizbullah’s expansion of its terror domination in south Lebanon, under the guise of the so-called “Green without Borders” environmental organization. On a daily basis, just mere meters from Israel’s northern border and from within the area of operations of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, Hizbullah uses this organization as a front for its malign activities. As has been flagged by several United Nations reports and noted in relevant United Nations resolutions, that perverse tactic of terror organizations hiding behind non-profit organizations and non-governmental organizations is a growing phenomenon that is not carried out not only by Hizbullah, but by many other terror groups across the globe as well. Those trends require us to come together in order to combat issues that affect us all and work towards vital frameworks for cooperation for a prosperous region. As an integral part of the Middle East, Israel has a direct interest in addressing that issue to prevent further destabilizing consequences in an already volatile region. The Abraham Accords paved the way for cooperation in a variety of fields in our region. Along with economic, security and peer-to-peer cooperation, it created an opportunity for regional cooperation on the challenges of climate change, with severe implications that cross borders and do not distinguish between one country and another. Accordingly, Israel gives great importance to regional partnerships in the areas of renewable energy, water, nature-based solutions and food security and works to champion regional initiatives tackling those challenges. One such example is the Prosperity Blue and Prosperity Green projects, where, together with Jordan and the United Arab Emirates and with the support of the United States, we plan to build solar plants and export desalinated water for the greater good of the people of the region. Israel has been overcoming the challenges of climate change for decades. The Israeli experience has given us a unique perspective, as well as technological breakthroughs and a wealth of knowledge on how to navigate these issues. Through Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation, MASHAV, Israel is committed to sharing knowledge with its partners in the field of climate change, including on sustainable water management, waste-water reclamation, food security and grain storage, agriculture in arid environments and combating desertification and drought in order to build capacities and jointly combat those challenges. Israel has also undertaken comprehensive measures at the national level to mitigate climate change effects, such as completing a holistic process for formulating a strategy and national targets for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, preparing sectoral indicators and formulating a strategic and adaptable implementation plan. We are also a committed party to the Paris Agreement on climate change and to the UNFCCC goals and have pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, at the twenty-sixth Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC and again at the twenty-seventh Conference of the Parties. However, the challenges posed by climate change require a global, concerted effort. It is our collective responsibility to maintain international peace and security We must therefore work together with the wider global community to overcome that challenge. We must adopt the following approaches and tools, including mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, with the goal of remaining below the 1.5°C threshold of global warming; adaptation to the impacts of climate change in the areas of food and water insecurity, such as providing accessible renewable energy; strengthening community resilience through peacekeeping and special political missions; and finally, providing international aid, promoting local development and creating livelihood sources for the population. In conclusion, Israel is committed to playing its role within a shared vision of a future global climate framework, and we stand ready to share our knowledge, experience and solutions. Together, we can work towards a more secure, stable and sustainable future for all.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Alwasil (Saudi Arabia) (spoke in Arabic): At the outset, allow me to congratulate the sisterly United Arab Emirates on presiding over the Security Council for this month. I would like to express my deep appreciation to the United Arab Emirates for convening this important meeting at a time when the international community is facing increasing environmental challenges that require concerted international efforts to find constructive solutions and protect the communities exposed to environmental threats and sea level rise resulting from the serious repercussions of environmental deterioration. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has always stressed the importance of seriously addressing the challenges of climate change and their impact on sustainable development at the economic, social and environmental levels. Uniting the efforts of the international community to implement the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement clearly represents a balanced approach to adaptation and mitigation. Sea level rise is one of the most challenging effects of climate change for every country, especially small island developing States and least developed countries, and if we are to mitigate its impact and address its possible consequences we must work together. In that regard, we have launched the Saudi and Middle East Green Initiatives, which aim to address climate change by implementing a circular carbon-economy approach, planting trees, rehabilitating lands and protecting coral reefs, at the regional level as well as in Saudi Arabia itself. With regard to reducing emissions, there are three key pillars for energy transitions — energy security, economic development and climate change — and it will be important to focus on achieving all three pillars equally, without prioritizing one at the expense of the others. Technologies and solutions must be inclusive and financing should be provided for all available promising solutions, and we should focus on emissions without prioritizing specific energy sources. That is why Saudi Arabia is adopting a balanced approach to reducing emissions and achieving net-zero emissions in line with its development plans. We are working on enabling economic diversification without affecting supply chains, while developing technologies that reduce emissions in cooperation with various other countries. Saudi Arabia is fully aware of the need to increase expectations for addressing environmental challenges related to climate change, especially in the current decade. That is why we will be increasing our nationally determined contributions through reducing our emissions by 278 million tons annually by 2030, which is more than double what we announced in 2015. We have also announced an ambitious plan to ensure net-zero emissions by 2060, in line with the circular carbon-economy approach, and have joined the Global Methane Pledge, which seeks to reduce global methane emissions by 30 per cent of what they were in 2020. In addition, we have committed to generating 50 per cent of our electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Saudi Arabia stresses the importance of balanced solutions for international cooperation on adaptation and mitigation through injecting investments into both in order to strengthen and ensure the recovery of the global economy and address the challenges of climate change. However, adaptation is just as important as mitigation. As the world focuses on mitigation, we should also work on adapting to the target temperatures in the Paris Agreement, which are between 1.5°C and 2°C, especially in developing countries and the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Adaptation helps to build a more resilient environment and ensure the continuation of sustainable development while reducing emissions at the same time. It should be noted that one of the most important outcomes of the twenty-sixth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was the launch of the Glasgow– Sharm El-Sheikh work programme, which seeks to promote adaptation capacities and strengthen resilience, limit the impacts of climate change in line with the Paris Agreement target temperature range and ensure sustainable development pursuant to differing national circumstances and capacities. In conclusion, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is keen to promote adaptation, as it is an important issue and in line with our projects such as the Saudi Green Initiative, which seeks to plant 10 billion trees across the country. That is equivalent to rehabilitating 40 million hectares of land and will increase protected areas to more than 30 per cent of our total land and sea acreage. In addition, we are also working on local projects such as the establishment of the King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Royal Natural Reserve, which covers 130,000 square kilometres in northern Saudi Arabia and aims to restore ecosystems and protect wildlife.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of the Marshall Islands.

