Excellencies,
Chairman Sheralizoda,
It is a pleasure to join you today at this important and timely event on “Preserving Glaciers, Securing Our Common Future.”
I commend the Government of Tajikistan, UNESCO and WMO, for their leadership in convening the High-Level International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation earlier this year, and for championing the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation.
Dear colleagues,
We gather here at a critical moment.
The science is clear: our planet’s glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates. This is more than just a symbol of climate change; it is a threat multiplier.
Glacier sustains agriculture, hydropower, and ecosystems.
Their rapid disappearance triggers cascading effects far beyond the mountain peaks, making glacier preservation a shared global responsibility.
Moreover, these effects disproportionately affect vulnerable countries, including Small Island Developing States and mountainous regions, that have contributed the least to global emissions.
The outcomes of the Dushanbe Conference—the Dushanbe Glaciers Declaration, Chair’s Summary, and Dushanbe Appeal—represent a powerful call to action.
They urge us to raise ambitions, accelerate adaptation, and mobilize partnerships and finance at all levels.
The United Nations welcomes efforts to strengthen scientific cooperation, including the Decade of Action for Cryosphere Sciences.
We also urge stronger investment in early warning, community adaptation, and climate-resilient infrastructure, particularly among the least developed and glacier-dependent countries.
As we look towards COP30 in Brazil and the 2026 UN Water Conference in UAE, we must ensure glacier preservation is not treated as a peripheral issue.
Instead, it must be recognized as central to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Particularly, its critical interlinkages with SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation, SDG 13 on climate action, and SDG 15 on biodiversity.
Let us reaffirm our collective resolve to act with urgency—not only to preserve glaciers, but to protect the millions of lives, livelihoods, and ecosystems that depend on them.
I wish you a productive and impactful discussion.
Thank you.