The Maldives has warned that rising sea levels pose a threat not only to the environment, but also to national sovereignty and security.
Addressing the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly, Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef said climate change was altering the physical foundations of small island developing states such as the Maldives.
He said sea-level rise must therefore be treated as a matter of national planning, national security and sovereignty.
The Vice President said rising seas may alter the country’s shores, but would not erase its statehood, rights, maritime entitlements or national agency.
He said the Maldives’ response would be to adapt, innovate and build resilience, but stressed that resilience requires the means to act.
That, he said, means climate finance must reach countries that need it at the scale, speed and on the terms required to build resilience.
The Vice President called for the upcoming COP31 in Antalya to be a “COP of delivery”, saying implementation should be the measure of climate commitments.
He also called for faster progress towards the 2030 Agenda and measurable progress for small island developing states.
For island nations, he said, such progress cannot be separated from a healthy and sustainably managed ocean.
He called for the first Conference of the Parties to the BBNJ Agreement to deliver from its first day.
The Vice President said global commitments ultimately matter only when they enable progress at home, stressing that the Maldives’ response to climate change must protect its ability to determine its own future.