The main objectives were to strengthen the profile of climate change on the foreign policy agenda and to form and strengthen international alliances to drive the necessary processes to address the issue. Building on the UN Secretary-General’s September 2009 report on climate change and its possible security implications (A/64/350), the Security Council reaffirmed its mandate to maintain international peace and security, stressed the importance of establishing strategies of conflict prevention, and stated concern about the possible adverse effects of climate change for international peace and security.

Given the long time-horizons required to adapt institutional structures to new risks, planning to address climate impacts is not an issue for the future, but a priority now. The clear statement by the Security Council that climate change is an issue of top international priority sent a strong signal throughout the UN system and reinvigorated climate negotiations.

adelphi contributed to this process by initiating a series of informal events aimed at involving the scientific community and civil society in this process, organising several preparatory events and developing ideas for the scope of the Security Council’s  presidential statement.

For more information on the UN Security Counil Open Debate, please see here.