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President, Excellencies,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries North Macedonia^*, Montenegro^*, Albania^*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina^* and Georgia, as well as Andorra and San Marino align themselves with this statement.

I begin by expressing our gratitude to Guyana for convening this pertinent debate, and to the briefers for their insights.

At COP28 last December, we all recognised the importance of food security in the context of the climate and security nexus. The risks posed by climate change and environmental degradation to development, social stability, and international peace and security are clear. What’s more, they feed a very vicious cycle: instability and conflict lead to more food insecurity and hunger.

Of the 20 countries reported most impacted by and least prepared for climate change in 2020, no less than 12 were in a state of conflict. Famine looms in many and tens of millions of people are in need of food assistance. Adding to an already serious global problem, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has caused massive disruption of grain exports and multiplied food insecurity for millions across the globe. 

Reports show that last year was the hottest on record, and last month was the hottest January in history. Global warming, if left unabated, will translate into further suffering for millions of people – the effects are seen already across oceans and continents, from LLDCs and the Sahel to the SIDS.

But identifying the problem is only part of the solution. The real question is, how are we responding?

(1) The EU is already mobilised: In response to calls from humanitarian agencies, the EU and our Member States have stepped up humanitarian and immediate food assistance to populations in vulnerable situations globally, amounting to EUR 5 billion between 2021-2024. We urge others in the international community to step up their funding for growing needs.

But this will not be enough.

(2) We need a paradigm shift from reactive to proactive approaches. We must work together to anticipate and avert the humanitarian and security consequences of climate change and hunger.

And so, the EU is doubling down on investing in disaster preparedness with our humanitarian partners. They offer a first lifeline where climate breakdown and conflict meet.

We need to focus on reaching remote communities and those most affected by climate change and conflicts, including women and girls, often the most directly impacted. The EU partners with the World Food Progamme and FAO, IFAD on the Global Network against Food Crises, whose “Hunger Hotspots” reports serve as early warnings.

We also support the Peacebuilding Fund, including projects to ensure social cohesion in areas that need such support, for example in the South Pacific. These help alleviate tensions from climate change and resource and revenue scarcity. We support the UN Climate Security Mechanism and its efforts to prevent conflict fuelled by climate change. And we support climate-friendly school meals, promoting local production.

Colleagues,

(3) Developing our thinking on addressing the climate-security nexus should be our highest priority. We have to focus on regions like the Sahel and Horn of Africa that are especially exposed. Here, development actors have an important role to play, to both build resilience and address root causes.

This also means directing a meaningful part of funding towards climate adaptation. And employing a comprehensive approach, especially in the face of complex governance and security challenges, such as we see in several countries of the Sahel.

Colleagues, we all welcomed the Declaration on Climate, Relief, Recovery and Peace, endorsed at COP28. We echo the call for financial support for climate adaptation and resilience, especially in war-torn and fragile settings. The EU has already partnered with UNEP on analysis and preventive actions to address conflict and fragility risks in pilot countries Nepal and Sudan.

We will scale-up the partnership to address climate and environment risks in priority regions: the Middle East and North Africa, Horn of Africa, West Africa and the Sahel.

In Somalia, the EU and the International Organization for Migration have developed stabilisation interventions focused on climate and local peace building, with the environment, water and livestock key considerations alongside basic service delivery and intercommunal reconciliation.

In the meantime, European Union Global Gateway projects are being rolled out by our partner countries in Africa, Central Asia or Latin America to narrow the global green, digital, human and social development gaps.

• A Team Europe Initiative is bringing together over EUR 1 billion to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable populations in Africa against climate and natural hazards;

• In Central Asia, a EUR 700 million Team Europe Initiative contribution on Water, Energy and Climate Change is helping to manage resources sustainably while addressing environmental challenges;

• In Latin America we are helping partners address climate change and deforestation, including through a EUR 430 million Initiative on Tropical Forests in Brazil.

Excellencies,

Guyana’s visionary initiative today offers Members of the Security Council a unique opportunity to engage, together. in favour of effective political solutions to these interlinked crises. Their consequences are global and devastating. People in vulnerable situations, those furthest behind, especially in the least developed, landlocked countries, and small island states, need us to work together.

The EU and our Member States will continue to try to lead by example. We pledge our readiness to operationalise a true humanitarian-development-peace nexus approach, working in close partnership with the UN and with all countries around the globe.   

Thank you.

* North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.