Ms. Kabua (Marshall Islands): It is my honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the 12 Pacific small island developing States. We align ourselves with the statement delivered by the representative of Papua New Guinea on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum, and would like to express our sincere gratitude to the United Arab Emirates for hosting this important debate on the interconnectedness of climate and peace and security. We have repeatedly stated that climate change is the single greatest challenge facing our island homes. While our countries are the smallest contributors to global climate change, we have found ourselves on the front lines of the crisis. Our way of life is facing extinction. Rising sea levels, ocean acidification and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events are putting undue strain on our economies, food supplies and natural environment. We represent the canary in the coal mine for what will come if we do not take concrete action to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy and scale up climate finance for adaptation and mitigation. Leading into the twenty-eighth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, we once again emphasize the absolute imperative of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. For our island States, 0.5°C represents more than a bureaucratic point of debate. It is the difference between a state of security and a state of chaos. For some of our countries, it is a matter of existence versus complete inundation. We are advocating for a holistic definition of security. While one might not expect the pristine blue waters of the Pacific to resemble the war zones with which the Security Council is familiar, forced migration, displacement, food and water insecurity and infrastructure damage are all downstream effects of climate change that threaten our state of peace. Our people are 15 times more likely to die from climate-related effects. Rising sea levels have inundated our coastal villages, causing displacement and forced migration. We have seen time and again that the forced relocation of a Pacific island village looks very much the same as it does in a war zone. Simply put, home is not just a location. It is a place where one is rooted and tethered. And forced migration, whether caused by gunfire or climate impacts, is always chaotic, destabilizing and disheartening. Warming ocean temperatures have bleached our coral reefs, which disrupts the subsistence, commercial fishing and ecotourism on which our people depend. Sea level rise has flooded our crops, causing food insecurity. The state of insecurity caused by climate-related disasters also reduces the incentives for foreign direct investment. The fiscal capacity required to address such issues comes at the cost of investment in development, health, education and social services. Those security threats are surely familiar to the Council, but in our case it is climate change that is to blame. Our expanded definition of security must inform the Council’s work in fulfilling its mandate. While the Pacific SIDS may be on the front lines of the crisis, climate change poses a global threat to the peace and security of all nations and peoples. The climate-security nexus is an issue that we can no longer ignore. In that spirit, we are calling for clear, tangible and transformative action now. We join the Pacific Islands Forum in calling on the Security Council to appoint a special rapporteur to produce a regular review of the holistic global, regional and national peace and security implications of climate change. In addition, the Council must become climate-sensitive in all its work. In practice, that entails many obligations. For one thing, the Council should consider climate-related risks in the execution of all of its peacekeeping and special political missions. It should also establish a doctrine that informs the mandates, structures, operations, reporting guidelines and enhanced capacity-training of all United Nations personnel, including peacekeepers, so that they can identify and deal with increasingly prevalent climate-related security challenges. In carrying out its mission, the Council must seek greater input from communities such as ours, which bear the costs of inaction by the world’s largest emitters. Finally, we reiterate our request for the Council’s support in obtaining an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the obligations of States with respect to climate change. If we are to address the most pressing challenge of our time, we must engage all components of our multilateral system. That includes the full weight and power of the Security Council. The Pacific small island developing States stand ready to engage in that work.

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

Mr. Fatah (Iraq) (spoke in Arabic): I would like to take this opportunity to thank Her Excellency Ms. Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment of the United Arab Emirates, for presiding over the start of this meeting. It is an honour to participate in today’s open debate on climate change, peace and security, which is a critical issue at the top of the international agenda. Our deliberations today are a case in point. I commend the delegation of the United Arab Emirates for convening this meeting. I would also like to express my thanks and appreciation to the briefers for enriching our debate. We firmly believe that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is the appropriate forum for discussing climate-change-related topics. However, today’s debate, dedicated to the threats posed by climate change, can serve as a way for the international community to shoulder its responsibilities and take preventive measures to reduce risks and avert potential crises at the national, regional and global levels. It can deepen our understanding of the risks of climate change. Low rainfall and the unsustainable use of water resources, together with the unforgiving impact of climate change, exacerbate the problems of water scarcity and the erosion of life-giving soil. That leads to displacement and migration. We know that the United Nations has harrowing statistics on the numbers of displaced people and migrants who have left their countries for economic and environmental reasons. And while we may not know exactly how many people have been swallowed by the seas and oceans, the reasons for their fatal migration are well known to all of us in this Chamber and elsewhere. It is a major concern that the basins of major rivers, particularly in the Middle East, are under tremendous strain, owing first to competition for the use and control of shared water resources in the absence of viable bilateral or multilateral agreements, or regional frameworks on the reasonable and equitable use of shared resources, and secondly to the effects of climate change. It is only fair that the international community should launch positive preventive initiatives to promote the survival and stability of the communities concerned and address the harsh changes affecting vital needs in vulnerable areas that are more susceptible to climate change. For example, in the Iraqi delta at the mouth of the Arabian Gulf and the Shatt Al-Arab waterway, which is famous as the setting for the legend of Sinbad the Sailor and the Garden of Eden of holy scripture, there is land degradation. It is a major example of a freshwater ecosystem, rich in biodiversity, fertile soil and palm trees, being transformed into a saltwater marsh as a result of the lower levels of fresh water in the streams feeding into it. Finally, the Government of my country would like to convey a message. Iraq is committed to achieving peace, security and development with its neighbours. We are pursuing a cooperative approach among riparian States to sharing equitably in the benefits and in addressing damages. Climate change is a global phenomenon that does not recognize national borders. We therefore need comprehensive regional approaches based on the principles of international law. We need initiatives that rely on diplomatic means to settle disputes among riparian States and safeguard the world and the region from every kind of tension and instability. Iraq is making tremendous efforts to bring all stakeholders together to discuss this important issue. Most recently, on 6 and 7 May we hosted the third Baghdad International Water Conference on water scarcity, the Mesopotamian marshes and the Shatt Al-Arab as part of our collective responsibility. That regional forum discussed water-related issues, and its vision is to achieve the long-term sustainable development of water resources in the light of climate change, ensure cooperation and coordination among riparian States and share in addressing the damage. The Conference’s objectives were to tackle future challenges by sharing expertise and knowledge at the international level, overcoming water-scarcity challenges caused by climate change, strengthening the international response to global warming and climate change and restoring security and prosperity for the world. The Government of Iraq is giving a great deal of attention to this delicate issue, as was reflected in our hosting in Baghdad on 7 February 2022 of the thirty-sixth session of the Regional Conference for the Near East and North Africa of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, at which we addressed the issue of water for agriculture and sustainable development.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Ukraine.

