(Part 1) A Planet Fit for the Future: Restoring Trust through Climate Action - Special Event, General Assembly, 81st session

Now it's skill. Now with momentum. Solutions too hot to ignore. Yeah, it's really fast. Our planet is sending Our planet Earth. Now it's scared. Our planet is sending us signals.

Too wet, too dry, too hot to ignore.

But listen. Listen again. Do you hear something else? Building, growing. Now with scale. Now with momentum. Solutions too hot to ignore. This is the sound of change. The signals are clear. Now for climate.

I call to order the informal meeting of the plenary on a planet fit for the future, restoring trust through climate action. I would like to extend a warm welcome to you all. As mentioned in the program, contained in my letter of 3 October 2026, This morning's informal meeting will consist of an opening segment and a plenary segment. I will now make a statement as the President of the General Assembly. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, once again, I warmly welcome you to this morning event, A Planet Fit for the Future, Restoring Trust Through Climate Action. We were reminded of the magnitude of challenges before us by the recent devastating floods in Nepal and China. We saw how quickly threats in mountain regions can overwhelm communities downstream. Scientists had long warned that such events were becoming a reality, yet none of us were prepared for the shocking footage of a wall of water barreling down a valley, wiping away people, homes and communities in its path. These hazards are not identical, nor can every disaster be attributed solely to climate change, but a warming planet compounds risks and the consequences cascade across borders, ecosystems, and economies. Melting glaciers threaten water security and contribute to rising seas. Warmer oceans reshape weather patterns. Heat and drought undermine food supplies and livelihoods. The numbers speak for themselves. Since 2000, mountain glaciers have lost about 6.2% of their ice, including an estimated 408 billion tons in 2025 alone. Global sea level rise by 0.23 meters by 2050 is threatening small island developing states and coastal communities. And global temperature rise is on track to reach 2.8 degrees Celsius, even with current climate policies put into play. WMO warns that this year's strengthened El Nino could be among the strongest since at least 1950. And UNEP projects warming of 2.8 degrees Celsius under current policies. Behind these figures are families uprooted, children missing school, women walking farther for water, and communities confronting losses they cannot bear. Excellencies, the scale of the challenge is clear, but fortunately, we are not starting from scratch. The Paris Agreement demonstrated what multilateralism can achieve. As Laurent Fabius, then Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, said at the time, "This is a small gavel, but I believe it can do big things." He was right. The adoption of that agreement, Paris Agreement, and the processes that have built upon it, including the EU-AE consensus, alongside this action programs, from Antigua and Barbuda, Agenda for SIDS, and the Doha Programme of Action for LDCs, provide essential foundations for climate action and resilient development. Our task now is to turn commitments into action, promises into trust. Turkey's COP31 presidency has placed implementation through cooperation and collective action at the center of its agenda. This is precisely the test before us. Allow me to offer three priorities. First, as I just said, we must turn ambition into implementation. Member states must arrive in Antalya ready to translate their nationally determined contributions into funded, measurable action consistent with keeping 1.5 degrees within reach. That means accelerating the renewable energy, energy efficiency and electrification, advancing a just transition away from fossil fuels, and investing in adaptation alongside mitigation. The COP31 presidency's priorities, resilient cities and buildings, green industrialization, zero waste, and methane reduction, offer practical entry points. Climate-resilient agriculture and climate education can connect these transformations into