The statement was delivered by the Ambassador of Norway, Mona Juul and the Ambassador of Kenya, Martin Kimani.
Norway:
Today, Norway and Kenya, together with Albania, France, Gabon, Ghana, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, Nauru, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States, will convene a UN Security Council Arria-formula meeting on Climate, Peace and Security.
It is my pleasure to deliver this statement as a co-chair of the informal expert group on Climate and Security, together with Kenya.
We wish to explore which opportunities that can be identified by integrating climate considerations into peacebuilding, peacekeeping and prevention efforts.
The climate and security agenda is gaining traction, both in scope and level of engagement.
In the Security Council, the cross-regional majority group remains committed to taking this agenda forward. And there is broad support and engagement also outside of the Security Council – as can be seen, for example, by new initiatives launched during COP27, and the G7 declaration.
The adverse impacts of climate change pose global security concerns. Climate change will worsen existing vulnerabilities. In the meeting today, we want to explore how we can ensure that the joint action on climate and peace can help increase cooperation and decrease conflict.
I now pass the floor to the Ambassador of Kenya.
Kenya:
We hope today’s discussion can offer a basis for the Security Council to embrace additional tools and entry points to better achieve its mandate.
By expanding our “security lens”, we will look at how peacebuilding and sustainable environmental practices could be mutually reinforcing. Let me give a few examples of potential benefits for peacebuilding and peacemaking:
- Building trust through natural resource sharing, conflict-sensitive adaptation and climate-resilient peacebuilding. This can support efforts of parties to find peaceful and sustainable solutions to disputes and pave way for broader discussions.
- Mobilizing and increasing support for conflict-informed adaptation and resilience efforts, can strengthen community resilience to climate, security and conflict risks.
We believe that highlighting peace, when we address Climate, Peace and Security will better integrate climate-related security risks as a concern, in the work of the Security Council.
There are many opportunities ahead of us. And the urgency is clear.
Norway and Kenya will remain committed to working with the many other champions of this agenda – including countries from every region of the world, international organizations, academia and civil society.