Nordic Statement at the Arria-formula Meeting on Climate, Peace and Security

Mr President,

Members of the Security Council,

I have the pleasure to deliver this statement on behalf of the Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

I thank the organisers for convening this timely meeting and for the relevant themes they have chosen. It is encouraging to see that the Group of Friends for Climate and Security now has more than 60 members.  

I would like to make three main points here today.

Firstly, the UN system has taken considerable steps in recent years to integrate climate-related security risks into its work, not least since the creation of the UN Climate Security Mechanism in late 2018. This integration has been possible thanks to successful cooperation between different parts of the UN family. But we need to do more collectively, and we need to work harder. Integration requires time, dedication, cooperation, resources, flexibility and a willingness to put in the extra effort. We emphasise the importance of including climate and security on the Security Council’s agenda, for example, as a cross-cutting issue in peace operations and peacebuilding activities.

To continue the work, we need better data. Working closely with national weather services, regional climate centres and the WMO is important in this regard. Humanitarian, development and peace efforts need to be interlinked and pull in the same direction. No region or country will be spared from the effects of climate change, and the efforts of the UN system must focus on the most vulnerable and fragile, leaving no one behind.

It is also essential that the New Agenda for Peace, launched by the Secretary-General, include proposals for how the UN as a whole can address climate-related security risks..

Secondly, by integrating climate, disaster risk reduction, peace and security considerations we will be better equipped to face a fast-changing environment resulting from climate change and environmental degradation. Opportunities to cooperate and share natural resources can be an entry point for mediation – both by preventing tensions from escalating into conflict and by ending ongoing conflicts. Water diplomacy is a good example of this, as a majority of climate-related security risks are water-related.

As stated in the SIPRI report Environment of Peace, initiatives to build resilience, combat climate change and support climate adaptation are often conceived with good intentions but can end up contributing to insecurity and even conflict. This is a major challenge. Therefore, the analysis of the links between climate change, environmental degradation and human security has to be done with careful consideration of local realities and in close cooperation with national, local and regional actors, and civil society. The meaningful inclusion of women, youth, and vulnerable groups at every stage is essential. They bear the brunt of climate change, but they also have the will and vision to find solutions. Local and indigenous knowledge and ownership are also key.

Thirdly, without significantly increasing the focus on – and financing for – early warning, early action, disaster risk reduction, prevention, climate adaptation, development and peacebuilding, we put everyone at risk. Tensions, frustrations and competition will grow, sparking wider and more serious conflicts, with severe consequences – including more displacement and food insecurity. Putting more resources into prevention and early action is the best and most effective investment in peace.

We need to become much better at anticipating and acting.

We need to work in an inclusive and participatory manner.

And we need to place climate, peace and security at the top of the agenda.

Thank you.