According to the UN, up to 400 million people may need “new homes in new places” due to rising sea levels.

The current rate of sea level rise will leave 250 million to 400 million people in need of “new homes in new places” in less than 80 years, the president of the United Nations General Assembly warned on Tuesday.

During an open ministerial discussion on sea level rise and its implications for international peace and security at the United Nations (UN) Security Council, Csaba Koroshi cited data from the World Climate Research Program showing that sea levels have risen by 1 to 1.6 meters 2100.

Koroshi stressed that the displacement of hundreds of millions of people associated with this increase would pose a threat to international security.

Csaba Koroshi also raised issues of territorial sovereignty, pointing out that the rise in sea levels caused by climate change also raises new legal issues that underpin national identity.

“What will happen to the sovereignty of a nation or a member of the UN if it sinks into the sea? There are rules for the creation of states, but no rules for their physical destruction. Who takes care of displaced persons? Or how will the first changes in the line affect the maritime boundaries? And how will this affect the exclusive economic zones?” asked the President of the UN General Assembly.

“Because much of global agriculture is concentrated on coastal plains and low-lying islands, sea level rise also raises long-term questions about human survival,” the Hungarian diplomat said.

Noting that the International Law Commission and the Sixth Committee of the General Assembly have taken a proactive stance in considering these issues for urgent discussion, Koroshi called for more action on climate change.

“We are aware of the risks and see the uncertainty and instability that we have to face. And we have no doubt that this will open the door to conflict and dispute, endangering global peace and security. And where this door is open, this Council is obliged to act,” he also said, addressing the UN Security Council, which is responsible for ensuring international peace and security.

“It is very important to invest in prevention today and not in the consequences of food shortages or migration tomorrow,” Korosi added.

“We already have enough crises to deal with. (…) I implore the Council to take on its role in this collective effort. Otherwise, I fear that the UN General Assembly in 2050 will represent fewer than 193 member states,” he said. concluded, alluding to the possible disappearance of states due to rising sea levels.

Today’s meeting, chaired by Maltese Foreign Minister Jan Borg, also featured a “briefing” by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who stated that “sea level rise leads to a lower future”, stressing that sea level rise is a threat multiplier.

Citing data from the World Meteorological Organization, Guterres said global mean sea levels have risen faster since 1900 than in any other century in the past 3,000 years.

In addition, he said, in the past century, the ocean as a whole has warmed faster than at any time in the past 11,000 years.

The danger is particularly acute for the nearly 900 million people living in coastal areas, “one in ten people” in the world, according to the former Portuguese prime minister.

“The consequences of all this are unimaginable. Low-lying communities and entire countries may disappear forever. We will see an exodus of entire peoples of biblical proportions, and we will see increasingly fierce competition for fresh water, land and other resources. António Guterres predicted, pointing out that sea level rise is already creating new sources of instability and conflict.

According to the UN, rising sea levels and other climate impacts are already forcing some to move to places like Fiji, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and others.

Malta, which is chairing the UN Security Council this month, indicated that the purpose of this open debate is to explore how the body can address the risks associated with sea level rise in the global security architecture and invest in preventive mechanisms.