On Tuesday, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade Ian Borg presided over the Maltese Presidency’s main event at the United Nations Security Council. The debate dealt with the subject that Malta chose to bring to the Security Council’s attention, dealing with the implications and effects on the security and peace of small islands such as Malta due to the increase that the world is experiencing in terms of sea level rise.
During his speech, Minister Borg said that even though the Security Council was originally created due to a number of conflicts that existed and the need for peace to reign, science showed that the world is facing new global challenges that cannot be disregarded, among which is climate change.
Minister Borg said that climate change is today’s reality, faced by everyone, in particular by small island states and coastal regions. “Malta was the first country in the world to bring this challenge to the United Nations a number of years ago, and today we have maintained the same commitment to see that this matter becomes an essential part of an international discussion”, he stated.
The Maltese Foreign Affairs Minister claimed that the debate that Malta is leading is a significant one, due to the fact that there is recognition of the implications and effects on the security and peace of islands such as Malta caused by the global increase in the level of sea water. He went on to say that in a few more years, there is a strong possibility that a number of countries will end up under water, and this is a serious threat to the peace and security of the respective peoples.
“As our country was a pioneer in pushing forward the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) a number of years ago, Malta must now continue to be a strong voice for these countries and their peoples who are confronted with this global threat”, emphasised Minister Borg. He claimed that this debate is a unique opportunity for countries to listen to each other’s best practices on how to fight this threat in a collective manner.
This debate was attended, among others, by the Secretary General of the United Nations António Guterres and the President of the General Assembly Csaba Korosi.
Photos (MFET)
