The United Nations General Assembly adopted its first common declaration on sea-level rise at a high-level meeting in New York on Thursday, September 24. The text says countries can maintain maritime zones established under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea despite physical changes to their coasts, and supports the continued statehood and UN membership of countries threatened by rising water. The Alliance of Small Island States called the agreement a milestone for vulnerable nations.
The declaration responds to a problem already affecting islands, coastal communities and low-lying deltas. It identifies warming oceans and melting glaciers and ice sheets as the main drivers of rising seas. The General Assembly president, Khalilur Rahman, said the global average rate of sea-level rise increased from 2.1 millimetres a year in 1993–2002 to 4.7 millimetres in 2015–2024. He said around 900 million people live in low-lying coastal zones.
On maritime boundaries, the agreed text says states may keep zones established in accordance with the law of the sea even as shorelines move, while retaining the ability to update them. It also states a presumption in favour of continued statehood if a country loses territory, and calls for support to keep its institutions functioning. The declaration urges states to protect the rights of people affected by sea-level rise and to cooperate on assistance.
The document calls for more accessible, predictable funding for adaptation in developing countries, especially small island states and least developed countries. It urges better coastal risk data, early-warning systems and long-term planning. It also identifies ports, water supplies, energy networks and health facilities as infrastructure that should be designed for changing sea levels, and highlights the protective role of mangroves, reefs and wetlands.
Palau's president, Surangel Whipps Jr, who chairs the Alliance of Small Island States, welcomed the legal language while stressing that a declaration alone cannot halt the physical rise of the seas. The agreement is a political declaration; its calls for financing and cooperation do not themselves provide a new funding amount or stop emissions. Its practical effect will depend on action by governments and international institutions.
The General Assembly agreed to hold another high-level meeting on sea-level rise before the end of its 84th session. Island states plan to take the issue into further climate talks, including negotiations on emissions cuts and adaptation finance. The immediate test is whether governments turn the declaration's legal assurances and planning commitments into support for exposed coastal communities.
Comments