Climate change affecting the Med so severely that structures in place may not be effective - Borg

Climate change is already affecting the Mediterranean region so severely that the structures in place may no longer be effective when it strikes, Foreign Affairs Minister Ian Borg told The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday.

He was addressing an debate at the United Nations Security Council on the Maintenance of International Peace and Security: The Role of Young Persons in Addressing Security Challenges in the Mediterranean. Climate change was a subject raised by many of the speakers, while the issues of peace and conflict - including the war in Gaza, inclusion of youths in the way forward and other issues were also mentioned. The meeting was chaired by Malta's Foreign Affairs Minister Ian Borg. For the month of April, Malta is serving as President of the UN Security Council. 

The Mediterranean is one of the regions that is most sensitive to climate change, Ian Borg said, addressing the Council not as the Chairperson, but as Malta's Foreign Affairs Minister. "The sudden onset extreme weather events have until recently caused death and destruction among our neighbours, overwhelming governments, and annihilating decades of development."

"Higher temperatures, prolonged heatwaves, droughts and wildfires are destabilising our societies by threatening our food security, our water resources and our health." On the other hand, he said, the slow onset events like sea-level rise have a direct bearing on coastal economies and critical infrastructures. "Climate change is disrupting traditional livelihoods and triggering population displacement at a time of rapid population growth."

Borg said that the Mediterranean region has undergone significant transformation in recent years. "Yet, it continues to face complex and interconnected security challenges. These include geopolitical tensions and conflict, terrorism, violent extremism, maritime security problems, human rights violations, socio-economic inequalities, climate change, and cyber security." The complexity of these challenges, he said, underlines the fact that a holistic approach is needed to address them and their root causes in an effective manner.

Close cooperation among countries of the region, including through regional and sub-regional organisations, "is of paramount importance to foster dialogue and provide the ideal conditions for deeper cooperation and the strengthening of joint initiatives. Civil society also has a key role to play in contributing to positive change and promoting peace," Borg said. "He said that such responses must touch upon multiple dimensions, and include conflict resolution and prevention, humanitarian aid, development cooperation, and sustainable solutions. They must also aim at combatting dis- and misinformation."

The Mediterranean region has one of the youngest populations in the world, with one in every three people under 25, he said. "Regrettably, young persons have often been sidelined and excluded from decision-making processes. This has rendered them unable to access the needed support to sustain their conflict prevention and peacebuilding initiatives." Many young persons still struggle to access basic rights to quality education, healthcare, and decent work, he said. "Many face life-threatening risks on a daily basis, especially in situations of conflict. Across the region, these challenges are most severe for girls and young women."

Decisive steps are needed to reverse these trends, Borg said, adding that young persons are leading positive change in peace and security in the Mediterranean. Young persons must be applauded for their efforts in community building, he said. "We must ensure their full, effective, inclusive, diverse, and meaningful participation in decision-making processes," Borg added. "It is our collective responsibility to guarantee a safe and empowering environment for young human rights defenders and peacebuilders. This includes young women and LGBTQI+ persons, who continue to face significant challenges in advocating for human rights and peace. We also need to integrate their voices at the UN, including the Security Council, in a systematic manner. "

He emphasised his "firm belief that cooperation remains the key to navigating these complex contemporary challenges. Mediterranean countries must re-double efforts to tap into their human potential, build inclusive and resilient societies, and pave the way towards a peaceful and prosperous future. Our diverse and rich heritage should serve as our guiding light towards achieving these goals."

Algeria's Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmed Attaf addressed the Council, and said that the youths in Palestine no longer have the right to aspire to education, to dream of building a future of building a country, due to the war. "Thousands no longer have the right to grow up into young men and women," he said.

"The Mediterranean basin, which is the crossroads of the greatest civilisations in human history, has become subject to many cross-border problems, and those are manifest in terrorist threats and related crime, be it organised crime or violent crime, not to mention the increased threat of climate change that can no longer be hidden or denied. Add to this the challenge of irregular migration in the Mediterranenan that still awaits coordinated responses."

These developments place the youths of the Mediterranean at the centre of the current problem, he said, as they are the greatest victims of the security challenges, but also an important key to resolving these challenges fully and correctly.

He also spoke of the need for a collaborative approach for countries in the Mediterranean to overcome challenges that cannot be overcome separately. He said that an approach that puts an end to the forcible occupation of others is also needed, mentioning the Gaza conflict particularly. He said that the region needs an approach where all parties commit to the principles of good neighbourliness and mutual and shared interests.

Sarra Messaoudi, Regional Lead of the MENA Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security also mentioned Gaza during her address. She said that the Security Council adopted a resolution for ceasefire in Gaza, but it didn't happen.  

Turning to youths in the Mediterranean and their mobility, she said she wants the mediterranean to be a sea of hope and opportunities where young people connect to other peers in other shores. She highlighted the challenges youths face in getting the permits and visas to participate in international fora. She also spoke about the lack of social protection for youths who attempt to cross the sea. "We want the Mediterranean to be a sea of peace not a sea of death."

China's representative said that the Gaza conflict is the most pressing challenge. He said that those who died could have become teachers and engineers, the backbone of society, but the fighting has destroyed their homes and dashed their hopes for the future. "It is the responsibility of the Security Council to restore peace to the youth in Gaza," he said. He spoke of the need to lift the blockade in Gaza also, and push for a ceasefire.

He also spoke about refugees and migrants in the Mediterranean, saying nearly 3,000 died last year. He called on developed countries to increase support and assistance to developing countries. He also spoke of eradicating terrorism, and spoke of the need to support regional countries in their counter-terrorism efforts.

The debate was also addressed by Rosemary Anne DiCarlo, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, who said that advancing meaningful youth participation must remain a priority for all.

In the southern and eastern mediterranean young people constitute 55% of the population she said. She said youths were at the forefront of protests in the past. "We also witnessed how violent and extremist networks exploited grievances they had."

She said that one in four young people around the world is affected by violence. "Exposure to conflict at a young age creates mental held and psychosocial impacts that persist into adulthood," she said. She mentioned the war in Gaza and the 7 October attack as destroying many young lives.

She also spoke about climate change. Young people are inheriting a world on fire, DiCarlo told the Council, saying the Mediterranean is particularly vulnerable to it. She said that young people are expected to be most vulnerable to health-hazards related to climate change due to exposure throughout their lifetime.

Nasser Kamel, the Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean also spoke about climate change, calling it the "primary challenge.". He highlighted that the impacts on the region could transform into a serious stability risk unless urgently tackled.

The Mediterranean is warming 20% faster than the rest of the world, he said, adding that it could rise by a staggering 6 degrees by the year 2100.

Photos: MFET