Wahyu Dwi Anggoro
IDXChannel - Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has called on countries to unite to face the threats posed by sea-level rise.
The message was conveyed at the Breakfast Summit Addressing the Existential Threats Posed By Sea-Level Rise in New York on Thursday local time.
"This threat is real and imminent, and it already has an impact on island countries and archipelagos. Even if global warming is limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius, it will not be able to withstand rising sea levels, "said Retno in a media release on Friday (22/9/2023).
For this reason, the Foreign Minister called on countries to do three things. First, prevention and mitigation efforts. This must be the first and foremost action in preventing continued sea level rise. Retno invited countries to fulfill their global commitments to reduce emissions and slow climate change.
Second, adaptation efforts to the impacts of climate change. she conveyed that it is very important to ensure coastal countries and fishermen have resilience in facing the impacts of climate change, especially in order to protect their lives.
"Indonesia is ready to collaborate to carry out various adaptation efforts, especially in the fields of innovative financing, capacity building and technical assistance," she added.
Third, maintaining the territorial integrity of states.She said that if not handled properly, the issue of sea level rise could also have an impact on the issue of eliminating maritime borders. In fact, in the future, this issue can create uncertainty and conflict.
"Therefore, we need to continue to encourage the use of international legal approaches to safeguard state sovereignty, safeguard rights and livelihoods," she added.
At the meeting, Foreign Minister Retno invited island and archipelagic countries to voice their interests and show their presence to the world. The Foreign Minister conveyed Indonesia's plan to hold the High-Level Meeting of the Archipelagic and Island States Forum on October 11 in Bali.
The Breakfast Summit was hosted on the sidelines of the UN High School by the President General Assembly, the Prime Minister of Tuvalu, the President of the Republic of Palau, the President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the UN Centre for Global Climate Mobility. The Breakfast Summit aims to garner political commitment, resource mobilization, and concrete action in support of Pacific Small Developing Island States (SIDS) to strengthen climate action and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
The theme of this meeting discussed global efforts in overcoming the increasing threat of sea level rise. (WHY)