everyday lives. Its proposed climate implementation bridge should help countries turn national policies into investable projects supported by technology transfer and stronger institutions. But implementation must begin with those most exposed, small island developing states, least developed countries, and low-lying coastal communities. Vulnerability must inform access to concessional and climate finance. Income alone cannot capture a country's exposure to existential risks. I welcome the Taku Pakasoa Declaration adopted at the Pacific Pre-COP, with its emphasis on solidarity, the 1.5 degree goal, resilience, finance, and ocean protection. For vulnerable countries, COP31 must be more than another negotiating milestone. It must demonstrate that multilateralism delivers. Second, we need to resource our ambitions. A climate commitment without financing is a promise deferred and, too often, a life left unprotected. UNCTAD estimates that developing countries' climate financing needs could reach approximately $1.8 trillion annually by 2030. The new collective quantified goal calls for at least $300 billion annually by 2035, with developed countries taking the lead alongside efforts by all actors to scale finance to at least $1.3 trillion annually. These commitments must translate into credible delivery. Pension funds and sovereign wealth funds can help finance renewable energy, resilient infrastructure, and green industry. Public guarantees, project preparation, and affordable capital can help unlock long-term investment. But private investment must complement, not replace, public obligations and grant-based support. We must deliver on the compromise of this year, address unsustainable debt, and reform an international financial architecture that too often makes finance most expensive where needs are the greatest. Climate finance should become more available, accessible, and affordable. with simpler procedures and stronger national capacity to secure and deploy it. The fund for responding to loss and damage needs to be adequately resourced and deliver timely support to frontline communities. Justice requires more than recognizing vulnerability. It requires financing a response. Third, We must integrate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and technological opportunity within a coherent framework. We cannot prevent every hazard, but we can prevent many hazards from becoming catastrophes. The Early Warnings for All initiative offers a vital foundation, but an early warning succeeds only when it reaches the last mile and people have the means to act. Risk knowledge should connect with predictable finance, evacuation plans, resilient infrastructure, and trusted local communication. Artificial intelligence and digital tools can offer us possibility of mapping terrain, tracking weather patterns, identifying vulnerable areas, informing at-risk populations, and helping responders act faster when disasters strike. And we are already seeing early efforts in this direction, including the use of digital tools to support farmers and fishermen. It is our collective responsibility to close digital divides, share knowledge, strengthen capacity, and combine scientific innovation with local and indigenous knowledge. Women, young people, and persons with disabilities must help shape preparedness. Excellencies, let today's discussion identify practical convergence, stronger national plans, accessible finance, shared technology, and warnings that reach everyone in time. We cannot undo the devastation caused by disasters, but we possess tools that earlier generations did not. Better science, the advent of artificial intelligence, better technology, stronger early warning systems, and a global framework for action. What remains is political will to use them and use them together collectively by all of us. Let COP31 be judged not by promises we repeat, but by the people we protect. That is how we restore trust. That is how we build a planet fit for the future. I thank you. I now have the pleasure of giving the floor to His Excellency Ahmet Yildiz, Permanent Representative of Turkey to the United Nations, representing the host country and presidency of COP31. You have the floor, my friend.

