Leaders from Caribbean and Pacific islands told the UN General Assembly that sea-level rise and climate shocks are immediate threats to livelihoods and sovereignty, urged accessible climate finance tied to vulnerability rather than income, and called for stronger ocean governance and attention to water security and the lingering harms of Pacific nuclear testing.
Small island States described climate change as an immediate, existential threat that damages economies, food and water security, and national territory.
Speakers demanded climate finance that is accessible, responsive, condition-free and based on vulnerability measures rather than per-capita income.
Ocean protection was framed as national protection: calls for implementation of the High Seas Treaty and greater funding for SDG 14.
The Takeaway: UN General Assembly debate Day 4 — Global Issues The Takeaway: UN General Assembly debate Day 4 UN Photo/Loey Felipe Delegates listen to speeches in General Assembly Hall during the General Debate. They warned that rising seas are already redrawing national boundaries, while the ripple effects of faraway wars are being felt on their shores. This edition of The Takeaway summarizes key points made during the fourth day of the annual high-level debate.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Godwin Friday said small States "cannot continue borrowing merely to replace what climate-related disasters repeatedly destroy". Speakers urged the full use of the multidimensional vulnerability index so that financing decisions reflect countries' exposure to climate shocks, rather than relying primarily on income per person. For island and coastal States, the ocean is central to identity, security and economic survival.
Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis warned: "The sea does not negotiate. Wale said the world spends more on arms in fewer than 18 days than developed countries provide in climate finance over an entire year. Guinea-Bissau's Prime Minister Ilídio Vieira Té called for stronger multilateralism and international cooperation, warning that no country can confront today's challenges alone.
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The General Debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly opened at the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday, reported Xinhua. Khalilur Rahman, president of the 81st session of the General Assembly, presided over the opening of the debate, which is themed "Restoring trust, managing transformation: a United Na
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