UN General Assembly adopts its first declaration on sea-level rise
24 September 2026
The UN General Assembly adopted a declaration on sea-level rise by acclamation on 24 September 2026, at the high-level segment of its 81st session.
It is the first common UN declaration on sea-level rise.
Island nations such as Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands would not automatically lose statehood if their territory is submerged, and maritime zones set under UNCLOS remain stable.
Around 770 million people live less than five metres above the high-tide line.
At the end of 2025, global mean sea level was around 11 cm higher than in January 1993, according to WMO.
Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr, Chair of AOSIS, said only strong climate action can stop sea-level rise.
In plain words
UNCLOS United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea — The 1982 treaty that defines maritime zones such as territorial seas and EEZs.
AOSIS Alliance of Small Island States — A coalition of small island and low-lying coastal states in climate negotiations.