United Nations Radio

With glaciers melting and oceans rising, the UN is urging all its agencies to consider how climate change will affect the world's security. A resolution adopted by the General Assembly on Wednesday calls on the UN system to step up efforts to address this challenge. Ambassador Marlene Moses of Nauru-representing the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS)-introduced the resolution.

NAURU 1: We stand here at a historic moment, a confluence of firsts. This is both the first resolution for the PSIDS and the first General Assembly resolution on the security implications of climate change.

NARR: Because of their size, the Pacific Island states are already grappling with the effects of climate change. For example, The Marshall Islands stand only two metres-or just over six feet-above sea level. Phillip Muller is the country's ambassador to the UN.

MARSHALL ISLANDS 1: We cannot move our people to higher ground, for there is no mountain.

NARR: Ambassador Muller said his government has therefore prioritized water and food security, and conservation of traditional plants and crops to address coastal erosion, among other goals. And despite producing practically no greenhouse gas emissions, this nation of 53,000 is also investigating renewable energy strategies.

MARSHALL ISLANDS 2: As a nation and as a culture so closely dependent upon our oceans and coastal areas, we cannot simply replace these areas. We cannot move our communities to less vulnerable locations on coral atolls which are already so thin you can stand in the lagoon and see the waves crashing clear across the atoll's other side.

NARR: More than 60 countries cosponsored the resolution. They included the members of the Caribbean Community who, like their Pacific Island counterparts, have an acute awareness of the reality of climate change. Léo Mérorès, Haiti's ambassador to the UN, spoke on behalf of CARICOM.

HAITI 1: The possible security implications of climate change provide an additional emerging and disconcerting dimension of the challenge. Indeed, for many of our countries climate change poses an existential threat to our very survival.

NARR: With more than 17,000 islands, Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic nation. The country's ambassador encouraged his colleagues to contribute to furthering knowledge of how climate change compromises global security. Dr. R. M. Marty Natalegawa, representative of Indonesia:

INDONESIA 1: Gathering the relevant data in establishing a direct link between climate change and security implications requires further study and cooperation by all nations. Indonesia is of the view that the request to the Secretary-General according to the resolution to submit a report on this subject matter is key to understand the linkage between climate and security-if after all there is any.

NARR: The Pacific Island states range from Papua New Guinea, the second largest island on earth, to smaller reef islands and atolls. Ambassador Moses pointed out that her country, Nauru, is in fact the world's smallest island nation.

NAURU 3: As the rest of the world continues to debate the security implications of climate change, for our peoples the problem is astoundingly real. And while some countries may have resources to mitigate and transfer their people to safety during times of natural disaster, we do not have this luxury. Our citizens literally have nowhere to run.

NARR: And as scientists have predicted the Pacific Ocean will continue to rise at an increasing rate, she fears Nauru and its neighbours will disappear forever if urgent action isn't taken.

NAURU 4: Never before has a UN member state disappeared. Now we are faced with the threat of losing many due to the adverse effects of climate change.

NARR: Marlene Moses, Ambassador of Nauru to the United Nations, speaking in the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.

Producer: Dianne Penn
duration: 4'15"