16 October 2009: During a conference on “Environment, Climate Change and Security – Facing the Challenges,” which took place in Stockholm, Sweden, on 15 October 2009, and was organized by the Swedish Presidency of the European Union (EU), Swedish State Secretary Joakim Stymne identified six areas for urgent action concerning the security risks posed by climate change.

On the basis of the UN Secretary-General’s report on climate change and security, Stymne first identified the need to prioritize “problem areas with high impact, large magnitudes, imminent threats, irreversible consequences and high human costs” and to accelerate the identification of “threat minimizers.” To limit the impacts of climate change, he identified as “threat minimizers” the promotion of good governance, human rights and gender equality. He then singled out the need to identify and strengthen inter-linkages between climate change and security, climate change and development, and adaptation and mitigation.
To foster the necessary political will to devise truly multilateral responses led by the United Nations, Stymne expressed support for the establishment of a High-level Panel tasked to articulate “a vision for development that achieves the multiple goals of mitigation, adaptation and meeting human needs.” He also recommended that climate change and security become a regular item on the agenda of the UN General Assembly and be also considered by the UN Security Council. [Swedish State Secretary’s statement] [Meeting website] [Climate-L coverage of the Secretary-General’s report]