Secretary (West) in the External Affairs Ministry, Sibi George, delivered India’s statement at the High-Level Plenary Meeting on Addressing the Existential Threats Posed by Sea Level Rise at the 81st UN General Assembly in New York. He welcomed the adoption of the UN Declaration on Sea Level Rise and highlighted India’s efforts on coastal resilience, mangrove conservation and disaster-resilient infrastructure. He reaffirmed the importance of equity and Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities. The Secretary (West) underscored the significance of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), stable maritime zones and continuity of statehood for island and coastal States.

Earlier, Secretary (Economic Relations) Sudhakar Dalela delivered remarks at the engagement “Delivering the Sendai Framework: An ASEAN Approach to Inclusive Disaster and Climate Resilience”. It was organized by Thailand, the Philippines, Japan and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) at the UN.

 
Mr Dalela highlighted India’s strengthened early warning systems, risk-informed infrastructure and disaster preparedness, alongside the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and India-ASEAN cooperation on disaster preparedness and response. He stressed the importance of translating early warnings into timely action to protect communities and reiterated India’s offer to host the Fourth UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in 2030.

Secretary (ER) also participated in the Annual Ministerial Meeting of the Least Developed Countries at the UN. He reaffirmed India’s steadfast partnership with LDCs, as reflected in its demand-driven development cooperation through the ITEC programme, concessional credit, and grant assistance. He called for accessible finance, investment in local production and job creation, and technology partnerships to support sustainable and irreversible graduation of LDCs.