This UN General Assembly side-event was co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, the United Arab Emirates, adelphi and United Nations University Centre for Policy Research. It gathered a panel of Foreign Ministers and experts to discuss the climate security agenda through the prism of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and the Sahel region. The session both assessed progress to date and identified possible solutions within the UN system and beyond.
The situation of the Sahel and SIDS have been key drivers of the climate security agenda, directly exemplifying the growing stresses of climate change. This side-event brought together experiences from the Sahel region and SIDS to explore the effects of climate change on security-related issues and context-appropriate responses to these risks.
This event accordingly aimed to assess the lessons learned in the SIDS and Sahel context since climate security emerged “officially” on the UN agenda in 2007. The discussion aimed to advance better policies and practices on climate change, peace and stability. Panelists shared experiences and solutions within the broader UN system and beyond, including development and humanitarian agencies. They also considered which research and data would provide the most value for climate security implementation. The event was moderated by UNU-CPR’s Dr Adam Day.
Speakers included: