UNGA Approves Declaration on Sea Level Rise

UN Sea Level Declaration

• The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) approved the Declaration on Sea Level Rise by consensus on September 24.
• A key provision concerns the legal consequences of sea-level rise.
• The Declaration affirms that low-lying states threatened by rising seas will continue to retain their statehood, sovereign rights and UN membership.
• Countries such as Fiji, Tuvalu and Vanuatu are particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise.
• Even if rising seas cause coastlines to retreat inland, maritime zones will continue to be defined in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
• The Declaration emerged from a high-level meeting held in 2024, followed by negotiations among UN member states for an action-oriented agreement.
• It focuses on four major areas:
  1. Science and data
  2. Adaptation and financing
  3. Livelihoods, socio-economic development, data-sharing and early-warning systems
  4. Legal consequences of sea-level rise
• Countries are urged to address sea-level rise while protecting livelihoods and cultural heritage and ensuring the participation of affected communities.
• Low-lying island states coordinate their interests internationally through the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).
• The current global mean sea-level rise is around 4–5 mm per year.
• The Declaration seeks to ensure that even if some island states lose substantial portions of their habitable territory, their citizens continue to retain nationality and economic rights.
• UN member states have also committed to continued engagement on sea-level-rise issues, including a high-level meeting before the end of the 84th session of the UN General Assembly.

MCQ English

Q. Consider the following statements regarding the UN Declaration on Sea Level Rise:

1. It affirms the continued statehood and UN membership of low-lying states threatened by sea-level rise.
2. It addresses maritime zones in the context of UNCLOS.
3. Fiji, Tuvalu and Vanuatu are among the vulnerable island states highlighted in this context.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(A) 1 and 2 only
(B) 2 and 3 only
(C) 1 and 3 only
(D) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (D) 1, 2 and 3