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Ambassador Manalo on Earth Day: Sea-level rise driven by climate change impacts PH

Thursday, April 22, 2021 - 10:00

Ambassador Enrique A. Manalo joins a discussion on “The Protection of Persons Affected by Sea Rise” keynoted by Professor Patricia Galvao Teles, Co-Chair of the International Law Commission Study Group on Sea Level Rise convened by Ambassador Francisco Duarte of the Portuguese Mission.

 

22 April 2021, New York – On Earth Day, Ambassador Enrique A. Manalo joined fellow Ambassadors from Portugal, New Zealand, and Dominican Republic in an exchange on climate change and the impact of sea-level rise on countries and peoples across the globe.

“Coming from the Philippines, with 7,101 islands, including in the South China Sea, we will certainly be affected by sea-level rise. The work being done by the International Law Commission is important and we are ready to contribute to this effort.  This is an urgent issue requiring multilateral cooperation to protect persons affected and to address real consequences of sea-level rise, such as on maritime boundaries.”

The event was keynoted by Professor Patrícia Galvao Teles, who co-chairs the working group on sea-level rise at the International Law Commission (ILC), the body responsible for the promotion of the progressive development of international law and its codification at the UN.

Ambassador Manalo thanked Professor Teles, for her comprehensive explanation of the topic and her effective approach to her work as Co-Chair. He also raised a point on delimiting the scope and the nature of the final document on the topic of sea-level rise, noting other consequences of climate change, such as typhoons and other natural disasters, which require the protection of persons and cooperation among countries.

In 2019, the ILC decided to include the issue of “Sea-level rise in international law” in its programme of work and to establish an open-ended study group on the topic, cognizant of the need for international law to develop to ensure that maritime zones are delineated in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and are not challenged due to sea-level rise caused by climate change. Discussion on this topic will resume at the ILC’s 72nd session at the UN in Geneva beginning 25 April 2021. END