FM Gerapetritis at UN: The world needs global solidarity and intergenerational sustainability

The world needs a new vision of “global solidarity and intergenerational sustainability,” said Greek Foreign Affairs Minister George Gerapetritis in his address on threats to international peace and security at the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday.

In his address to the Security Council on threats to international peace and security, Gerapetritis said, “We need this type of new vision of global solidarity and intergenerational sustainability. Through ethical and rule-based global governance and fair burden sharing among states.”

The Greek FM placed particular emphasis on the effect of climate change on food insecurity, which in turn with climate change will threaten stability and social cohesion. The rise in temperature has seriously damaged the environment and the rise of sea levels is threatening the quality and reserves of fishing and the health and survival of many people, problems not limited to a single region or country, he underlined.

The Mediterranean Sea will not remain unaffected, as extensive forest fires and catastrophic flooding proved, he noted. “Greece will take the initiative of the nexus climate-peace-security, setting it as a priority of its candidacy as a non-permanent member of the UΝ Security Council for 2025-26,” Gerapetritis said. He also mentioned that ‘Our Ocean Conference’ will take place in Athens on April 16-17, serving as a ‘bridge’ between the 28th UN Conference for Climate Change (COP28) last year and the UN Conference on Oceans in 2024, with the hope that countries will be committed and a clear roadmap be set out.

The complexity of the issues, however, cannot be resolved by a single government intervention that would bring spectacular results. It calls instead for a new way of thinking to protect the environment and food, like the World Trade Organization’s program ‘One Health’, an integrated, unifying approach considering the health of people, animals and ecosystems.

Wrapping up his speech, Gerapetritis said that Greece seeks a universal alliance focused on sustainability, and supports a proposal for a special envoy of the UN for a sustainable future. “We owe it to future generations. We must not forget we are not owners, but simple managers of the earth,” he said.

Gerapetritis’ address wrapped up his high-level contacts in the United States, which included the joint opening with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken of the 5th Greece-US Strategic Dialog in Washington, and contacts to promote Greece’s candidacy as non-permanent member to the UN Security Council for 2025-2026. He also held contacts related to the “Our Ocean Conference” and spoke at Georgetown University and the Wilson Center think-tank.