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UN moves to protect statehood of countries threatened by rising seas – EnviroNews
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Countries threatened by rising seas will retain their statehood, sovereignty, maritime zones and United Nations membership even if parts of their physical territory disappear, under a landmark declaration adopted by the UN General Assembly.
The Declaration on Sea Level Rise, adopted Thursday, September 24, 2026, at a high-level meeting in New York, marks the first time all UN member states have agreed on a common text addressing the implications of rising sea levels.
DanChurchAid welcomed the declaration but warned that legal recognition must be matched by financing for countries already facing the impacts of climate change.
“Rising seas are not a distant threat,” said Mattias Söderberg, Global Climate Lead at DanChurchAid.
“They are already contaminating freshwater, damaging farmland, eroding coastlines and forcing communities to consider whether they can remain in the places they call home.”
The declaration affirms that maritime zones established under international law can remain stable despite physical changes to coastlines.
It also recognises the continuity of statehood and UN membership for countries affected by sea-level rise.
The decision is particularly significant for small island developing states, whose maritime territories can be far larger than their land areas and support fisheries, natural resources and livelihoods.
But DanChurchAid said vulnerable countries continue to face major gaps in adaptation finance.
The declaration calls for scaled-up, accessible and predictable funding for adaptation and resilience, including faster access to international finance. It also addresses livelihoods, populations, culture and heritage.
Söderberg said solidarity must go beyond adopting the declaration, with countries that have contributed most to climate change helping finance adaptation in countries that have contributed least but face some of its gravest consequences.
DanChurchAid also stressed that adaptation cannot replace efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“Adaptation is essential, but it is not an alternative to cutting emissions. We must do both,” Söderberg said, warning that the scale and speed of future sea-level rise will depend on how quickly global warming is reduced.
The declaration also recognises that rising seas threaten cultural heritage, including burial grounds, sacred places, archaeological sites, traditional lands and cultural landscapes.
“When land disappears beneath the sea, communities may lose places that hold their history, identity and traditions,” Söderberg said.
“A seawall cannot protect everything, and financial compensation cannot recreate a sacred site or ancestral burial ground.”
For DanChurchAid, the next challenge is translating the declaration into concrete action, including increased adaptation financing, stronger emissions reductions and support for communities already experiencing irreversible losses from climate change.
The Alliance of Small Island States, whose members have advocated on sea-level rise for decades, also welcomed the declaration, saying it affirms the continuity of statehood and maritime zones for countries affected by rising seas.
AOSIS Chair and Palau President, Surangel Whipps Jr., said the declaration confirmed that while sea-level rise threatens coastlines, homes and ways of life, it does not threaten the legal rights or standing of affected states.
“Today the General Assembly spoke with one voice,” Whipps said.
“For decades, small island states have said international law says that sea level rise does not change our maritime zones or our statehood. Today, every member of the international community has affirmed it.”
“Our zones are stable. Our statehood continues. Sea level rise threatens our coasts, our homes and our ways of life. It does not threaten our legal rights or our standing as States,” he said.
The declaration is organised around science and knowledge, adaptation and resilience, livelihoods, culture and heritage, as well as the legal implications of sea-level rise.
Member states have also committed to hold another high-level meeting on the issue in 2029.
By Steria Manda, AfricaBrief
