Tuvalu's Prime Minister tells UN General Assembly that sea-level rise is a present reality

25 September 2026

Tuvalu's Prime Minister Feleti Teo addressed the UN General Assembly on Friday, 25 September 2026. "For Tuvalu, sea-level rise is not a future threat, it is a present reality," he said. He said Tuvalu had reclaimed 15.3 hectares of elevated, flood-free land on the capital island of Funafuti, with another 10 hectares being reclaimed. Tuvalu has only around 26 square kilometres of land. He welcomed the UN Political Declaration on Sea-Level Rise, which recognises the continuity of statehood and the permanence of maritime zones under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. He called for an orderly, fair and just transition away from fossil fuels.