27 September 2010: As the UN General Assembly (UNGA) continued its annual general debate in New York, US, leaders of small island developing States (SIDS) underscored that they were unable to tackle alone the challenges posed by climate change, making it vital for the international community to develop a coordinated approach to this issue.

Several speakers welcomed the political declaration adopted at the conclusion of the Assembly’s two-day High-Level Review Meeting on the Implementation of the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of SIDS (MSI+5), which took place from 24-25 September 2010. Many expressed disappointment that a consensus had not been reached on mitigation and adaptation strategies during the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP15), which took place in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December 2009. However, they were hopeful that a legally-binding and comprehensive climate agreement could be reached at COP 16, scheduled to take place in Cancun, Mexico, late 2010, if negotiations were conducted in a cooperative and inclusive spirit.

The Prime Minister of Samoa called for concrete results to be achieved in Cancun, warning that SIDS, which are at the frontline of climate change’s impacts, did not have the luxury to wait out negotiations on a legally-binding climate change agreement. He also underscored the need for any new climate change treaty to have full membership and participation of all UN member States. The Prime Minister of Jamaica added that the new climate treaty should be founded on the UNFCCC and the 2007 Bali Plan of Action. He reiterated the position of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) to defend the long-term stabilization of greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations, with a cap of 1.5° C above pre-industrial levels. The Prime Minister of Samoa underscored the links between climate change, peace and security, noting that climate change threatens to intensify existing drivers of conflict in a way that could roll back development across many countries. [UN Press Release] [UNGA General Debate Website] [Climate Change Policy & Practice Story on MSI+5]