English: The Prime Minister of Tuvalu, The Rt Hon Enele Sosene Sopoaga, will discuss the impacts of climate change on Tuvalu, noting the implications of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5° C.

The Prime Minister is a firm believer in the survival of Tuvalu despite growing climate impacts and he will describe some of the measures that Tuvalu is taking to protect itself against these impacts.

There have been recent media reports from well-known sources claiming that Tuvalu is not sinking. Some of these commentaries have been picked up by elements in the Australian parliament. Prime Minister Sopoaga will respond to these claims.

He will highlight the fact that climate change is a global security issue, particularly associated with people displaced by the impacts of climate change. He will describe how he believes that the UN Security Council should respond to this security challenge and why Tuvalu has proposed a UN General Assembly resolution to commence negotiations of a legal agreement to give protection to people displaced by climate change.

He will outline his expectations for the upcoming United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Council of the Parties (COP) in Katowice, Poland. Of importance to Tuvalu is to guarantee that the Paris Agreement “rule book” delivers a strong outcome that puts us on track to a 1.5° C pathway.