ASEAN – UN REGIONAL DIALOGUE ON CLIMATE, PEACE AND SECURITY
Jakarta, Tuesday, 21st November 2023
Senior officials from ASEAN, together with the UN, academics, civil society and other regional partners have come together to initiate discussions on “climate, peace and security” in ASEAN.
The world is facing unprecedented risks from climate change and every region is affected. In recent years, there has been increasing recognition of the complex linkages between climate change, peace and security. In many regions, including in parts of Southeast Asia, the increasing intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and droughts are already contributing to greater food and water insecurity and large-scale human displacement.
H.E. I Gede Ngurah Swajaya, Chair of ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation Governing Council, Indonesia opened the event, ‘Climate, Peace and Security”, together with H.E. Mr. Michael Tene, ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General for the ASEAN Political-Security Community and Mr. Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Departments of Political Affairs and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations of the United Nations.
“The issues of climate change are multidimensional by nature. Therefore, its effects to both regional and global peace, security and stability are incremental and not always direct. We must stand in solidarity to work together in developing impactful and inclusive cooperation to protect our future generation and our planet, which in turn would contribute to the maintenance of stability and security..” stated H.E. I Gede Ngurah Swajaya.
H.E. Michael Tene, the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN highlighted in his remarks that for ASEAN: “climate change is not about a hypothetical threat. Our future is dependent on the actions that we take today. Armed conflicts and political instability can contribute to the climate crisis, noting the climate-related factors and impacts on peace and security are context-specific. Apart from taking an integrated approach, conflict prevention and peacebuilding measures need to be informed by climate expertise based on scientific, sound and impartial policy analysis.”
Noting that the “far-reaching effects of climate change, in the words of the United Nations Secretary-General, are a danger to peace”, UN Assistant Secretary-General Khiari said: “We can – and must – do more to prevent the unavoidable impacts of climate change from putting lives and stability at risk”.
The ASEAN – UN Regional Dialogue is jointly organised by the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Indonesia, the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation and the United Nations, including the Departments of Political Affairs and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations of the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The ASEAN – UN Regional Dialogue on Climate, Peace and Security is the latest in an annual series of ASEAN-UN regional dialogues on political-security cooperation, since the ASEAN-UN Comprehensive Partnership was adopted by the Leaders of ASEAN and the United Nations Secretary-General in November 2011 in Indonesia.
Discussions will take place over two full days in Jakarta from 21st – 22nd November.
Jakarta, Tuesday, 21st November 2023
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