Climate Security at the UNSC: Opportunities for US Action in March

The briefing suggests that the United States can leverage its March 2021 UN Security Council (UNSC) Presidency to advance climate security through immediate activities—such as formal briefings, dialogues with Pacific Island Forum states, and a Presidential Statement—and long-term institutional reforms. Proposed long-term measures include integrating climate security into UN mission reports, establishing Climate Security Crisis Watch Centers, creating a formal climate and security mandate, and establishing dedicated offices within the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, the Department of Peace Operations, and the Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

• The United States has several immediate opportunities during its March UNSC Presidency to translate climate security rhetoric into action, including arranging formal briefings by UN officials on climate security, holding an Informal Interactive Dialogue with Pacific Island Forum (PIF) states regarding sea-level rise, and convening an Arria Formula meeting with NGOs and experts.
• The US could conclude its presidency by issuing a "Presidential Statement on Climate Security" or an official Presidential Press Statement to establish a foundation for subsequent events, including President Biden's April 22 climate summit, the G7, G20, and COP26.
• Long-term institutional recommendations for the UN include requiring climate security considerations in semi-annual UN mission reports and annual Force Commander briefings, and creating a network of regional and global Climate Security Crisis Watch Centers to share data.
• The document proposes the creation of a formal climate and security mandate by the UNSC or UN General Assembly, which would allow for the appointment of a Special Representative of the Secretary General for Climate Security.
• To institutionalize climate security, the briefing suggests establishing a dedicated office within the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (at the Assistant Secretary General-level), a division within the Department of Peace Operations, and a unit within the Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

APA

Sikorsky, E., Brock, S., Femia, F., Fleishman, R., & Werrell, C. (2021). Climate Security at the UNSC: Opportunities for US Action in March. The Council on Strategic Risks. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2021/02/25/climate-security-at-the-unsc-opportunities-for-us-action-in-march/

Chicago

Sikorsky, Erin, Steve Brock, Francesco Femia, Rachel Fleishman, and Caitlin Werrell. Climate Security at the UNSC: Opportunities for US Action in March. The Council on Strategic Risks, 2021. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2021/02/25/climate-security-at-the-unsc-opportunities-for-us-action-in-march/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sikorsky |first1=Erin |last2=Brock |first2=Steve |last3=Femia |first3=Francesco |last4=Fleishman |first4=Rachel |last5=Werrell |first5=Caitlin |title=Climate Security at the UNSC: Opportunities for US Action in March |publisher=The Council on Strategic Risks |date=25 February 2021 |url=https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2021/02/25/climate-security-at-the-unsc-opportunities-for-us-action-in-march/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sikorsky2021climate, author = {Sikorsky, Erin and Brock, Steve and Femia, Francesco and Fleishman, Rachel and Werrell, Caitlin}, title = {{Climate Security at the UNSC: Opportunities for US Action in March}}, institution = {The Council on Strategic Risks}, year = {2021}, month = feb, url = {https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2021/02/25/climate-security-at-the-unsc-opportunities-for-us-action-in-march/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }