Germany wants UN Security Council more involved in mitigating climate crisis
(EurActiv, 5 Jun 2019) German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas launched a call for action on Tuesday (4 June) that aims to develop real solutions that would mitigate the security risks of climate change, including involving the UN’s Security Council more. EURACTIV Germany reports.
In his opening speech at an event organised by his services, Maas stated that conflicts are preordained.
Climate change is acting as a catalyst all over the world: drought, crop failures, floods, conflicts over land use, new migration flows. All efforts must now focus on the fight against climate change – even the UN Security Council, which normally deals with armed conflicts, needs to get involved.
Germany’s two-year membership in the UN Security Council, between 2019 and 2021, gave it the ability to launch this Call for Action.
“We want to change the structure of the UN Security Council’s work. Right now, we only deal with crises, conflicts and wars when they have already taken place. People have to die. And it is not enough for them to starve to death or to die of thirst. One has to be a victim of armed violence,” criticised Maas.
If the UN Security Council is to increase its preventive work new mechanisms are needed to be able to react much earlier and a key element of this Call for Action is the development of such systems.
For example, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, in cooperation with the German Foreign Office, is currently developing such an early warning system for the Sahel region – with a particular focus on food security.
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EurActiv, 5 Jun 2019: Germany wants UN Security Council more involved in mitigating climate crisis