UNSC Ministerial Debate on Climate Change, Peace and Security

Akwasi_Afriyie

Hon. Dr. Kwaku Afriyie
Minister Environment, Science,
Technology and Innovation (MESTI),
Security Council Chamber
New York

 

Ministerial Debate Threats to International Peace and Security: Climate Change, Peace and Security

 

Madam President
[Your Excellency Mariam Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment]
I thank United Arab Emirates (UAE) for convening this high-level debate on Climate Change, Peace and Security. We welcome the statements of His Excellency Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under Secretary-General for Peace Operations and His Excellency Juan Manuel Santos, Former President of Colombia, Nobel Peace Laureate and Member of the Elders. We equally thank Ms. Salma Kadry Climate, Peace and Security Specialist, for her additional perspective. As a member of the Group of Friends on Climate and Security, we associate ourselves with the statement to be read by Germany on behalf of the Group.

 

Mr. President,
Climate change is not only an existential threat to humanity, it is driving and exacerbating threats to international peace and security in several regions of the world, especially the Sahel. The strong link between climate change and international peace and security can no longer be denied or ignored as the adverse impact of climate change on the stability of countries manifests itself in conflict, terrorism and violent extremism and the further shrinking or displacement of State Presence.

 

In Africa, for instance, from the Lake Chad region to the Sahel and other parts of the continent, we are witnessing the multiplier effect of climate change on peace and security, including food and water insecurity and climate-induced displacements. In the Lake Chad region, the lake has contracted by 90% since
its 1960 size due to drought in that region and has contributed to incidents of violence between farmers and cattle herders. The accompanying loss of livelihoods and weakening of community resilience has been exploited by terrorist groups to recruit and radicalize vulnerable people in the affected communities in their bid to displace States.

 

As we confront the unprecedented and worsening ecological threat to the stability of regions and its resultant socio-economic and political impacts, we must harness available global and regional instruments such as the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change and the AU Climate Change and
Resilient Development Strategy and Action Plan (2022-2032) to reverse climate change and its impact on security. The COP 27 held in Egypt reaffirmed the reality of the climate menace by recognizing that it not only exacerbates the causes and effects of conflict but also impacts the capacity of communities and institutions to help make and build peace in specific contexts. In this regard, it is pertinent for us to have a convergence of views on the notion that in seeking to resolve conflicts, climate risks, where relevant, must be tackled as part of the peace efforts.

 

Mr. President,
It is against this backdrop that I wish to highlight the following points, which we deem critical for addressing climate change and its adverse impact on global peace and security:

 

First, the unprecedented security risks associated with climate change underpin our conviction that the Security Council, which is the primary body responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security, has a role to play and should continue to find space on its agenda to discuss the issue and complement efforts in tackling it.

 

Second, the Security Council can better integrate climate change into its peace efforts by encouraging Special Political Missions to integrate and mainstream the climate perspective in mediation and peace negotiations. It is also useful to enhance the capacity of UN peacekeeping Missions to enable them to
continuously assess climate-related risks and opportunities across UN early warning and planning processes, and other prevention measures. The inclusion of climate-specific language in several peace operation mandates, including that of UNOWAS, is a good example which should be encouraged and replicated in other Missions, where the challenge exists, during mandate renewals. This should include utilizing the findings of risk assessments undertaken by the UN to make the Missions more robust in sustaining peace.

It is also pertinent to continue leveraging the work of the Group of Friends on Climate and Security and the Climate Security Mechanism (CSM) in dealing with the issue. As a troop contributing country to UN Peace
Operations, Ghana encourages the UN and donor partners, including this Council, to support peace operations that leverage innovative tools to reduce their carbon footprint in areas heavily impacted by climate change.

 

Third, we can further consolidate the gains made in tackling the issue by encouraging the inclusion of climate fragility issues in the reports of the Secretary-General. This would give visibility and enhance the adoption of innovative and robust measures to enable UN Missions to adapt to climate situations and respond effectively.

 

Fourth, adequate funding remains critical in addressing climate-related security risks. We underscore the importance of continuously engaging with UN bodies such as the PBC and welcome the allocation of funds from the Peace-building Fund (PBF) since 2017 for climate security-related projects in countries on the Council’s agenda. As reports have indicated, returns from investment in climate adaptation range from $2 to $10 per every US dollar invested. In this regard, multilateral and bilateral support to finance climate activities, including resilience building and risk assessment, is critical. We recall and welcome the commitments and aspirations of developed countries to jointly mobilize $100 billion annually in climate finance from 2020 through 2025 and encourage more to be done in this regard.

 

Fifth, deepening cooperation between the UN, regional and sub-regional mechanisms in the crusade against climate and security is indispensable. Therefore, we encourage strengthening the capacity of regional and national actors to enhance early warning systems and data analysis capacities, which is critical for regional preventive action. In this regard, we note the international support for the Africa Multi-hazard Early Warning and Early Action System (AMHEWAS) Situation Room for disaster risk reduction and the ECOWAS regional climate strategy, just to mention a few. Leveraging the partnerships with the above-mentioned regional arrangements would further strengthen and build resilience as well as effective responses to climaterelated security risks.

 

Mr. President,
Lastly, in dealing with the climate and security issue, we must not forget to include women, girls and youth in targeted policies, which recognize the agency of these groups in building climate resilience.

 

Mr. President,
In concluding, Ghana believes that climate-related security risks are evident and require serious national, regional, and international commitment to build resilience and protect the well-being of our societies.

 

I thank you!