Ms. Hayovyshyn (Ukraine): We thank the presidency of the United Arab Emirates for convening today’s important debate and the briefers for their comprehensive presentations. Ukraine has always been a strong promoter of intensifying and concerting action to address climate change as a global threat to international peace and security. In 2021, we were one of the 113 Member States that sponsored the Security Council’s thematic draft resolution S/2021/990 on the security implications of climate change. We regret the fact that the draft resolution was not adopted, thanks to the veto cast by the Russian Federation. We encourage the Security Council to continue its efforts to integrate consideration of climate-related security risks into the Council’s activities with a view to maintaining international peace and security. The strong support for that step by the countries and regions affected by climate change as a driver of conflict should guide the Council’s position on the matter. Ukraine has suffered from issues related to climate change, such as flooding and desertification, food and water insecurity, deforestation and biodiversity loss. The war waged by Russia since 2014, and particularly over the past year, has further aggravated our climate-related threats. As the concept note (S/2023/408, annex) rightly points out, the interconnected consequences of climate change jeopardize human life, livelihoods and ecosystems and adversely affect national, regional and global stability. But we should not forget that there is a two-way nexus between climate change and conflicts. The Russian war on my country has shown that the deliberate violation of international humanitarian law, as a military strategy, has clear climate implications. On 6 June, Russia blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric plant dam, resulting in the largest human- made disaster in Europe in decades. The explosion of the dam effectively deprived the Kherson region alone of 94 per cent of its irrigation systems. Overall, the water supply to 31 irrigation systems has been disrupted. In 2021, those systems provided irrigation for 5,840 square kilometres of agricultural land, from which approximately 4 million tons of grain and oilseed crops were harvested. As Under-Secretary-General Griffiths emphasized when discussing the possible consequences, this may well represent a massive shock both to the people of Ukraine and the global South, because the breadbasket of Ukraine will most certainly be affected and is bound to have an effect on food security. We reiterate once again that Russia’s aggression continues to multiply conflicts and therefore undermine our ability to concentrate on resolving climate-related global threats. That means that as soon as comprehensive, just and lasting peace is achieved, based on the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, our common actions to combat climate change will be more efficient.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Nicaragua.

Mr. Hermida Castillo (Nicaragua) (spoke in Spanish): Allow me to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your country’s assumption of the presidency of the Security Council and on its leadership of it. A recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change indicated that the ravages of climate change continue to worsen, warning that global warming this century is on track to exceed 1.5˚C, which will have catastrophic consequences for people’s livelihoods, especially for the poorest populations. Similarly, increasingly intense and frequent weather events have been affecting people’s development and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, especially in developing countries. The world is currently facing various environmental threats resulting from global warming on Mother Earth, such as severe drought, floods, storms and fires. Just in the past few days all of us here in New York were affected by the very air we breathed. We consider climate-change issues a high priority. They are intrinsically linked to the existence of all species on our Mother Earth and to all of our peoples’ right to development. That is why they must be addressed on universal, inclusive and, most important, equal terms among all nations of the world. Since 1992, in recognition of the fact that changes in the Earth’s climate and its adverse effects are a common concern for all humankind, the United Nations has designated the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change as the legitimate forum with the responsibility and jurisdiction for discussions and negotiations providing an appropriate response to global warming resulting from the carbon dioxide emissions of developed countries operating within the capitalist economic model. Those countries therefore have a historical responsibility vis-à-vis our developing countries. It is obvious that discussions and negotiations on climate change and the implementation of binding principles, commitments and agreements in that area should occur within the context of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol and its Second Commitment Period and of course the Paris Agreement. Those instruments form the only international legal framework for meeting agreed-on objectives and commitments. Responses, actions and discussions on the issue should therefore be addressed within the Convention on Climate Change, not in the Security Council. We also note that this issue is closely related to the right of peoples to development and is therefore considered together with all aspects of sustainable development in the General Assembly and the Second Committee. We would like to take this opportunity to stress that as a matter of urgency, developed countries must cease their unsustainable patterns of production and consumption and comply with their commitments to providing additional, predictable and sufficient financial resources for adaptation, mitigation, loss and damage, capacity-building and technology transfer. The only scientific, fair and ethical response to our loss and damage is for the countries that have caused it to recognize their historical responsibility and compensate the countries that are suffering the consequences. If the small island States whose future is being squandered are not compensated, there can be no climate justice in the world. In Mesoamerica, southern Mexico and Central America, there is a dry zone known as the Dry Corridor. It is becoming increasingly arid, affecting millions of subsistence-farming families. If climate change destroys that economy, which encompasses some 18 million people, it will cause overcrowding in impoverished districts of the cities of the region or force people to head north to climb over, dig under or go through whatever walls they find along the way. Nicaragua is in one of the areas most sensitive to the impact of climate change. We were hit by two extreme weather events — two Category 4 and 5 hurricanes in a period of 15 days — resulting in considerable loss and damage. Nicaragua has participated in all negotiations of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, advocating for the fulfilment of all commitments for climate justice, based on the principles of equity, common but differentiated responsibilities, with financing and funds for compensation through the Loss and Damage mechanism, in addition to the Green Climate Fund, so that more resources are made available for developing countries. In conclusion, with seven years remaining until 2030 and climate change moving much faster than the international community, the answer is to strengthen the Convention on Climate Change and implement the Paris Agreement and all commitments on finance, adaptation, mitigation and emission reductions in order to limit the average global temperature rise to 1.5ºC. Lastly, we thank and commend the United Arab Emirates for hosting the twenty-eighth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which represents an urgent opportunity for the future of our civilization and for the ecosystems that are vital to life on Earth. We wish you every success, Mr. President, and assure you of Nicaragua’s full cooperation in achieving the best and most concrete and ambitious results in Dubai.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of the Federated States of Micronesia.

