New York, 25 September 2024

Mr. President,

Micronesia has over 600 atolls and low-lying islands.  We have already experienced the adverse physical impacts of climate change-related sea-level rise on our coastlines and the people who live there, including saltwater intrusion into food and water sources, the loss of important cultural spaces, and population displacement.  The climate crisis is the single greatest threat to the security of Micronesia and the Blue Pacific Continent. Sea-level rise is one of the starkest manifestations of that.

Unfortunately, there is no dedicated agenda item at the General Assembly or other relevant UN processes on sea-level rise.  This is a shortcoming that we must resolve with urgency.  Micronesia remains committed to this cause as exemplified in the recently adopted AOSIS Declaration on Sea Level Rise and Statehood.

While we underscore how dangerous climate change-related sea-level rise can be, especially for small island developing States like Micronesia, we must not give up.  The international community must accelerate efforts to transition away from fossil fuels, especially in this current critical decade for climate action. This is critically needed in order to bend the emissions curve and avoid the harshest impacts of sea-level rise.  Time is running out, but our fight is not over.

Thank you.

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