NEW YORK, June 3, 2009 – Today, the General Assembly of the United Nations is expected to unanimously pass a resolution urging the relevant organs of the U.N. to intensify their efforts to address the security implications of climate change, including sea-level rise. The passage of the resolution marks the culmination of a year-long campaign by a coalition of Pacific small island developing states (PSIDS) to focus the attention of the international community on the security aspects of climate change and to refer the issue to the Security Council.
Small island states are particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels, which scientists project could increase by a meter or more before the end of this century. For low-lying countries like Tuvalu, which is no more than three meters above sea level on average, just a small rise would be catastrophic and force the evacuation of its nine constituent islands. Even those islands blessed with higher land may be stretched to the breaking point by salt-water intrusion into farmland, water scarcity and conflicts over resources. Island countries are facing the very real possibility that their culture and ancestral lands may be destroyed. In order to avoid the worst consequences of climate change and decrease the risk of this humanitarian disaster from occurring throughout the Pacific and elsewhere, the international community must take action to rapidly reduce global carbon emissions.
“Climate change threatens our very existence,” declared Ambassador Marlene Moses, Permanent Representative to the U.N. for Nauru and current chair of the PSIDS. “Islands are the canary in the coalmine. We are among the first to see the devastating effects climate change is having on our peoples, but we will not be the last. It is vital that the Security Council and other organs of the U.N. urgently take up the security aspect of climate change.” Addressing the complex nature of climate change, she explained, “For small island nations, climate change is the epitome of a cross-cutting issue. While it has development facets, and humanitarian facets, it also has a very real security facet. The environmental and economic dimensions of climate change have been the primary focus of most policy makers, however the challenge for us is even more fundamental.”
“Island countries are taking control of their own fates and asserting their leadership on climate change,” said Elizabeth Kapu’uwailani Lindsey, a National Geographic Fellow and Islands First board member. “The world can no longer ignore the very serious threats islands are facing from rising sea levels and other problems caused by climate change. The U.N. must act before it is too late for some of its most vulnerable member states.”
“There’s no longer an excuse for inaction, because science has told us what we need to know: reduce the CO2 content of the atmosphere to 350 ppm or less, or watch these islands sink beneath the waves,” commented Bill McKibben, author and co-founder of 350.org. “We know enough now to act, and that action must come fast.”
Climate scientists have documented the unique and increasing threat that small island states face from sea level rise. “Small island states are at the absolute front lines of climate change,” said Brenda Ekwurzel, a climate scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists. “Sea level has been rising more quickly than scientists have anticipated and that greatly increases the risk to coastlines everywhere.”
Frustrated with the lack of urgency to tackle climate change exhibited by much of the world, the PSIDS first proposed a General Assembly resolution urging the United Nations Security Council to examine the security implications posed by climate change back in March of 2008. In addition to its call for action, the resolution ‘Climate Change and its possible security implications’ requests United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to prepare a comprehensive report on the security dimensions of climate change in collaboration with regional and international organizations and U.N. member states.
The PSIDS comprises the countries of the Cook Islands, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
The full text of the resolution can be downloaded at www.un.org/en/documents. It is contained in document A/63/L.8/Rev.1.
Press contact:
Mark Jariabka
Islands First
(646) 460-0677
Other materials:
- Full text of the resolution
- Statement delivered to General Assembly by Permanent Representative to the U.N. of Tuvalu, His Excellency Afelee Pita
- Statement delivered to General Assembly by Deputy Permanent Representative to the U.N. of Palau, Joan Yang
- New York Times article about the resolution
- Reuters article about the General Assembly vote