Dhaka seeks UNSC's bold steps to address climate challenges

Bangladesh has sought a "bold decision" from the UN Security Council to ensure security and peace across nations addressing climate challenges through partnership and collaboration. 

"We must work together in collaboration and partnership to save this planet from destruction," appealed Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen to the nations on Tuesday in a video statement issued for the Berlin Climate and Security Conference 2020.  

Dr Momen said the UN Security Council cannot evade this issue (climate change) any longer.

"Let them take bold decisions in consultation with relevant stakeholders for a better world."

He warned that evading the climate change issue for a longer period by the UNSC is likely to increase the  potential of serious security and stability problems for many countries and the world.  

Dr Momen urged the United Nations  to implement the Paris Climate Agreement (COP21) to ensure security and peace across nations. 

He said the UNSC must help implement the Paris Agreement and arrange necessary resources to face the challenges of climate change.  

The Paris Agreement aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius as well as support the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change. 

"Climate issue is not only our development issue, not only it's a security issue, it's also  our existential issue, and this needs to be handled and managed by collaboration of all countries and we must follow through the Paris Agreement," Dr Momen said.

Terming the Covid-19 pandemic an eye-opener for all the countries, Dr Momen said if global warming goes up above 1.5ﾟC, not only climate vulnerable Bangladesh or the Maldives will suffer rather many cities and towns that they are so proud of may not exist at all for the future generations.

In terms of climate change, he said, Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world. If  there is a one-meter sea level raise due to global warming, one-fifth of the country will go under water that may uproot 30 to 40 million people from their habitats. 

"If millions are uprooted, it will be a security risk not only for Bangladesh but also for  the region," he warned.  

Bangladesh became President of Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), a platform of 48 climate vulnerable countries.

Dr Momen said it is imperative to put focus on mitigation and adaptation over losses and damages due to the climate change.

Security Conference 

The first part of the 2020 Berlin Climate and Security Conference is being taken place on June 23 and 24, bringing together leading figures from governments, international organisations, the scientific community,  private sector and civil society through two scientific online workshops and a digital high-level political segment to be held this (Wednesday) afternoon.  

From September 7 to October 2, the second part of the BCSC 2020 will focus on how more comprehensive risk assessments could support forward-looking and preventative foreign and security policies .

There is increasing evidence that climate change is undermining livelihoods, food and water security in rural and urban areas around the world, thereby acting as a "risk multiplier" in fragile and conflict-prone situations. 

The conference is exploring how more comprehensive climate-security risk assessments could help create a forward-looking and preventative foreign and security policy, and offer a space to discuss the role that the international community, and the UN Security Council in particular, can and should take in this respect, including during Germany's membership of the UN Security Council in 2020.

After launching the Berlin Call for Action in 2019 and working to increase the momentum for decisive action to address climate-related drivers of conflict and instability, this is the second such event.

The Berlin Climate and Security Conferences are hosted by the German Federal Foreign Office in partnership with adelphi and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK).