Strategic Panorama 2009 - 2010 - IEEE
Strategic Panorama 2009 - 2010 - IEEE
Strategic Panorama 2009 - 2010 - IEEE
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS SECURITY IMPLICATIONS<br />
Yo l a n d a Ca s t r o Díe z<br />
INTRODUCTION<br />
Climate change is a reality that poses world-scale problems.<br />
Mitigating its consequences requires effective responses based<br />
on detailed knowledge of its impacts, both recorded and expected,<br />
and the planning of mitigation and adaptation measures.<br />
The report submitted by the Secretary-General to the Council of the<br />
European Union (1) states that the best manner of dealing with climate<br />
change is to consider it a multiplier of threats which accentuates existing<br />
trends, tensions and instability. Climate change is threatening to overload<br />
already fragile and/or conflict-prone countries and regions, posing not<br />
only humanitarian risks but also political and security hazards. What is<br />
more, in keeping with the concept of human security, it is clear that many<br />
of the problems of the impact of climate change on international security<br />
are interrelated and therefore require global political responses.<br />
Aware of this situation, the Security Council of United Nations General<br />
Assembly of 17 April 2007 opened a debate on «Energy, security and climate»<br />
(2), and more recently, in its resolution of 11 June <strong>2009</strong> (A/RES/63/281):<br />
(1) Paper of the High Representative and European Commission to the European Council,<br />
«Climate change and international security», S113/08, 2008.<br />
(2) Including the letter dated 5 April 2007 from the Permanent Representative of the United<br />
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the United Nations addressed to the<br />
President of the Security Council (S/2007/186), the letter dated 12 April 2007 from<br />
the Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations on<br />
behalf of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, addressed to the President of the<br />
Security Council (S/2007/203) and the letter dated 16 April 2007 from the Permanent<br />
Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China,<br />
addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/2007/211). See S/PV.5663.<br />
— 65 —
Change language