Malta welcomes UN resolution affirming states’ obligations on climate change
'Sea levels present profound challenges for small island states like Malta'
Malta has welcomed a UN General Assembly resolution affirming states’ obligations on climate change, after the island raised concern over rising sea levels that present profound challenges for small states.
In a statement, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said the adoption of the resolution responding to the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on States’ obligations in respect of climate change was greenlighted by an overwhelming majority.
The resolution represents an important affirmation that climate action is grounded not only in political commitments, but also in responsibilities arising under international law, the ministry said.
It reinforces the imperative to protect present and future generations and to support vulnerable countries disproportionately affected by climate change, it added.
Malta actively supported the adoption of this resolution throughout negotiations, including within the European Union framework, advocating for an ambitious outcome that recognises the legal dimensions of climate change and the particular vulnerabilities faced by small island and coastal states.
Throughout negotiations, Malta underlined the unprecedented implications of climate change for vulnerable states, including challenges linked to the continuity of statehood in the context of sea-level rise.
Reacting to the adoption of the resolution, Borg said "climate change increasingly raises questions that go beyond environmental protection alone. For some vulnerable and small island states, sea level rise presents profound challenges touching on displacement and even the continuity of statehood itself".
"These realities underscore why climate action is fundamentally an issue of justice, international solidarity and respect for international law," he added.