Delivered By: Nora Alawadhi, Third Secretary

Let me begin by thanking all the organisers, Ambassador Musayev and Azerbaijan, and the UN Environment Programme, for hosting this year’s World Environment Day. It was very welcome also to hear a youth perspective on this day.

We continue to recognize climate change as one of the defining challenges of our time, with disproportionate consequences for vulnerable countries, including Small Island Developing States and developing nations already facing significant economic and environmental pressures. This was reflected in our recent support for the General Assembly resolution on the ICJ’s Advisory Opinion on Climate Change – a groundbreaking resolution which was many years in the making, notably beginning with a campaign by Pacific Island students.

We especially remain committed to implementation-focused climate action, as well as investing in renewables and low-carbon solutions to support resilience and long-term energy system transformation. This includes implementation of the “UAE Consensus”, adopted at COP28 in Dubai, which reaffirmed commitments to accelerated climate action while supporting sustainable development, energy security, and an equitable transition that leaves no one behind.

We are also already looking ahead to the environmental impacts of new technologies like artificial intelligence, which will need significant investment in sustainable data centers to ensure that we maintain progress in the energy transition and expanding access to drinking water.

Our sustained commitment is further reflected in the UAE’s co-hosting with Senegal of the upcoming 2026 United Nations Water Conference. Water scarcity is a critical global challenge and the conference will have a significant environmental dimension, so we hope to see many of you here participating.

Finally, I also wish to emphasize the importance of biodiversity for a healthy environment. The UAE’s coastal zones host some 3,000 square kilometres of mangroves and seagrass meadows, which at this time of year are a crucial habitat for nesting sea turtles, migratory seabirds and coral reefs. It was very encouraging to see strengthened international action on climate and biodiversity last year at the IUCN Congress, which produced a new 20-year Strategic Vision and the Abu Dhabi Call to Action.

We will certainly continue to accelerate our environmental work at home, and we look forward to strengthening our collaboration with international partners as well, and particularly with Turkiye, Australia and the Pacific Islands towards COP31 in Antalya.

Thank you once again to the organisers for your important contributions, and for rallying us around your Global Call for Climate Action this World Environment Day.

Thank you.