Mr. Lippwe (Federated States of Micronesia): I thank the presidency of the United Arab Emirates for convening today’s debate on this important subject. Micronesia aligns itself with the statements delivered by the representatives of Germany, on behalf of the Group of Friends on Climate and Security, Papua New Guinea, on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum, and the Marshall Islands, on behalf of the Pacific small island developing States. Climate change is the defining challenge of our time. It threatens our livelihoods, ecosystems, sustainable development, prosperity and stability, thereby posing a serious challenge to peace and security. As we speak, preparations for the twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are ongoing in Bonn. To be successful in Dubai later this year, we need to take bold measures to limit global warming and raise our ambitions under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement. We need to stay below 1.5°C Moreover, we can no longer prevent all the negative impacts of climate change, especially in fragile contexts, such as in small island developing States. We also have to invest in adaptation measures to build resilience in times of climate change and address loss and damage. The United Nations system must address that challenge comprehensively. Important work is happening in the Climate Security Mechanism. The Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) is looking at specific contexts in which climate change has a direct impact on security and stability, such as in the Pacific Islands. We are encouraged by the fact that discussions took place at the initiative of the countries affected. The Security Council would greatly benefit from considering the findings of those and future PBC meetings on the issue, which the Council could receive through the Commission’s written advice. The Security Council has a crucial role to play, given its primary responsibility to maintain international peace and security. We welcome the progress made in that regard, including the growing recognition of the effects of climate change when considering mandates for peacekeeping and special political missions. We welcome the initiative by the United Arab Emirates, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland towards developing a joint pledge to continuously address climate and security issues in the Council. But more needs to be done. The Council needs the right tools 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 are calling for concrete, tangible actions to be considered — that is nothing new. We call on the Secretary-General to appoint a special representative for climate and peace and security who could strengthen coordination between the relevant United Nations entities to improve the Organization’s ability to address climate-related security risks. We call for regular reporting by the Secretary-General on the peace and security implications of the adverse effects of climate change. Furthermore, we call for the use of climate-related early-warning systems that also incorporate conflict prevention, mediation and peacebuilding. As appropriate, climate risks should be consistently incorporated into the mandates of all relevant United Nations peacekeeping and special political missions. An increasing number of countries and communities have been experiencing insecurity and instability as a result of climate change. We have urged the Council and its members to respond to the requests made by those countries to take action. We stand ready to support all efforts to enhance comprehensive risk assessment, capacity-building and operational responses.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Belgium.

Mr. Bouthé (Belgium): Belgium aligns itself with the statements made by the representative of the European Union and by the representative of Germany on behalf of the Group of Friends on Climate and Security. No country is currently safe from the devastating effects of climate change. Climate change is a risk multiplier that exacerbates existing social, political, economic, environmental and gender-specific drivers of conflict. We have known that for quite some time now. We thank the presidency of the Security Council for convening this timely meeting, and the briefers for their insightful remarks. We hope that the Council will react to the calls for action. Several initiatives have been taken on the margins of recent conferences on climate change, such as the signing of the declaration on climate, environment and peace and security by the Group of Seven and the adherence to the initiative of the same name in November last year. In March, Belgium took part in the first meeting of the steering committee of the Climate Responses for Sustaining Peace initiative in Cairo. We commend Egypt for that initiative focusing on Africa and for its purpose of African ownership. We also take note of the repeated call for action from many countries, notably those from Africa, some of which are in this Chamber. I would like to focus on three points that mainly relate to the questions regarding our collective toolbox and the voices of those most impacted. My first point touches upon mainstreaming. Belgium fully supports the Council in its attempts to mainstream climate-related security risks, notably by taking them systematically into account in its mandates, in order to lead to concrete action. We welcome and support climate-related initiatives by United Nations departments and agencies, such as the Climate Security Mechanism, which has entered a new phase, and the appointment of climate, peace and security advisers. Appointing a special envoy for climate and security would enhance a United Nations-wide approach. Furthermore, we are convinced that the Secretary- General’s Early Warnings for All initiative can prevent the most severe impact of climate-related events and play an important part in the chain of conflict prevention. That is why Belgium will be contributing to the Systematic Observations Financing Facility, which gathers weather and climate data in order to increase resilience. We join the numerous voices that would like to see regular comprehensive reports by the Secretary- General on the climate and peace and security issue, allowing the Council to focus on the most affected countries and regions. (spoke in French) My second point, which is directly linked to the first, concerns the concrete action of United Nations missions. Missions’ carbon footprints must be reduced wherever possible, which requires an additional effort on the part of all stakeholders. Peacekeeping operations and special political missions have a significant impact on the environment and, more generally, on the contexts in which they operate. We support the Secretariat’s goal of making greater use of renewable energy. We hope that the Secretary-General’s next report on peacekeeping will devote particular attention to the matter. My third point concerns the voices of the countries that host operations and missions. We regret the absence of a global consensus on the link between climate and security, while certain countries in Central and West Africa are calling for particular attention to be paid to the consequences of climate change on the security of their respective regions. We hope that their voices will be heard and that this will enable presidential statements on the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel and the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa to be issued soon. The fight against climate change is a collective responsibility. The twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will provide a unique opportunity to take a further step forward on the theme of climate, peace and security. We hope that the Council will assume its responsibilities and make its contribution.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Sierra Leone.

