污污漫畫

Excellencies,

Distinguished Colleagues,

I extend a warm welcome to all of you to this side event on climate migration. Allow me to also thank the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for its partnership in organizing this event. Our distinguished panel comprises experts, community leaders and youth representatives who will soon share their valuable perspectives. Before we delve into their insights, please allow me to share a few thoughts. Climate migration disproportionately impacts communities in the most vulnerable nations, specifically the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). We convene in a year that has once again shattered records—heat, rainfall, and storm records, are all clear indicators of the worsening effects of the climate crisis. These effects threaten the lives and livelihoods of millions, particularly those in communities and countries least equipped to adapt. The LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS are contending not only with a climate crisis, but also with environmental degradation, natural disasters, poverty, rising debt and limited economic opportunities. The combined effects of these challenges amplify their structural vulnerabilities, making them more susceptible to the negative effects of climate change. As severe drought shrivels crops in Somalia and storm surges wash over the atolls of Kiribati, far too many vulnerable communities around the world must decide whether to leave their homes. Projections indicate a dramatic increase in climate change-induced migration in the coming decades, with estimates suggesting that by 2050, 1.2 billion people, roughly 13% of the world's population, could be displaced. The repercussions of climate displacement are not confined to the individuals and communities affected -- they also extend to the countries and regions hosting them. Climate migrants encounter numerous challenges and risks during their journeys and at their destinations, including physical dangers, psychological distress, social exclusion, as well as economic and legal hardship. Confronting this urgent and complex issue demands a comprehensive, human-centric approach. Solutions already exist in frameworks like the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and the UN Secretary-General’s Action Agenda on Internal Displacement. These blueprints outline the means through which fully inclusive governance of human mobility can be achieved.

Excellencies,

Allow me to briefly bring to your attention a few key points to guide our approach going forward. These may include:

1. Recognizing the rights and needs of climate migrants, which includes understanding the potential benefits they bring to their host communities and countries.
2. Establishing robust regional and national frameworks, which are essential for managing climate migration in a safe, orderly, and dignified manner.
3. Investing in resilience-building, disaster risk reduction, and adaptation measures for both the origin and destination countries of climate migrants. We should also foster development opportunities that empower communities to adapt and thrive despite these environmental disruptions.
4. Ensuring that collective efforts, from grassroots initiatives to global partnerships, are fully mobilized to address climate migration and support the often-forgotten victims of climate change.

Clearly, climate induced migration is not just a humanitarian issue - it is also a security issue, a development issue, and a human rights issue. If we neglect to act now, we risk a crisis of unprecedented scale, with serious consequences for peace, stability, and prosperity worldwide.

Excellencies, Colleagues,

COP28 marks an important stop on our way to two major UN conferences next year. Firstly, the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in Antigua and Barbuda in May, and secondly, the Third International Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries in Rwanda in June. As Special Adviser for the SIDS Conference, and Secretary-General for the LLDCs Conference, I look forward to ensuring the widest possible coalition of support for these conferences, where climate action will be high on the agenda. As I conclude, I would like to express my sincere thanks once again for your presence here today, and your support for this event. Our discussions today, and those that will follow in the coming months, will play a crucial role in advancing the dialogue, turning pledges and commitments into meaningful action for the world’s most vulnerable countries.

Let me rest it here.

I thank you for your kind attention.