Statement: Existential Threats Posed by Sea Level Rise

Statement by H.E. Ms. Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir,
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland
High-Level Meeting to address the Existential Threats Posed by Sea Level Rise   
24 September 2026

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

Iceland commends the leadership of those States – in particular the members of the Pacific Islands Forum as well as that of Cabo Verde and other island States - who have dedicated their efforts in recent years to bringing the existential threats of sea-level rise to the forefront of the international agenda.

These threats are cross-cutting and our common response cannot be devised in any single forum. We must integrate the sea-level rise dimension comprehensively into every strand of our collective action – from climate policy and sustainable development to disaster preparedness and response – as well as the progressive development of international law.

Iceland has actively engaged with the process of clarifying the consequences of sea-level rise under international law. Our approach has been guided by both empathy and by resolve. We are committed to ensuring that international law will protect the continuity of States affected by sea-level rise. We are equally committed to preserving the outer limits of maritime zones duly established in accordance with the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

We have welcomed the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legal obligations of States in respect of Climate Change and the Final Report of the International Law Commission’s Study Group on sea-level rise in relation to international law. Together, they provide useful guidance to help us chart the appropriate legal pathways to be crafted in the context of and in conformity with the Law of the Sea Convention.

It is on this basis – anchored in the constitution of the ocean – that we can proclaim the present declaration in favour of legal stability for States facing the threat of sea-level rise.

Mr./Ms. Chairperson,

The present declaration is a milestone, but this is not the finish line. Confronting the existential threats posed by sea-level rise is a shared international responsibility. Every State must play its part.

That means supporting the States affected by sea-level rise in meeting the needs of their communities. It also means redoubling our efforts to address the root cause of sea-level rise: climate change.

We must reaffirm the commitments made by the international community in Paris in 2015 and recognise once again that climate change is the common concern of humankind.

Above all, we must translate that recognition into action – protecting our planet from the adverse effects of climate change and safeguarding the communities whose future is jeopardized by the rising tide.

I thank you.