UNITED NATIONS, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council is slated to hold a debate on the effects of climate change on security on July 11, the first such debate since 2011, a Swedish envoy to the UN said Monday.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, potentially minister of water and resources of Iraq, foreign minister of Niger as well as representatives from the civil societies will brief the council members at the debate, said Swedish ambassador to the UN Olof Skoog.
Speaking about the program of work this month, Skoog, in capacity of the rotating presidency of the council, said the debate is planned as the council "should be better equipped" to deal with climate change if it is affecting peace and security.
"Climate is affecting security in many countries,... we find it's a bit of anomaly that the Security Council hasn't held a true debate on the effects of climate change to security since 2011," Skoog said, adding many countries feel that this is a "void" that has to be fixed.
On July 20, 2011, for only the second time, the Security Council officially debated the peace and security implications of climate change.
During the debate, while states agreed that climate change was a threat to sustainable development, they failed to establish unanimity on the link between climate and security and the role the council should play.
