UN adopts first-ever declaration on rising sea levels

Why in News?

On 24 September, the United Nations General Assembly adopted its first-ever declaration on rising sea levels, recognising the serious implications of sea-level rise for vulnerable populations and coastal and island States. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the global rate of sea-level rise increased from 2.1 mm per year during 1993–2002 to 4.7 mm per year during 2015–2024. The declaration particularly addresses the concerns of vulnerable island nations such as Tuvalu, Kiribati and the Maldives and calls for sea-level projections to be incorporated into the planning and design of coastal infrastructure.

About the UN Declaration

The declaration addresses the implications of rising sea levels for statehood, sovereignty, maritime rights and human rights. Under the 1933 Montevideo Convention, statehood is generally associated with four criteria: a permanent population, a defined territory, a government and the capacity to enter into relations with other States. The declaration supports a “presumption in favour of continued statehood”, meaning that a State does not automatically lose its sovereignty, international legal status or UN membership merely because rising seas cause the loss or uninhabitability of its territory.

The declaration also addresses maritime boundaries and rights. It supports the continued preservation of a country’s maritime entitlements even when its coastline retreats due to sea-level rise. These include the territorial sea extending up to 12 nautical miles (about 22.2 km) and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extending up to 200 nautical miles (about 370 km), within which a coastal State has sovereign rights over natural resources.

For people displaced by rising sea levels, the declaration calls for respect for their human rights, stronger international cooperation and assistance. It also supports voluntary choices for affected communities and “mobility with dignity”, recognising the need for humane approaches to climate-induced displacement.

Source: IE

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