Press Release: UN Member States Adopt First Declaration on Sea Level Rise, Affirming Stable Maritime Zones and Continuity of Statehood

THURSDAY 24 SEPTEMBER 2026 – NEW YORK:

The United Nations General Assembly today adopted the UN Declaration on Sea Level Rise at the High-Level Meeting on Sea Level Rise. It is the first time all Member States have agreed on a single, common text on sea level rise.

The Declaration affirms that maritime zones, once established in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), are stable. It underscores the continuity of statehood in the context of sea level rise, as well as continued UN membership of affected States. It also addresses the protection of persons affected by sea level rise.

His Excellency Surangel Whipps Jr, President of the Republic of Palau and Chair of AOSIS, said: "Today the General Assembly spoke with one voice. For decades, small island states have said international law says that sea level rise does not change our maritime zones or our statehood. Today, every member of the international community has affirmed it. Our zones are stable. Our statehood continues. Sea level rise threatens our coasts, our homes and our ways of life. It does not threaten our legal rights or our standing as States."

The Declaration also addresses the physical impacts of sea level rise, which will continue to grow as the climate warms. It grounds the international response in science, data and knowledge, including traditional knowledge. It recognises the urgent need for scaled-up, accessible and predictable finance for adaptation and resilience, and addresses livelihoods, populations, culture and heritage. The General Assembly also committed to another high-level meeting in 2029. AOSIS Ministers will carry these priorities into the AOSIS Climate Ministerial tomorrow, as small island states prepare for COP31.

"Today the General Assembly affirmed our rights. The Declaration cannot stop the sea from rising. Only climate action can do that," President Whipps added. "Sea level rise is a direct consequence of climate change, and every fraction of a degree of warming commits the world to more of it. Tomorrow AOSIS Ministers meet to set our course for COP31. We will press major emitters for deep and rapid emissions cuts consistent with 1.5°C, and for adaptation finance that reaches our islands. The legal protections affirmed today and ambitious climate action must advance together."

The Declaration builds on more than three decades of leadership by small island developing states (SIDS). SIDS first raised the alarm through the Malé Declaration on Global Warming and Sea Level Rise in 1989. Pacific Islands Forum Leaders adopted declarations on maritime zones and statehood in 2021 and 2023. AOSIS Leaders did the same in 2021 and 2024. The positions in today's Declaration are consistent with the International Court of Justice's 2025 Advisory Opinion on climate change, the work of the International Law Commission, and the consistent practice of SIDS as the States specially affected by sea level rise.

About AOSIS

The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) is the intergovernmental alliance of 39 small island and low-lying coastal developing states. AOSIS advocates for the interests of SIDS in UN negotiations on climate change, oceans and sustainable development. Palau is the current Chair of AOSIS.

Media contact: Bianca Beddoe, media@aosis.org, +1 868 770-0945