Agenda and timeline

The Climate, Peace and Security agenda

The United Nations Secretary-General has recognized that the climate crisis is now contributing to conflict in a host of ways. While climate change is rarely the direct cause of conflict, its interactions with existing socioeconomic and political factors can exacerbate conflict risks. In 2022, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlighted again the increasingly severe, interconnected and often irreversible impacts of climate change on ecosystems, biodiversity, and human systems. Changes of this magnitude inevitably affect human, national and international peace and security. The climate, peace and security interplay also has implications for climate action. Of the 30 countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change (ND-GAIN Country Index, 2021), 18 are experiencing conflict or fragility (World Bank, 2024) and 13 also rank among the 30 countries with the lowest women’s inclusion, justice, and security scores (Georgetown Institute for Women Peace and Security, 2023). Whilst among the hardest hit by climate change, most countries and communities affected by fragility and conflict are also among those that have contributed the least to the climate crisis.

International support is growing to ensure more coordinated international responses to climate, peace and security risks. The Group of Friends on Climate and Security, co-chaired by Germany and Nauru, has grown to 70 members. Pacific states in particular continue to be leading advocates on the issue. Regional organizations are advancing both advocacy and practice in their regions; a leading example is the recent decision by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to set up a Climate Security Coordination Mechanism, to be housed at IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) and work in collaboration with IGAD’s Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism (CEWARN), to work in collaboration with the UN Office of the Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa and the Climate Security Mechanism (CSM) and prioritize capacity building of IGAD Member States (IGAD, 2022).

Peace and security conferences all over the world now have climate change on the agenda and, vice versa, conflict sensitivity is increasingly a topic in the climate action discourse. This was visible at COP27, where the Egyptian Presidency launched the “Climate Responses for Sustaining Peace” initiative, and at COP28, where the UAE Presidency launched the Climate, Relief, Recovery and Peace Declaration endorsed by 90+ Member States and 40+ organizations. The international research community is another key stakeholder in the climate, peace and security field and a key partner for the CSM. The growing number of analyses have enabled a more informed policy debate. Major reports, notably as part of the Environment of Peace and Weathering Risk initiatives, and major conferences, such as the Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development, the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development or the Berlin Climate and Security Conference, have become established fora for information exchange and partnership development.

1972:

The Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment is the first United Nations conference on international environmental issues.

1974:

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) launches the Regional Seas Programme to address degradation of the world's oceans and coastal areas, an early example of environmental cooperation.

1980s:

UNEP begins to focus on environmental causes of conflict, particularly related to natural resources.

2007:

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Madrid Declaration on Environment and Security recognizes the linkages between environment and security, acknowledging climate change as a long-term challenge.

In April 2007, the UN Security Council first discusses the interlinkages between energy, climate, and security under the Presidency of the United Kingdom (S/PV.5663).

The Nobel Peace Prize 2007 is awarded jointly to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Al Gore "for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change".

2009:

The UN Secretary-General's report on "Climate Change and its Possible Security Implications" (A/64/350) identifies climate change as a "threat multiplier". The report indicates that climate change is often viewed as a "threat multiplier" exacerbating threats caused by other causes, and it identifies several "threat minimizers" or conditions and actions that could help to lower the risk of climate-related insecurity.

2011:

The UN Security Council holds its first debate on the security implications of climate change. The Council agrees on a presidential statement (S/PRST/2011/15), which recognizes that "the possible adverse effects of climate change may, in the long run, aggravate certain existing threats to international peace and security."

2013:

The United Kingdom and Pakistan hold a UN Security Council Arria Formula debate on the Security Dimensions of Climate Change, and an Open Debate on Conflict Prevention and Natural Resources.

2015:

The Paris Agreement on climate change is adopted, recognizing the need to address climate-related risks.

2016:

Senegal holds a UN Security Council Arria Formula meeting and an Open Debate on Water, Peace and Security.

2017:

UN Security Council Resolution 2349 recognizes the adverse effects of climate change on the stability of the Lake Chad Region.

2018:

UN Security Council Resolution 2408 acknowledges the adverse effects of climate change, ecological changes, and natural disasters on the stability of Somalia.

Germany and Nauru officially establish the Group of Friends on Climate and Security in the United Nations.

The Pacific Islands Forum adopts the Boe Declaration identifying climate change as "the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security, and well-being of the peoples of the Pacific".

The Climate Security Mechanism (CSM) is established as a joint initiative between the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

2019:

The Dominican Republic initiates a UN Security Council Open Debate on The Impacts of Climate-Related Disasters on International Peace and Security.

2020:

Germany together with Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Estonia, France, Niger, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia, the United Kingdom and Viet Nam organise a UN Security Council High-level Debate on Climate and Security. Germany announces the creation of an informal expert group on climate-related risks to peace and security.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) is the first UN Mission to appoint an Environmental Security Advisor.

The CSM enters its second phase (2020-2022).

2021:

A thematic resolution on systematically integrating climate-related security risks into the UN's conflict prevention, conflict management and peacebuilding work is tabled by Ireland and Niger and put to a vote in the UN Security Council. The Council rejects the draft owing to the negative vote by a permanent member of the Council.

The UN Department of Peace Operations (DPO) joins the Climate Security Mechanism, further strengthening the Mechanism's ability to support stakeholders in some of the most vulnerable regions, including peacekeeping contexts where the Security Council has recognized the destabilizing effects of climate change.

2022:

The multilateral Climate for Peace Initiative is launched during the Berlin Climate and Security Conference to promote, coordinate and advance concrete projects to address the gap between strong political rhetoric and action, further the progress generated by current joint initiatives and ensure climate security is a local and national priority.

The Regional Conference on Climate Change, Peace and Security in West Africa and the Sahel concludes with the adoption of the Dakar Call to Action addressed to the governments of the sub-region, regional and international organizations, and the UN system.

The COP27 Presidency launches the "Climate Responses for Sustaining Peace" (CRSP) initiative with the aim of ensuring that integrated climate responses contribute to sustainable peace and development in line with national ownership and context specificity.

2023:

The Secretary-General's policy brief on A New Agenda for Peace includes recommendations to address the interlinkages between climate, peace and security.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) establishes the world's first Regional Climate Security Coordination Mechanism to be supported by a new UN Climate, Peace and Security Hub for the Horn of Africa in Nairobi, housed in the UN Office of the Special Envoy, with support from the CSM. This is aligned with a recommendation in the Secretary-General's policy brief for the UN and regional organizations to establish joint regional hubs on Climate, Peace and Security.

The inaugural Sahel Climate, Peace and Security Forum (Mali, UNDP) under the theme "Climate Policy and Financing for Peace and Security" concludes with the adoption of the landmark Bamako Declaration on Climate, Peace and Security.

The COP28 Presidency organizes the first-ever thematic day on Relief, Recovery, and Peace at any climate Conference of the Parties and launches the COP28 Declaration on Climate, Relief, Recovery and Peace. The Declaration is a call for collective action to build climate resilience at the scale and speed required in highly vulnerable countries and communities, particularly those threatened or affected by fragility or conflict, or facing severe humanitarian needs.

As of December 2023, 11 UN Security Council members have signed the Joint Pledges related to Climate, Peace and Security.

The CSM enters its third phase (2023-2025).