Remarks by the President of the General Assembly,
Mr. Dennis Francis,
At the Informal Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly on Existential Threats of Sea-level Rise Amidst the Climate Crisis
3 November 2023
[As Delivered]
Honorable Ministers,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates, and Guests,
Good morning and thank you for making the time to participate in this Informal Plenary on Addressing the Existential Threats of Sea-Level Rise Amidst the Climate Crisis.
Many of you would have participated in the Breakfast Summit that I co-hosted on this matter in September, on the side-lines of High-Level Week.
The resounding takeaway that day was: a plea for clear and decisive action to address the?irreversible impacts?of sea-level rise.
Because, while the world races towards the goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees ¨C we know that even if we are successful in achieving a 1.5 degree world, we will nonetheless have to face the consequences of an effectively warmer climate; consequences already set in motion with probable, unalterable results, due to what can only be regarded as feeble action on climate change.
Sea-level rise is unarguably foremost among these impacts, and for low-lying and Small Island Developing States, no issue is more pressing; none more consequential.
Excellencies,
You may well ask, why do we need this discussion now ¨C and why here, in the General Assembly?
First, we need this important discission now because the stark realities of sea-level rise are becoming increasingly more prevalent, and indeed more pronounced, literally by the day.
Those living on the frontlines of climate change and sea-level rise ¨C those who did so little to cause any damage ¨C must now nonetheless confront the reality that their cherished homelands are literally washing away; that entire generations of families are being uprooted and dislocated; and that the rich cultural and historical heritage they built and nurtured for generations are, in consequence, at increased risk of loss or dilution.
It is our collective responsibility to stand with and for our fellow global citizens confronting this existential challenge.
Second, these alarming developments have resulted in speculation over profound and sensitive questions ¨C including around the continuity of statehood; around territorial and maritime zones; around the dignity of nations; and, by extension, around the status of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ membership of potentially inundated States.
Excellencies,
These questions and indeed the answers belong here in this Assembly.
The General Assembly is the only universal, unequivocally equal space within the ranks of the principal organs of the United Nations. It is built on the tenets of equity and equality. One country, one seat, one vote.
But what happens when perceptions begin to shift and waver? What happens when academics and scholarly articles; insurance providers and large corporations alike, begin to shift that narrative for us?
Do affected Member States become ¨C quote ¨C ¡°almost states¡± or ¡°not quite full states¡±? ¨C unquote.
We have two choices. We can wait and ask the questions after the fact, or we can act prudently and become the authors of the policy today.
There can be no mistake that these are real questions that are being raised. Notably, the Legal and Political treatment of small island states and countries with low-lying areas is directly tied to these perceptions.
It stands to reason, therefore, that we must not tiptoe around these issues.
We must definitively put to rest any misunderstanding, any anxiety, any lingering doubt about the full future statehood and sovereignty of these Member States.
Let us be loud and clear now. Action cannot wait.
Membership of the United Nations is not a matter of subjective debate. Nor can it be.
As I have said before: Once established, it is constant; a truism that exists in perpetuity.
As President of the General Assembly, I regard it as my responsibility, indeed my duty, to highlight this matter.
We owe it to our citizens, our histories and heritage, as well as to our forebearers and our futures, to make this matter a priority.
Together, we must ensure predictability, sustainability, and security in the midst of the climate crisis.
We must advance a collective approach that gives prominence to the foundational pledge to?leave no one behind.
And we must forge strong partnerships, such as the Coalition for Addressing Sea-Level Rise and its existential threat, to ensure concrete actions and solutions by pooling resources, knowledge, and technology.
No effort should be spared to safeguard and defend the inalienability of affected Member States¡¯ sovereignty and statehood.
Colleagues, I very much look forward to our discussion today and I welcome your active engagement and support on this critically important matter that confronts a substantial portion of our membership.
I thank you.