Mr. Kanu (Sierra Leone): I thank you, Madam President, for convening this important open debate. The delegation of Sierra Leone congratulates you, Madam President, on assuming the presidency of the Council for the month of June 2023. I also thank the briefers for their important contributions. Sierra Leone uses this opportunity to express its profound gratitude to the Member States of the United Nations for their trust in the election of Sierra Leone as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the 2024 to 2025 term. We look forward to joining the members of the Council in the discharge of its important mandate. Sierra Leone recognizes the nexus between climate change, peace and security and welcomes the Council’s continuing consideration of climate change security risks and this debate on climate change, peace and security and implications for international peace and security. Sierra Leone, a developing African coastal State, as with other small island developing States, is vulnerable to climate change. In that regard, Sierra Leone during its tenure in the Security Council will prioritize the continuing consideration and engagement on climate security and risks as an imperative. In view of that, the Security Council can better integrate the impact of climate change on peace and security into its conflict prevention, resolution and peacebuilding efforts in the following ways. First, it should raise awareness of the issue of climate change and its impact on peace and security. That includes engaging with Governments, civil society and relevant stakeholders to discuss the issue and to develop solutions. Secondly, the Security Council should take a more integrated approach to conflict resolution in order to address the root causes of conflict, including climate change. That includes working with all relevant stakeholders to develop and implement solutions that address the needs of all affected populations. Additionally, the Council should make climate change a central focus of its deliberations on conflict prevention, resolution and peacebuilding. That includes considering the specific risks posed by climate change, such as water scarcity, food insecurity and mass displacement and how those risks can interact with other factors, such as poverty, inequality and political instability to increase the risk of conflict. Furthermore, the Security Council should integrate climate change into its mandates for United Nations missions in climate-fragile settings. That includes facilitating the provision of the necessary resources that missions will need to assess and address climate change security risks in their areas of operation. In addition, peace operations can play a key role in early warning and prevention by identifying and addressing climate-related security risks. That includes working with local communities to build resilience to climate change and supporting Governments to develop climate-resilient policies. We thus reiterate our call for a climate change approach to both case-specific and thematic issues, noting the developments in 2022, including the expressed concerns that climate change is a risk multiplier that can exacerbate insecurity. The Security Council, having agreed on the need to combat climate change, must unite on the role it must play in addressing this threat under its mandate and in appropriate circumstances. The Council can better promote the perspectives and voices of those most impacted, particularly women and children, to inform inclusive, gender-sensitive approaches to climate change, peace and security by engaging with civil society and non-governmental organizations that work with women and children affected by climate change. That can help the Council to understand the specific needs and concerns of those groups and respond accordingly to address them. Let me conclude by expressing Sierra Leone’s commitment to pursue constructive engagement on climate change, peace and security, including climate security, noting the nexus to peacebuilding, addressing fragility, as well as the potential disproportionate impact on women, children and other vulnerable groups. It is our hope that the twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in the United Arab Emirates, will see countries commit to more ambitious climate targets and to taking concrete steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Greece.

Mr. Sekeris (Greece): Let me start by stating that Greece aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the European Union and its member States. I would like to add a few thoughts in my national capacity. We are pleased to see the Council consistently engaging on the issue of climate change and its impacts on peace and security, and we would like to commend the United Arab Emirates for organizing this open debate and inviting briefers who eloquently framed our discussion. A few months ago, at an equally important open debate in this Chamber, we touched upon the major issue of sea level rise and its potential impacts on peace and security (see S/PV.9260), which is directly linked to the application and implementation of the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. As rising sea levels and maritime degradation threaten the livelihoods of coastal communities, we consider also essential the assessment of climate change impacts on maritime security. In that context, maritime security and climate change are going to be among the areas of action of the ninth Our Ocean Conference that Greece will host in 2024. We have adequate scientific data that suggest climate change increases the frequency and impact of extreme weather events, disrupting the lives of millions of people, with food insecurity, water scarcity, epidemics and health risks, to name just the most common consequences. Moreover, it may aggravate conflict drivers and dynamics, as well as dimensions of fragility. Climate change is also affecting all aspects of cultural and natural heritage. We should cooperate towards upgrading the knowledge base, which will lead us to improved risk assessments and more effective field-level policies, with a view to better comprehending, integrating, anticipating and managing the impacts of climate change on international security. At the same time, we need to improve our awareness of climate-related security risks by enhancing our understanding of the links between climate change effects and security. Climate security concerns have to be integrated into early-warning and conflict prevention systems, with a view to strengthening foresight capability to anticipate new security and geopolitical challenges for a more effective prevention of crises. It is important to establish ambitious climate policies, as well as strengthen the fulfilment of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, aligning their implementation, in order to achieve durable sustainable development and resilience to climate change. In the future, the ability of the international community to anticipate and adapt to security impacts of climate change may be equally important to our long-term efforts to reverse it. By integrating and combining actions and policies on climate, development and security, we can ensure the best possible outcome, delivered on multiple levels. Greece, as a candidate for a non-permanent seat at the Security Council for the years 2025 to 2026, stands ready to work with Council members on this issue.

The President: I now give the floor to Ms. Courtois.

