Prime Minister Eugene Rhuggenaath today represented the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the debate in the UN Security Council on climate-related security risks. Below his contribution:

I am particularly pleased to be here today, because we are discussing a topic that directly affects my country as well. As the prime minister of Curaçao, a Small Island Developing State in the Caribbean, I can attest that the link between climate change and security is clear and undeniable to our people, and to those of other countries of the Kingdom, particularly Aruba and St. Maarten. Increased climate variability threatens social stability. It can ultimately lead to displacement and regional tensions. And where climate change threatens international stability and security, this Council has a responsibility to act.

1. Prevention

What if we had known 15 years ago that in 2018, millions of people in the Lake Chad region would need relief assistance to survive, with water stress as one of the threat multipliers? What if we had known that millions of people from Somalia would still be displaced against the backdrop of severe droughts? What if we had known that climate change would constitute an existential threat to Small Island Development States, like my own? These questions may seem irrelevant, since we cannot change the course of history. But what we can change is how we apply the lessons we have learned so far. By responding in a timely manner to warning signs, also when it comes to climate-related security risks, we can adequately address root causes, prevent instability and conflict, and sustain peace in the future. Read More>>