Mr. President, thank you very much for convening this timely meeting ahead of the COP31. Distinguished delegates, as PGA explained, recent events, including devastating floods in Nepal, have once again reminded us of the growing exposure of communities to climate-related risks. We extend our heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the people of Nepal, particularly to families affected by this disaster. These events underscore the importance of adaptation and resilience, which require our constant attention. They also demonstrate the need to strengthen multi-hazard early warning systems, preparedness, and the capacity of communities to respond to climate-related risks. The UN Secretary-General's Early Warnings for All initiative, which aims to ensure universal protection through early warning systems by the end of next year, 2027, provides an important framework for strengthening preparedness and resilience. Building on these efforts, greater attention should be given to strengthening national capacities and ensuring that timely warnings reach communities at risk, particularly in developing countries that are vulnerable to climate change. Better access to climate finance, technology, and capacity building is equally essential, particularly for developing countries, to strengthen these systems and translate adaptation priorities into practical action. Mr. President, distinguished delegates, at a time of growing geopolitical uncertainties and increasing climate skepticism, Turkey has assumed the COP31 presidency with a strong commitment to multilateralism and international climate cooperation. We will host COP31 in Antalya from 9 to 20 November this year, with the Leaders' Summit taking place on 11 and 12 November. As we enter the second decade of the Paris Agreement, our collective focus must increasingly shift from commitments to implementation. Our ambition is therefore to make COP31 an implementation COP, translating existing commitments into concrete action and tangible results. For us, implementation needs to be balanced. Progress on mitigation needs to go hand in hand with adaptation and adequate means of implementation including finance, technology development, and transfer and capacity building. COP31 will benefit from a unique partnership between Turkey and Australia. While Australia will serve as President of negotiations, Turkey as COP31 President will guide the overall process and lead the climate action agenda. This partnership also has an important unique Pacific dimension. The Pre-COP held in Fiji from 5 to 6 October, last week, together with the leaders meeting in Tuvalu, reflects our determination to give due attention to the concerns of developing countries that are most vulnerable to climate change. Alongside the formal negotiations, the COP31 climate action agenda provides a practical platform for implementation. Build around 10 priority teams, six global targets, and a number of initiatives, COP31 climate action agenda seeks to bring together governments, international organizations, financial institutions, businesses, and civil society to deliver concrete results. Our priorities cover clean energy transition and electrification, zero waste and methane reduction, climate-resilient cities, green industrialization, youth and education, food security, oceans and seas, dynamic and resilient health systems, Rio synergies, and the Climate Action Bridge. During the high-level week of 81st session of the UN General Assembly, COP31 President-designate, His Excellency Murat Kurum, introduced our initiatives and pledges in different meetings in this building. Under clean energy transition and electrification priority of our COP31 action agenda, we have put forward the 35 by 35 global electrification pledge with the objective of increasing electricity's share of global final energy consumption to 31% by 2030. to 25% by 2035. The initiative seeks to accelerate electrification across sectors, strengthen electricity grids and storage, mobilize finance, particularly for developing countries, and promote international cooperation on technology and capacity building. The 35 by 35 objective is not intended to prescribe a single pathway. It seeks to support nationally determined policies and actions, recognizing different national circumstances and priorities. We invite all parties to support the 35 by 35 global electrification pledge and join our efforts to translate this shared ambition into practical action. This goal is indeed a follow-up also to Turkish priority in G20 in 2015. At that time, one of our priorities was the electrification in access to electricity in Africa. This is also complementary to this objective. We are following this objective in every opportunity. Zero waste and methane reduction is another central component of our climate action agenda. Our 2030 objective is to reduce the projected increase in global annual municipal solid waste generation by at least 50%. Climate resilient cities is equally and especially important. The Sustainable Urban Resilience Financing Facility will seek to turn climate commitments into investment-ready urban projects and strengthen municipalities' access to finance, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Our action agenda also includes the Least Developed Countries Green Industrialization Facilitation Mechanism, which seeks to match the identified needs and project opportunities in LDCs with appropriate technologies, infrastructure, and finance. We attach particular importance to the Climate Implementation Bridge, which we developed with the UNDP. Finance is also fundamental to implementation. The issue is not simply to overall volume of finance. It is also whether finance is available, accessible, affordable, and predictable. This is particularly important for developing countries, many of which continue to face difficulties in preparing bankable projects and accessing the resources required to implement their national plans. That is why the Climate Implementation Bridge is among our COP31 climate action agenda. This bridge is neither a new fund nor an alternative to existing financing mechanisms. It aims to translate climate priorities into bankable project portfolios and connect them with appropriate financing solutions. All these initiatives reflect our determination to bring climate goals closer to practical implementation while strengthening international cooperation and addressing the needs of developing countries. We would welcome your support for these initiatives as well as your active engagement with the broader COP31 climate action agenda. We encourage all countries to contribute to these efforts in line with their national circumstances and priorities. Mr. President, distinguished delegates, we attach equal importance to preserving the integrity of the party-driven negotiation process under the UNFCCC. In our view, the intergovernmental negotiations and the COP31 climate action agenda constitute two complementary pillars of our presidency. Our objective is therefore to ensure that these two tracks reinforce one another. As we approach COP31, we are intensifying our preparations for a successful conference in Antalya. We are committed to conducting our presidency in a transparent, consultative and predictable manner, ensuring that Parties remain fully engaged throughout the process. We will facilitate dialogue and work towards balanced and consensus-based outcomes. At the end, COP31 success will ultimately be our collective effort. The Leaders' Summit to be held between 11 to 12 November will provide political momentum for the conference and for the implementation agenda we are seeking to advance. We expect high-level participation in the Leaders' Summit from your countries. We also count on all parties to engage constructively in the negotiations, demonstrate flexibility, and contribute to balanced and consensus-based outcomes while preserving the integrity of the UNFCC process. Lasting results will depend on all countries and other stakeholders fulfilling their respective responsibilities beyond Antalya. I would also remind you that today is the deadline to submit speaker registrations for the leadership summit. The secretariat will share the official list next week. Mr. President, it was a little long speech. I did it deliberately because to help the delegations prepare better for the COP31. The rest is for Australia. And next was Ethiopia.