Ms. Courtois: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) welcomes today’s important debate on climate change, peace and security held at the initiative of the United Arab Emirates. ICRC has briefed the Security Council, most recently in October 2022 under the presidency of Gabon (see S/PV.9150), that the compounded impacts of environmental degradation, climate change and armed conflict are changing the pattern of humanitarian needs, creating new and combined risks for vulnerable populations and multiplying existing inequalities in conflict zones. Furthermore, the natural environment, which has certain protections under international humanitarian law, continues to be a silent casualty of war, with the consequences of environmental damage for conflict- affected populations that include a lowered resilience to climate shocks. Additionally, based on its civilian character, any part of the natural environment that is not a military objective is also protected against incidental damage. Today’s debate explores how climate change impacts the capacity of United Nations peacekeeping and special political missions to implement their mandates, a challenge which is equally present for humanitarian organizations. Humanitarian organizations like the ICRC have a role and a responsibility to work with others, first, to reduce the impacts of crises by adapting their own responses and, secondly, to strengthen people’s resilience to growing risks in conflict settings. This is reflected in the Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations, co-developed with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, which has been signed by over 360 humanitarian organizations. Governments can also show their support for the Charter by endorsing its commitments. The concept note (S/2023/408, annex) also discusses how climate action can provide entry points for peacebuilding and underscores the potential for synergies between security, humanitarian, development and climate actors that help to reduce instability and fragility, which is particularly important for situations of protracted conflict. Today 60 per cent of the 25 countries most vulnerable to climate change and with the least adaptation capacity are affected by armed conflict. This has effects on all dimensions of people’s lives, from their safety and health to their food, water and economic security. The ICRC sees real-time development reversals and meets people who have not received adequate support in adapting to changing weather patterns and extreme shocks. As conflicts and fragility tend to last for decades, waiting for stability to address climate risks is not a viable option, particularly when the risks themselves are a contributing factor towards new or increased instability. Humanitarian action is a vital component in fragmented environments, but it is far from the only ingredient needed to achieve sustainable peace. Humanitarian actors bring proximity to communities, an understanding of how people manage in conflict situations and an ability to test and identify promising practices, but longer-term systemic shifts are needed to empower resilient populations and ensure protection from greater and more frequent climate shocks. The Security Council and its regional partners bring the ability to design context-appropriate and multidisciplinary responses to armed conflict, which are climate sensitive and have a built-in risk tolerance. Along the way, leveraging the collective expertise of actors in conflict and post-conflict situations, and listening closely to the local communities that are most affected, can help inform a response that responds to rising shocks and limits the impact the crisis is having on people affected by armed conflict and instability.

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

Mr. Alrowaiei (Bahrain) (spoke in Arabic): At the outset, I would like to welcome Her Excellency Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment of the United Arab Emirates, and congratulate her on presiding over the Council today. I would also like to thank the delegation of her sisterly country for convening today’s important meeting, which comes at a time when the world is continuing to address the risks and threats of climate change and its negative impact on human lives, livelihoods and ecosystems, thereby imperilling national, regional and international stability, particularly in conflict areas. I would also like to thank all briefers for their valuable briefings. Climate change is a menace that is no less serious than classic threats to international peace and security. Indeed, the negative impact of climate change and its repercussions, including, inter alia, rises in temperature, forest fires, cyclones, floods, periods of drought and desertification, do not just harm the environment but also jeopardize socioeconomic systems and infrastructure. Climate change also aggravates crises, particularly in areas where measures to fight it are limited. Climate change also leads to the destruction of infrastructure, displacement of entire communities and the worsening of instability and conflicts. As an island State, the Kingdom of Bahrain believes that climate change is a global challenge that requires global solutions. Under the leadership of His Royal Majesty King Hamad Bin Issa Al Khalifa, and with the support of His Royal Highness Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, we have enshrined the principle of sustainable development in our national strategies, particularly in Bahrain’s 2030 economic vision. The Kingdom has taken a number of measures to combat the negative impact of climate change, despite the fact that our carbon dioxide emissions rate does not exceed 0.07 per cent of global emissions. In that context, the Kingdom of Bahrain has announced that it is committed to being carbon neutral by 2060, and we have taken a number of short-term measures to that end. By 2035, we intend to reduce our emissions by 30 per cent. We also have initiatives to eliminate carbon emissions, promote the efficient energy use and double our renewable energy sources. We are also assessing the impact of the sea level rise on our coasts, and we have drafted a long-term plan commensurate with the scale of the challenges related to our particular priorities. Based on our belief that international challenges require joint international efforts and the strengthening of cooperation among stakeholders, the Kingdom of Bahrain supported the Green Middle East initiative announced by the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia last year. We also expressed our support to the initiatives agreed upon at the Middle East summit. We have also joined four global initiatives related to climate change, namely, the United Arab Emirates Net-Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative, the Global Ocean Alliance 30x30 Initiative, the Global Methane Pledge and the Greening Government Initiative. The Kingdom of Bahrain is aware of the urgent need to adopt practical measures to address climate change, which is a global transborder problem, with a view to limiting its impact, stopping and resolving conflicts and supporting peacebuilding efforts. We also believe in adopting a collective, preventive and comprehensive approach to tackling emerging security challenges stemming from climate change. In countries affected by conflict, we support, in particular, adopting and expanding accelerated integrated solutions to address weaknesses, resolve disputes and achieve sustained peace. We want to expand the circle and speed up work to address issues that will help to promote and achieve peace. The Kingdom of Bahrain looks forward to the outcome of the unstinting efforts undertaken by the sisterly United Arab Emirates in preparing for the twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28). We also look forward to the results of COP28, which will no doubt limit the negative consequences of climate change. In conclusion, we reaffirm the importance of addressing environmental risks before they trigger negative results. This is done through ambitious measures that effectively contribute to preventing the impact of climate change on conflicts and human rights. Our aim is to maintain peace, stability and prosperity for all peoples of the world. We reiterate the fact that international efforts to combat climate change must be based on effective collective efforts if we are to make real change in addressing climate change in conflict zones and in mitigating its impact.

