ASIATODAY.ID, NEW YORK – Indonesia calls for global action to overcome the threat of rising sea levels.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia Retno Marsudi conveyed this while attending the “Sea Level Rise” High Level Meeting which discussed the existential threat posed by sea level rise, on the sidelines of the 79th UN General Assembly Session in New York.
At the meeting, Retno emphasized that the impact of rising sea levels would not only be felt by coastal countries, but also by communities located far inland.
This makes sea level rise a global crisis that requires immediate action.
Retno raised three important points at the meeting at the UN General Assembly. First, according to him, more ambitious climate action is needed to overcome global warming.
“The target of 1.5 degrees Celsius is a fixed price. To achieve it, fair burden sharing is needed, not burden shifting,” said Retno, quoted in a broadcast by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wednesday, October 2 2024.
Second, he called for the importance of strengthening international cooperation in dealing with rising sea levels. Emphasis is placed on capacity building efforts, technical assistance, and collective steps to mobilize resources, including financing and technology that can be accessed by all countries.
Third, strengthen global political will to address the impacts of rising sea levels, which include loss of territory and disruption of livelihoods.
Retno also proposed the need for a special global agenda regarding sea level rise and called for strengthening the international legal framework capable of protecting the sovereignty of countries and residents. The advancement of science and data also needs to be encouraged to support effective policy making.
The ‘Sea Level Rise’ High Level Meeting was attended by 128 countries and discussed joint efforts to address sea level rise, including through climate finance, territorial sovereignty and state maritime zone boundaries, as well as scientific data-based decision making.
Regarding this issue, Indonesia has taken concrete steps by hosting the Archipelagic and Island States Forum last October in Bali, which aims to increase international collaboration, including exploring innovative financing mechanisms for archipelagic and small island countries.
“Sea level rise is an alarm for the world. Don’t delay – act now to protect millions of lives and future generations,” concluded Retno. (AT Network)
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