Thank you, Ambassador Fijis, for a very informative and very important statement. I now call upon His Excellency James Larsson, Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations, representing the presidency of COP31 negotiations, to make a statement.

Well, first of all, President, thank you for convening us and thank you for your leadership in this space. And Ambassador Yildiz, I think the Australia-Turkey collaboration over COP31 has been quite outstanding. And so thank you very much for Turkey's leadership and the positive spirit that you've brought to this process. And we look forward to Antalya very much. It's obvious to all of us that COP31 is at a pivotal moment. We're seeing escalating climate impacts, growing energy security challenges, and quite clearly the hottest decade on record. And that means that restoring trust through climate action requires us to listen to our most vulnerable communities' experiences, partnering with those in need of resilience and cooperating to accelerate tangible solutions. And it's going to be essential that COP31 demonstrates that countries can still work together and deliver practical results in this incredibly challenging period. Three outcomes of the Pacific pre-COP and leaders events held in Fiji and Tuvalu last week, and I acknowledge and am so glad to see so many Pacific colleagues in the room, reinforced what trust through climate action looks like. First, The pre-COP placed Pacific experiences and leadership at the centre of the discussion, reinforced by scientific evidence. Small island developing states are on the front line of climate change, and for those states, and there are many here in this room, climate change is not an abstract future risk. It is affecting their lives, livelihoods, culture, and security right now. Over the four days in Fiji and Tuvalu, we had around 4,000 participants from 100 nations, and they witnessed firsthand the climate impacts and saw Pacific-led solutions. They shared ideas and produced tangible commitments to reinforced climate action. This was all evidence to us that we must continue to listen to Pacific voices respond to scientific evidence and collaborate to limit the 1.5 degree overshoot. The Taku Pakasoa Declaration, endorsed by leaders at Pre-COP, is an important call for unity and action to deliver real outcomes for communities most at risk. Second, Pre-COP demonstrated the value of partnerships to strengthen early warning systems and build resilience so that vulnerable communities can better anticipate, withstand and respond to climate risk and change. At pre-COP, Australia launched an access to finance statement and action plan, backing practical action to make climate finance faster, simpler, and more accessible, with a focus on reducing barriers that delay funding reaching those in need. Growing international support and financial contributions to mechanisms like the Pacific Resilience Facility demonstrate our shared commitment to investing proactively in Pacific preparedness. President, our efforts to address immediate and long-term climate risks have never been more urgent. We must accelerate adaptation so that our communities, critical infrastructure, and supply chains are more resilient. That's why a key priority for both Australia and Turkey at COP31 is to reaffirm our commitment to the Paris Agreement fundamentals, including national adaptation plans. Quality plans are a key way countries can build adaptation and resilience into their policies now and into the future and implement the aspirations under the global goal on adaptation. National adaptation plans should be informed by the best available science, mainstreamed, inclusive, investable, and emphasize locally led approaches. They must translate risk into priorities and priorities into action, thus driving implementation at scale. Third, Pre-COP demonstrated global cooperation to build a stronger bridge between climate ambition and practical implementation, including through the clean energy transition and engagement with the ocean climate nexus. Renewables, storage, Grids and electrification are proven solutions that can reduce emissions while improving energy security and resilience. That's why, at pre-COP, Australia became the first country to endorse the Global Rooftop Solar Pledge, which aims to expand global rooftop solar from roughly 150 million installations today to at least 300 million by 2030. On the road to COP31, we must also continue to elevate the connection between ocean and climate by supporting sustainable ocean management and encouraging investment in ocean-based solutions and the blue economy. By listening to our most vulnerable communities, partnering with those in need, and accelerating the implementation of practical initiatives, I believe we can restore trust through climate action. And looking at Antalya next month, Australia and Turkey will take forward a presidency-led, party-driven COP31 decision to respond to the global moment, achieve tangible solutions, and strengthen international cooperation. President, Australia looks forward to building on the momentum of pre-COP deliver practical outcomes that protect lives, livelihoods, and communities. I thank you.

I thank Ambassador Larsen for your statement. Very topical and timely. Now I invite His Excellency Sergio França D'Andrade, Permanent Representative of Brazil, to the United Nations, representing the presidency of COP30. You have the floor, sir.

