DFA chief urges stronger global attention to address impact of climate-related disasters

NEW YORK—Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. underscored the reality of climate change and the imminent prospect of ecological collapse due to global climate inaction in his intervention at the recent United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Open Debate under the theme: “Addressing the Impacts of ClimateRelated Disasters on International Peace and Security.”

Locsin highlighted that the devastating effects of climate change are suffered most severely in vulnerable countries like the Philippines, and detailed the national economic and social stress that have been brought about by global warming, powerful storms and rising sea levels.

While the Philippines emits less

than half of 1 percent of global emissions, the country has put itself firmly on the path of lowcarbon development, according to the DFA chief. He also reaffirmed the Philippines’s commitment to the strengthened Asean Humanitarian Assistance cooperation, corresponding to the One Asean, One Response Approach; Sendai Framework for Disaster-Risk Reduction; and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

Underlining shared responsibility and common fate, Locsin said, “If all mankind cannot have this planet on the same terms; no part of mankind should.” He then went on to suggest that the Security Council considers the climate-change challenge as its “first, foremost and last security concern.”

The Dominican Republic’s Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas chaired the UNSC Open Debate on the climate-security nexus. At least 83 council—and other member-states participated in the meeting, including foreign, environment and other ministers of Kuwait, Belgium, Indonesia, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Hungary, Maldives, Haiti, Canada, Fiji, Nicaragua, Somalia and the Philippines.

At the sidelines of the event, Locsin also had a bilateral meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Lestari Priansari Marsudi. The two officials reaffirmed their countries’ respective commitments in addressing the impacts of climate-related disasters at the bilateral, regional and international fora. DFA

LOCSIN (right) lauded the initiative of Dominican Republic Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas to convene a high-level discussion on the climate-security nexus.

FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. (right) called for better risk assessment and mitigation strategies on climate-related disasters at the UN Security Council Open Debate.