UN / SEA LEVEL RISE

STORY: UN / SEA LEVEL RISE
TRT: 05:03
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 14 FEBRUARY 2023, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE - NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior UN Headquarters

14 FEBRUARY 2023, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. Wide shot, delegates
4. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Rising seas threaten lives, and jeopardize access to water, food and healthcare.
Saltwater intrusion can decimate jobs and entire economies in key industries like agriculture, fisheries and tourism. It can damage or destroy vital infrastructure — including transportation systems, hospitals and schools, especially when combined with extreme weather events linked to the climate crisis. And rising seas threaten the very existence of some low-lying communities and even countries.”
5. Med shot, Council
6. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Under any scenario, countries like Bangladesh, China, India and the Netherlands are all at risk. Mega-cities on every continent will face serious impacts including Cairo, Lagos, Maputo, Bangkok, Dhaka, Jakarta, Mumbai, Shanghai, Copenhagen, London, Los Angeles, New York, Buenos Aires and Santiago. The danger is especially acute for nearly 900 million people who live in coastal zones at low elevations — that’s one out of ten people on earth.”
7. Med shot, delegates
8. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“The consequences of all of this are unthinkable. Low-lying communities and entire countries could disappear forever. We would witness a mass exodus of entire populations on a biblical scale. And we would see ever-fiercer competition for fresh water, land and other resources.”
9. Med shot, Council
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Csaba Kőrösi, President, United Nations General Assembly:
“Excellencies,We know the risks, and we see the uncertainties and instabilities that we are going to face. And we can’t doubt that these will open the door for conflict and dispute, endangering global peace and security. And where this door is open, this Council has a responsibility to act.
It is critical to invest in prevention today, rather than address the implications of food scarcity and mass migration tomorrow. We can agree it makes sense morally and financially.”
11. Med shot, Council
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Bogdan Aurescu, Co-Chair of the International Law Commission Study Group on Sea-Level Rise, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Romania:
“The international community must find innovative instruments to support such efforts. Last September during the high level events staying ahead of the curve, climate security and international law, organized by Germany and Palau in New York. In the margins of the General Assembly high level week, I made the proposal of creating an international voluntary fund for this purpose. And I renew this proposal today.”
13. Wide shot, Council
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Coral Pasisi, Director of Climate Change of the Pacific Community (SPC), President, Tofia Niue:
“A nation can be at war and its people still have hope and determination to survive. The war against climate change is quite different. The opponent is much larger and amorphous and the ability to stop it is outside of your direct control. And whilst you can do your best to adapt with the limited resources you have you continue to suffer loss and damage and fear for the future of your children.”
15. Wide shot, Council
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Ian Borg, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade, Malta:
“As climate change catalyzes new wave of activism around the world, threats and violence against women and environmental defenders is increasing. Especially against indigenous women. Their protection must be an integral part of the global agenda for peace building, and for sustaining peace. We are therefore pleased to have this opportunity to engage in an open dialogue so as to properly address the threats that sea level rise has on international peace and security.”
17. Wide shot, Council

24 JUNE 2022, LISBON, PORTUGAL

18. Various shots, Lisbon waterfront and Ocean Conference’s venue

FILE - JUNE 2020, FIJI

19. Various shots, Pacific Ocean and coastline

FILE - 2017, SEYCHELLES

20. Various shots, Indian Ocean coastline and underwater views
21. Various shots, fish market
22. Various shots, Indian Ocean coastline

STORYLINE:

The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, called the consequences of sea-level rise “unthinkable” and warned, “Low-lying communities and entire countries could disappear forever. We would witness a mass exodus of entire populations on a biblical scale. And we would see ever-fiercer competition for fresh water, land and other resources.”

Addressing the Security Council today (14 Feb) in New York, Guterres said, “Rising seas threaten lives, and jeopardize access to water, food and healthcare. Saltwater intrusion can decimate jobs and entire economies in key industries like agriculture, fisheries and tourism.”

He stressed, “It can damage or destroy vital infrastructure — including transportation systems, hospitals and schools, especially when combined with extreme weather events linked to the climate crisis. And rising seas threaten the very existence of some low-lying communities and even countries.”

The UN chief said, “Under any scenario, countries like Bangladesh, China, India and the Netherlands are all at risk.”

He continued, “Mega-cities on every continent will face serious impacts including Cairo, Lagos, Maputo, Bangkok, Dhaka, Jakarta, Mumbai, Shanghai, Copenhagen, London, Los Angeles, New York, Buenos Aires and Santiago.”

According to Guterres, the danger is especially acute for nearly 900 million people who live in coastal zones at low elevations. “That’s one out of ten people on earth,” he said.

Also addressing the Council, Csaba Kőrösi, the President of the UN General Assembly, said, “We know the risks, and we see the uncertainties and instabilities that we are going to face. And we can’t doubt that these will open the door for conflict and dispute, endangering global peace and security. And where this door is open, this Council has a responsibility to act.”

He continued, “It is critical to invest in prevention today, rather than address the implications of food scarcity and mass migration tomorrow. We can agree it makes sense morally and financially.”

In his address to the Council, Bogdan Aurescu, Co-Chair of the International Law Commission Study Group on Sea-Level Rise and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Romania, said, “The international community must find innovative instruments to support such efforts.”

He noted, “Last September during the high-level events staying ahead of the curve, climate security and international law, organized by Germany and Palau in New York. In the margins of the General Assembly high level week, I made the proposal of creating an international voluntary fund for this purpose. And I renew this proposal today.”

On the same meeting, Coral Pasisi, Director of Climate Change of the Pacific Community (SPC) said, “A nation can be at war and its people still have hope and determination to survive. The war against climate change is quite different.”

She continued, “The opponent is much larger and amorphous and the ability to stop it is outside of your direct control. And whilst you can do your best to adapt with the limited resources you have you continue to suffer loss and damage and fear for the future of your children.”

Also addressing the Security Council today, Malta’s Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade Ian Borg noted, “As climate change catalyzes new wave of activism around the world, threats and violence against women and environmental defenders is increasing. Especially against indigenous women.”

He stressed, “Their protection must be an integral part of the global agenda for peace building, and for sustaining peace.”