Remarks by the President of the General Assembly

H.E. Dennis Francis

at the High-Level Panel on Climate Action for Sustaining Peace, at COP28

Dubai, UAE

1 December 2023

Excellencies,

Distinguished Participants,

I join my dedicated co-host, the Director-General of the International Organization for Migration, Amy Pope in warmly welcoming you all to this High-Level Panel on Climate Action for Sustaining Peace.

It is indeed an honour and a privilege to be among a group of distinguished leaders – particularly leaders who are so well versed in how the impacts of climate change are compounding the already severe social, economic, and political pressures that make conflict and violence more likely to erupt across our societies today.

On the other hand, we know that by tackling climate change, we are not only addressing one of the biggest drivers of conflict – but we are, in fact, investing much more effectively in building and sustaining Peace.

The key questions confronting us therefore hinge not on whether – but how – climate change interacts with conflict; and what strategies should be put in place to address the emerging risks?

We have our work cut out for us:

The World Bank reports that 216 million people could be forced to move within their countries by 2050, due to the consequences of slow-onset climate factors and in the absence of climate action.

We also know that if left unchecked, climate change exacerbates the risk of conflict, with all the attendant results.

Perhaps no group is more vulnerable to these dynamics than those who have had to flee conflict – only to then suffer the effects of a hostile climate.

Our goal here today is to identify practical solutions that mitigate the burden of climate change on societal and political stability – and to ensure that our efforts to build sustainable peace, support, in tandem, just and inclusive climate action.

Excellencies, Distinguished Participants,

This is about solidarity, as indeed it is about strong multistakeholder collaboration.

Nowhere is the need for decisive ambitious action more acute than in developing countries – who are bearing the brunt of the impacts of climate change they unmistakably did the least to cause.

This is especially true for low-lying coastal States reeling from sea-level rise and its wide-ranging disruptions to everything from crop production and food security to livelihoods, critical infrastructure, and the functioning of trade and supply chains vital for economic resilience.

Available evidence has repeatedly confirmed that in all settings, women and children face elevated risks – and are invariably among the most disproportionately affected.

Fortunately, we all know that building strong partnerships on climate action is one of the empowering steps we can take to help prevent conflict.

By compiling reliable and disaggregated data, we can more accurately track progress; make targeted, evidence-based decisions; raise the level of global accountability – and thus attract critical support to address the challenges.

I urge you to maintain climate action as a strategic priority at the top of the global agenda, mindful of global geopolitical tensions wrenching our world and their stark effects rippling across the food, water, and energy systems vital for human survival.

Excellencies, Distinguished Participants,

Let me conclude by urging you to recognize the existential threat posed by sea-level rise, and the critical need to address its impacts in a manner and timing that removes uncertainty from the development equation.

In doing so, I also urge you to recognize the gender specific impacts of climate change on women and girls – and to ensure their full and equal participation in the search, application, monitoring and review of all attempts to achieve durable solutions.

This approach will ensure that we implement adaptive capacities that are resilient and that empower frontline communities in the face of forced mobility.

We can also ensure that the policy matrix includes options for application at local, national and regional levels – that effectively deter the calamitous effects of both climate and conflict on those least able to cope.

I look forward to hearing your ideas and engagement in a dynamic discussion on the way forward.

I thank you.