The 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly opened on September 10, welcoming leaders from across the world to deliberate on a series of pressing issues for humanity. This year’s High-Level Week (September 23-27) marks a crucial milestone in the global effort to accelerate progress towards the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
On September 25, the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic Kyriakos Mitsotakis addressed the High-Level Meeting on Sea Level Rise, a plenary meeting convened by the President of the United Nations General Assembly inviting Heads of States and Governments to address the existential threats posed by the global menace of sea-level rise. It is estimated that, by 2050, global sea levels will rise between 15 and 30 centimeters, on average, with detrimental effects on coastal areas.
In his address, Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed that sea levels are undoubtedly rising because of anthropogenic global warming. Calling for an adequate infrastructure base for adaptation to the challenge, in the form of a resilience plan and a flexible combination of natural and green solutions, the Prime Minister warned that the plan might require disproportional costs and be technically challenging.
For the Mediterranean basin and Greece in particular, Mitsotakis noted that there is also a cultural dimension that needs to be taken into consideration in relation to this menace, as the Mediterranean coasts are home to some of the most historic sites and emblematic monuments of human heritage.
Finally, the Prime Minister underlined that Greece was the proud host of the 9th Our Ocean Conference (April 2024), a leading event in the protection of our globe’s oceans, sea and coastal life. By 2023 alone, the Conference had secured over 2,161 commitments, valued at approximately 130 billion U.S. dollars, while the Greek iteration generated another 11 billion in new commitments.
Read: Prime Minister Mitsotakis addresses the High-Level Meeting on Sea Level Rise