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

Mr. Alenezi (Kuwait) (spoke in Arabic): At the outset, allow me to congratulate the United Arab Emirates on presiding over the Security Council this month, and to sincerely thank the country’s delegation for holding this open debate, which reflects the efforts and wise leadership of the United Arab Emirates in addressing and discussing the impacts of climate change on international peace and security. On this occasion, I would also like to thank and commend His Excellency Mr. Juan Manuel Santos Calderón, former President of Colombia, and Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under- Secretary-General for Peace Operations, and Ms. Salma Kadry, the Climate, Peace and Security Expert from the Consortium on International Agricultural Research, for their valuable briefings. As we follow up on international geopolitical and security developments, we notice the link between the stability of various regions and climate change. Since early 1970s, more than 11,000 climate crises have taken place, mostly in economically developing countries and in terms of infrastructure. That has claimed the lives of millions of people and injured tens of millions of others, along with displacing countless more. In the past 10 years, 80 million people have been forcibly displaced. We would like to highlight developing countries and address the direct and indirect impact of climate change on Small Island Developing States, which experience exceptional geographical circumstances. They contribute only 1 per cent of total annual carbon emissions, but they are experiencing slow economic growth and severe material losses. Through the Security Council, we have been closely following up on international political and security crises. Time and again, we have witnessed climate events impeding the development of countries across the world, especially the unprecedented cyclones that recently shattered the livelihoods of people in South-East Asia and South-East Africa. In addition, in recent history, destructive floods have ravaged Europe and drought has afflicted people in the Horn of Africa, affecting their livelihoods. That is why, as members of the international community, we must redouble our efforts and work to promote adaptation in order to help countries in need to mitigate the impact of climate change. With regard to the Middle East, the Arab region faces political and security challenges and crises. Today we see a direct relationship between climate change, security and stability. For example, the water situation in the Middle East region, which is one of the most water-scarce in the world, needs further cooperation among the States of the region and the international community. According to last year’s report by the United Nations Development Programme, 13 of 19 Arab countries today are classified as the most exposed to insecurity regarding drinking water and water for daily use. In addition, drought and desert- like conditions have swept through a number of Arab countries. That could lead to conflicts and crises within and among countries of the region. We hope that does not happen, and we are constantly working together to avoid and prevent it. I would like to commend the efforts of the Government of Egypt, which presided over the twenty- seventh Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change last year. Its presidency was exceptional. We look forward to participating, in a few months, at the highest level, in the twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties, to be held in the United Arab Emirates. In that regard, we would like to commend the close coordination between the Egyptian and Emirati presidencies in the service of humankind, stability and the livelihoods of people across the world. I would also like to commend the regional initiatives that continue to push towards that goal, especially the Middle East Green Initiative, launched by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia two years ago. The State of Kuwait, more than 20 years ago and, specifically during the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly, submitted resolution 56/4, which called upon Member States to dedicate a specific day — 6 November of every year — to recall the importance of preventing the abuse and misuse of the environment to advance military interests. That resolution was no coincidence because, 10 years before its submission, my country was the victim of an irresponsible act that led to an environmental and climate catastrophe. With regard to the environment in the State of Kuwait, we are currently making every effort to reduce the effects of climate change. In recent years, the Government has attached great importance to that dossier, which has affected many infrastructure projects that the Kuwaiti Government has implemented. For example, in the energy sector, the Government launched environmental fuels, which are expected to contribute to refining 1.6 million barrels by 2025, in line with the highest environmental standards. Moreover, oil-extraction in the State of Kuwait today is among the lowest carbon-emitting processes in the world. In addition, the Kuwaiti Government launched a special complex for renewable energy, which is expected to generate 1,500 megawatts. It is also worth noting that my country is committed to ensuring carbon neutrality in the energy sector by 2050, and in all sectors by 2060. Moreover, the Kuwait Fund for Development has financed various renewable energy projects across the globe because we believe that the direct and indirect impacts of climate change are global and affect internal and regional relations. In conclusion, I would like to stress that the State of Kuwait supports all efforts to address climate change and to fund the necessary activities because we fully believe in the clear and direct link between international peace and security, on one hand, and the broad challenge of climate change, on the other. I once again commend the Emirati efforts to discuss this important issue today.

The President: I now give the floor to the representative of Georgia.

Mr. Bakradze (Georgia): I wish to begin by extending our appreciation to the delegation of the United Arab Emirates for organizing today’s very timely debate. Georgia aligns itself with the statement delivered earlier by the representative of the European Union, and I would like to make some additional comments in my national capacity. We welcome the increased focus of the Security Council on climate change issues by broadening discussions on the matter, incorporating climate-security language into resolutions and establishing institutional architecture. At the same time, we believe that the assessment of climate-related security risks and responses to them should be better fed into the Council’s work, including as part of the Organization’s peacekeeping and peacebuilding activities. The security risks associated with climate change have already become a daily reality for millions of people around the world. Climate change is fuelling conflict. We see that there is no group more exposed than those who have been forced to flee their homes as a result of combination of both conflict and the effects of climate change and environmental degradation. The latest example of the harm caused by conflicts are the consequences of the war of aggression waged by Russia against Ukraine, which leads to environmental disaster. We condemn the detonation of the dam of the Nova Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, located in the temporarily occupied territory of the Kherson region of Ukraine. Georgia too has a bitter experience of environmental damage caused by Russia’s illegal actions in the occupied regions of Georgia, which create a particular challenge with regard to the security of natural resources. The main water collectors of the irrigation systems are under the control of the occupation regime. That causes major problems in Georgia’s drought-stricken regions. The continued process of the installation and advancement of razor and barbed-wire fences and various artificial barriers along the occupation line continues to have a negative impact on the already poor socioeconomic conditions of the conflict-affected population and on their sense of security, while also preventing their access to property and grazing and farming lands. To underpin the Paris Agreement with concrete actions, the Government of Georgia adopted its updated nationally determined contributions document and submitted it to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Our new document has new targets, as required by the Paris Agreement to make them more ambitious. For the implementation of the mitigation part our nationally determined contributions, the Government of Georgia adopted its 2030 climate change strategy and its respective action plan for 2021– 2023. The document covers sectoral chapters on energy generation and transmission, waste, building, industry, transport, agriculture and forestry. As a party to the UNFCCC, we are fully committed to the objectives of the Convention and align ourselves with the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. As for measures taken at the local level to plan Georgia’s long-term path to climate change mitigation, Georgia has developed a long-term low-emission devel- opment strategy extending to 2050, which was recent- ly approved by the Government. Moreover, in January 2020, Georgia established an inter-ministerial multidis- ciplinary council on climate change, which aims to im- prove climate governance in the country and to support the implementation of the Paris Agreement. In addition, I am pleased to note that my Government is currently working on the development of Georgia’s climate law. In conclusion, bearing in mind the nexus between climate and peace and security, let me once again welcome the increased focus of the Council on climate change issues, and we look forward to the Council adopting a collaborative approach to effectively develop and support climate-sensitive conflict resolution and peacebuilding. At the same time, we are looking ahead to the twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be organized under the presidency of the United Arab Emirates, which should bring the ambition and action needed to respond to climate change demands before it is too late.

