Statement by His Excellency Ahmed Abdullah Minister of Environment, Energy and Water of the Republic of Maldives, at the United Nations Thematic Debate“Addressing Climate Change: The United Nations and the World at work”

United Nations Headquarters, New York 12 February 2008
Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General, Honorable Ministers, Excellencies, and friends:
Let me begin by extending to you Mr. President, my gratitude for convening this important debate.
Allow me also to congratulate the Secretary-General of the United Nations, His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, for the commitment and leadership that he had demonstrated over the past year for ensuring the highest priority to climate change.
Mr. President,
In 1938 a British engineer, Guy Steward Callendar, delivered a speech in London in which he argued that climate was changing and emissions of CO2 by human industry were principally to blame. Scientists of the day were intrigued but unconvinced. In 1987 our President, His Excellency Mr. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, stood before this august Assembly and stated that climate change would result in the death of our nation and others like it if urgent corrective measures are not taken. Yet again, leaders and scientists were intrigued but unconvinced. It has taken seven decades of rigorous debate and dedicated research but today the evidence is clear. Climate change is real, accelerating and human induced. Today we all accept climate change as the biggest global emergency of our times.
Mr. President,
We have taken our time to reach scientific and political consensus on the nature and threat of climate change. As we now begin to focus on solutions to the climate crisis time is a luxury we can no longer afford. We should therefore work to build on our momentum from Bali over the coming year by pursuing the three strategic objectives. First, we must mobilize popular support for climate protection by stressing human rather than the scientific dimensions of climate change. Second, we must ensure that UN programs promote climate protection as an instrument to support sustainable development. And third, we must initiate a program of governance reform to build adaptive capacity in the most vulnerable states.
Urgent and ambitious action to tackle climate change will require unprecedented public support. If we are to mobilize the people of the world in this global effort then we need to make sure they realize what is really at stake.
When we speak about how climate change will compromise biodiversity let us always remember that hidden behind statistics on species loss is the face of the fisherman who will lose his livelihood as rising ocean temperatures destroy the coral and decimate the fish stocks. When we refer to the alarming decline in food production from increased drought and soil erosion let us remember the farmer who will no longer be able to feed his family. When we consider increased frequency and intensity of storms let us remember the families that will lose their homes and their possessions. And when we speak about sea level rises let us remember the bonds of family, community, and nationhood that will be irreversibly broken.
Last November the Maldives convened a meeting to address these issues which concluded with the adoption of the Male’ Declaration on the human dimension of climate change. We will continue to pursue this approach during the coming years.
When building public support we must be conscious of the need to reconcile climate protection with sustainable development. As concerns grow about the health of the global economy there is an urgent need to demonstrate that investment in clean energy, environmental technologies, innovation, and efficient infrastructure will contribute to climate stabilization, create new and better jobs, and make a lasting impact in the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. In this regard UN agencies have an important role to play in funding for technology transfer, adaptation, and exchange of best practice.
Finally, the chronic lack of adaptive capacity, including financial, technical, and institutional resources, means that developing countries amongst which the LDCs and low-lying small island states are ill prepared to deal with climate impacts. Operationalizing the adaptation fund in Bali was an important beginning but far more needs to be done.
Mr. President,
For the people of the Maldives, dealing with climate change and associated sea level rise is an everyday fact of life. Over the past two decades, we have witnessed, first-hand, the practical realities of climate change. Over 60 percent of inhabited islands are facing varying degrees of coastal erosion, which is physically threatening the human settlements on these islands.
In Bali, we created a process to address the climate crisis. Bali also delivered a number of agreements beyond launching a process toward a future climate change deal. Maldives is committed to work with all nations across the world, together, to make the Bali Roadmap a success.
I would like to express gratitude to Mayors Bloomberg and Moratti of New York York City and Milan for their important contributions to address climate change. We are encouraged by this growing partnership to stabilize climate.
We are confident our integrated and coordinated partnership and selfless sacrifices can save our planet for us and future generations.
Thank you Mr. President.
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