Denmark, France, Greece, Latvia, Liberia, Panama, and the United Kingdom called on Libyan parties. They urged them to resume the political process. They also urged integrating climate risks into national planning. Strengthening disaster management governance was another key point.
This came in a joint press statement issued on Wednesday in New York. It was released before a UN Security Council session on Libya. The statement included specific messages for the Libyan parties.
These signatory states reiterated their joint commitments on climate, peace, and security. These commitments were made within the Security Council. Their press statement renewed a collective call. This call was to address the interconnected challenges facing Libya. These challenges involve climate change, peace, and security.
Libya faces severe climate pressures. These pressures exacerbate its fragility. The country experiences water scarcity, rising temperatures, and floods. This leads to deteriorating livelihoods. It increases competition for resources. It also causes more displacement.
The statement noted Libya is one of the world’s most water-scarce countries. Less than 2% of its land is arable. Rainfall is projected to decrease by 7% by 2050. This warns of worsening climate pressures in the future.
In their messages, the states urged Libyan parties. They should resume a Libyan-led and Libyan-owned political process soon. They believe the current deadlock hinders Libya’s ability. This prevents responding to climate shocks. It increases the risk of armed groups exploiting divisions.
They called for integrating climate-related peace and security risk management. This should be part of a unified national budget. It should be based on comprehensive and gender-sensitive decision-making.
In their second message, these states emphasized the role of civil society and local authorities. They are important for strengthening climate action. They commended the UN mission’s support. This included the “Environmental Vision: Libya Climate Youth Challenge 2026” initiative. They stressed the need to support youth- and women-led initiatives. This support should be based on climate security assessments. These assessments must consider border communities. They also must consider displacement-prone areas.
In their third message, the group affirmed two priorities. These are strengthening disaster risk governance. The other is preparing for climate finance. These actions are crucial to prevent future crises. They cited the 2023 Derna disaster. This serves as a model for the cost of inaction.
They welcomed the establishment of the National Centre for Emergency and Crisis Management. They called for developing a multi-hazard early warning system. They also advocated for creating a national climate risk register. This register would guide reconstruction. It would also guide land use planning. It would guide water management. They further urged international partners. They asked them to support a national task force for climate finance.