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

Ms. Brandt (Kingdom of the Netherlands): Let my begin by thanking you, Mr. President, and the United Arab Emirates for organizing this open debate on climate change and peace and security. I also thank the briefers for their presentations this morning. The Kingdom of the Netherlands aligns itself with the statement made earlier by the representative of the European Union, and with that made by the representative Germany on behalf of the Group of Friends on Climate and Security. I will make a few additional remarks in my national capacity. It goes without saying that climate change is the defining challenge of our time. I think that last week’s smog in New York City is a stark reminder that the climate emergency is here and has no regard for national borders. It does not require much imagination to see that the effects of climate change, such as frequent floods, droughts and fires, are drivers of instability and conflict around the world. Climate change disproportionally affects the vulnerable and marginalized, often exacerbating simmering tensions and uprooting entire communities. In such situations, violence is never far away, as we heard from Ms. Kadry earlier today. The Kingdom of the Netherlands therefore believes that we need to integrate climate considerations into the work of the United Nations on peace and security every step of the way. In that regard, we would like to highlight two points. First, we need to integrate climate-related security risks in the United Nations conflict-prevention strategies and early-warning tools. As a concrete example, the Kingdom of the Netherlands has been a strong proponent of the Water, Peace and Security partnership. That partnership has pioneered the development of innovative tools that signal water-related security risks. That knowledge is used in analyses, capacity-building and awareness-raising activities to support timely, informed and inclusive action in regions prone to water-related conflict, from Mali to Iraq and from Ethiopia to Kenya. The United Nations 2023 Water Conference has showcased how water can serve as a driver for cooperation, rather than conflict. In that respect, we also welcome United Arab Emirates leadership in featuring water prominently during twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and building on the outcomes of the Water Conference. Secondly, we need to further mainstream climate in the United Nations peacebuilding architecture. We see the work of the Climate Security Mechanism that Under-Secretary-General Lacroix spoke about this morning as a catalyst for using climate-informed approaches to security risks. By supporting field missions, United Nations Resident Coordinators and regional organizations in conducting climate security risk assessments and risk management strategies, the Climate Security Mechanism enhances knowledge about climate-related security risks in both peacebuilding and peacekeeping efforts. In our view, deploying climate and peace and security advisers in field operations can — and does — generate a profound impact on lasting peace. It is the responsibility of the Security Council to maintain peace and security. We trust that the Council will take decisive steps to structurally address the effects of climate change on peace and security. Millions around the world are currently living in fragile societies, and the effects of climate change threaten to add fuel to the fire. They look to the Security Council for bold steps and concrete action. Let us not fail them.

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

Mr. Šimonović (Croatia): Croatia aligns itself with the statement delivered representative of the European Union, and I would like to add some points in my national capacity. We have had this debate on climate change peace and security since 2007 at the Security Council. Since then, the effects of climate change have become even more pronounced. The planet continues to warm, arable land continues to disappear, cyclones become more powerful, droughts increase in impact, food insecurity is on the rise and thousands of climate migrants are on the move. All those climate change-related factors significantly increase the likelihood of conflict escalation. The impact of climate change on peacekeeping and peacebuilding is becoming increasingly complex. According to the Stockholm Environment Institute, roughly half of all current United Nations peacekeeping missions are in the countries ranked as most exposed to climate change. As climate is a non-traditional threat to security, it is difficult for traditional military structures to recognize it, and even more so to deal with it. This very specific threat requires different response strategies because it focuses on the relationship between human civilization and the biosphere, and not on the relationships among States themselves. Traditional peacekeeping missions have a very heavy footprint, and peacekeepers are not trained to deal with non-traditional threats such as climate. The Council has been trying to include reporting on climate-related risks in some of its missions, but that should become a norm rather than an exception. As the Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) this year, I have seen many countries that are engaged with the Commission, especially in Central Africa, in identifying climate change as a threat amplifier leading to conflicts between farmers and herders and forcing displacement. Peacekeeping missions are not of much help in those situations, and neither is that their mandate. For that we need civilian, light-footprint missions that could include environmental security advisers. Those advisers could enhance coordination with local governments and help integrate responses within the United Nations system, across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus. They can also help to mainstream climate security into the work of the United Nations system at the community level. In conclusion, what we need is a carefully managed climate-sensitive and climate-responsive approach to peacebuilding and conflict prevention. Forthcoming discussions related to the New Agenda for Peace, the Sustainable Development Goals Summit, the Summit of the Future and the forthcoming ministerial meeting of the PBC, planned for the end of high-level week, are great opportunities to discuss that further. The meeting rose at 7.20 p.m.