Papua New Guinea Backed Resolution Before the UN

Did you know that for the first time in human history, the North Pole can be circumnavigated?

The Arctic ice is melting quicker than many anticipated and the devastating effects of climate change are also accelerating sea level rise and small nations are preparing evacuation plans to gurantee the survival of their populations.

Currently, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs lists 52 Small Island Developing States (SIDS). These are broken down into three geographic regions: the Caribbean; the Pacific; and Africa, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, and South China Sea (AIMS) – PNG is classisfied as being a Pacific Small Island Developing State (PSIDS).

SIDS are defined as “low-lying coastal countries that tend to share similar sustainable development challenges, including small but growing populations, limited resources, remoteness, susceptibility to natural disasters, vulnerability to external shocks, excessive dependence on international trade, and fragile environments.

Their growth and development is also held back by high communication, energy and transportation costs, irregular international transport volumes, disproportionately expensive public administration and infrastructure due to their small size, and little to no opportunity to create economies of scale”.

Most of you may not know that on September 2, 2008, the Pacific Small Island Developing States tabled a resolution calling on the UN Security Council to address climate change as a pressing threat of international peace and security.

Papua New Guinea is backing this resolution.

Faced with the existential threat posed by climate change and the stalemate of international negotiations, the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) are pushing for decisive action. The UN missions of the twelve island nations have circulated a draft General Assembly resolution on The Threat of Climate Change to International Peace and Security to all member states. The resolution charges the Security Council with its Charter responsibility to protect member states.

You can read the draft resolution to the General Assembly here.

You can also find the the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) press release here.

NOTE: I included a short clip from the Small Island Developing States’ campaign:

~ by Tavurvur on September 5, 2008.