Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, the UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, chaired an open ministerial debate at the United Nations Security Council in New York. She stated that the UAE plans to establish a ‘Relief, Recovery, and Peace’ day to emphasize the connection between climate change, peace, and security. The official announcement will occur at COP28 in Dubai later this year.

As part of the UAE’s presidency of the UN Security Council for June 2023, an open debate on “Preserving International Peace and Security” took place. The discussion focused on examining the effects of climate change on UN peacekeeping operations and special missions, highlighting the interconnectedness of climate change, global peace, and security.

“This is the first of its kind at any COP, and its purpose is to highlight the intersection of climate change, peace, and security — and propose practical solutions to prevent and address the climate burden on stability,” said Almheiri.

She added, “We are promoting an ambitious agenda at COP28 in response to the critical lack of accessible, affordable, and sufficient climate finance – particularly for countries and communities experiencing humanitarian and security crises. They receive in some cases 80 times less per capita than other developing countries, which already receive inadequate flows.”

During the debate, Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri emphasized the importance of uncovering and comprehending the relationship between climate change and global peace and security. She stressed the need for international collaboration to foster prosperous, climate-resilient, and peaceful societies. Almheiri highlighted the significance of integrating climate considerations into UN mandates and peacekeeping operations.

“The Security Council must approach conflict through a climate-sensitive lens. We must strengthen the capacity and mandates of relevant peace operations to incorporate climate change in their risk mitigation and adaptation strategies, as well as efforts in conflict prevention and resolution,” she said.

She urged for enhancing the capacity and mandates of peace operations to effectively integrate climate change into risk mitigation and adaptation strategies, as well as conflict prevention and resolution efforts.