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COP29 Event on Climate and Security Sector Reform and Governance (SSR&G): “Serving in the storm: strengthening national security institutions to provide accountable and effective security, for the State and its peoples, during the climate crisis”. 

Summary

We are in an existential climate crisis. Fortunately, as a major source of hope, relief and life-saving assistance, national security sectors are responding – in often heroic ways - as first responders on the ‘climate front line’. But in many countries, national security sectors are under-prepared for and overwhelmed by the climate crisis, especially so in developing, transition and conflict-affected contexts.  

To best serve their respective States and peoples during the climate crisis, national security sectors require urgent strengthening to mitigate, adapt, respond to and cooperate during the climate crisis. This is both an operational imperative and, in the context of the Paris Agreement, a necessity to fulfil their respective State’s legal and moral obligations under international climate and human rights law. Its also critical to the implementation of the SDGs.  

On the basis of newly released United Nations guidance on climate and security sector reform and governance (SSR&G), this event will advocate for urgent action ‘on the ground’, in particular in the areas of mitigation, adaption, response and cooperation, before, in the words of the United Nations Secretary-General, “we are out of road and time”.  

The event will also present the urgent need for climate-related funding mechanisms  to support national security sectors, especially in developing, transition and conflict-affected contexts, for example and in line with the Paris Agreement, within the Green Climate Fund and official development assistance. Recognising current deficits in climate-related funding mechanisms, the event will call for the establishment of a global ‘green-SSR’ fund, overseen and administered by the United Nations, to strengthen national security institutions in developing, transition and conflict-affected contexts to provide effective and accountable security for the State and its people during the climate crisis. 

Event

This event is led by the United Nations Security Sector Reform Unit within the Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions in cooperation with the United Nations Inter-agency SSR Task Force and with the support of the DCAF-Geneva Center for Security Sector Governance.  

As highlighted above, the event contributes to the three COP29 goals of implementation, ambition and climate finance. It also contributes to sustainable development goals 9 (on Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), 13 (on Climate Action) and 16 (on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). 

The event will take place in the BLUE ZONE on Friday 15 November, from 1130-1300, in room ‘Side Event 4’.

Panelists

This event will be a panel discussion, including:

• Ms. , Former Chair of the UN Secretary-General's Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change and a fellow with the Robert Bosch Academy;  

• President, Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) and Chairman, Global Military Advisory Council on Climate Change (GMACCC);  

• Mr. Hussein Sheikh-Ali, National Security Advisor, Somalia;  

• Mr. Alexandre Zouev, Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions in the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations and co-chair of the United Nations Inter-agency Security Sector Reform Task Force;  

• ASG/Director, United Nations Development Programme (TBD).  

The panel’s discussant, , Director, DCAF-Geneva Center for Security Sector Governance, will lead, moderate and stimulate discussions among panelists, as well as with event participants.