Thank you, Mr. President. I thank you for convening us here today and placing climate action at the center of your tenure during the 81st session of the General Assembly. Mr. President, trust must always be reinforced in the climate regime debates, especially on means of implementation. It is an element that we overall managed to secure through the Belem climate package at COP30 last year. The very first COP of implementation, as we like to call the Belem conference, delivered tangible results for the start of the implementation phase of the Paris Agreement. The three goals of our COP presidency have been met, strengthening multilateralism, connecting the climate regime to the daily lives and realities, and accelerating the implementation of the Paris Agreement. In Belem, Parties agreed to strengthen global efforts to keep the 1.5 degree Celsius goal alive and avoid overshoot through Mission 1.5C, the Global Accelerator, and the submission of more than 120 new NDCs with improved quality and ambition. On adaptation, COP30 adopted a set of indicators for the global goal on adaptation, the call to triple adaptation finance by 2035, and the conclusion of the assessment of progress on national adaptation plans. Parties also agreed to major achievements such as the new Just Transition Mechanism, the Belem Gender Action Plan, the establishment of new dialogues on international trade and climate, and the Veredas Dialogue and the Xingu Finance Talks on climate finance. Looking ahead to Antalya, we would like to reinforce the imperative of responding to the urgent climate crisis and to promote more robust climate cooperation at all levels. For COP31, we can highlight at least three negotiating priorities. First, We need a robust decision on the operationalization of the just transition mechanism, including its functions, modalities of work and governance. Second, building on the establishment of the Belem indicators on adaptation, we need to fine-tune the metadata and methodologies of the global goal on adaptation through the technical task force still to be determined. Third, on finance, we expect the Xingu Finance Talks to deliver concrete and implementation-oriented discussions on Article 2.1. Xingu is one of the most important rivers in the Amazon, and this name of the new dialogue exemplifies the irreversible trend of global climate transition through diverse finance flows. In a world of states with severe fiscal constraints and high indebtedness, The Shingu talks need to lead to viable solutions for expanding fiscal space for climate investment and to consider practical approaches to reducing the cost of capital through risk sharing instruments and guarantees, especially for climate action in developing countries. The recent disaster in the Langtang Valley in Nepal has also underscored the need for a concrete and more ambitious replenishment of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, which Brazil has fully supported since its inception. As current President of the COP, Brazil will, of course, continue to support our Turkish and Australian partners in their respective roles, including when it comes to the action agenda for COP31. Finally, as the COP 30 President himself has continuously highlighted, we have proved that the Paris Agreement works and that the COPs are important tools for advancing climate multilateralism. Now it is time to implement the agreed decisions at all levels. Thank you, Mr. President.

I thank Ambassador Vanzanese for his statement. And I now invite Ambassador His Excellency Tesfaye Ilma Sabo, Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the United Nations, representing the President of COP 32. You have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. Let me thank the President of the General Assembly, His Excellency Khalilur Rahman, for convening this special meeting. ahead of COP31 to be held in Antalya, Turkey. The Presidency's troika platform will definitely help ensure implementation continuity. Adaptation and resilience remain critical challenges. As the impacts of climate crisis intensify and escalate, the cost of inaction is also growing. The crisis and its consequences are not waiting for commitments to be fulfilled or political will to emerge. Recent events, including the ongoing El Nino phenomenon, demonstrate the urgency and scale of the challenge. As countries in special situation, including LDCs and SIDS, continue to grapple with overlapping climate, development and energy shocks, The most vulnerable countries on the front lines are bearing the highest cost of the crisis. Despite tangible progress, promises have hardly kept pace with the growing urgency of the climate crisis. Therefore, translating climate commitments into measurable outcomes is an imperative of restoring trust and credibility in the process. Mr. President, African states are on the front line of the climate crisis, despite contributing only about 3% of the global greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, costs of adaptation, resilience, and mitigation far outweigh their financial and technical capabilities, placing an inequitable burden on countries that have contributed least to the crisis but face some of its most severe consequences. However, Africa is not merely a victim of climate change, but a proactive force in developing innovative and sustainable solutions that reflect the continent's unique strengths and aspirations. Early warning systems are urgently needed in the face of more frequent and intense extreme weather events. The systems are already making progress on climate resilience across Africa. Multi-hazard early warning systems are in place in most African countries. But with climate and disaster risks accelerating, strengthening these systems, expanding their reach, and translating early warnings into timely, coordinated action are essential to protect lives and safeguard livelihoods and build resilience at scale. This was a central message from the early warning, the Africa Early Warning Forum held in Ethiopia in September 2026. Mr. President, delayed action carries a compounding cost for developing countries. The pace of action matters because the gap between current plans and what the science requires remains significant. Financing and access to technology are increasingly determining who benefits from the transition and who is left behind. Without decisive action, this transition risks entrenching existing disparities and creating a new layer of structural inequality and injustice. The international community has a historic responsibility to deliver on its promises and commitments with predictable and accessible finance. The test now is delivery. Mr. President, Excellencies, Ethiopia has made substantial progress and is now advancing an ambitious plan. The homegrown Green Legacy Initiative, encompassing massive restoration and afforestation program, planted more than 50 billion trees since 2019. Our accelerated renewable energy production has more than doubled over the past five years. Ethiopia became the first country to ban imports of gasoline and diesel engine vehicles in 2024. Almost all of our electricity already generated from renewable sources. The EV transition is powered by green and clean sources. However, these milestones are happening against a backdrop of acute climate risks and complex socioeconomic pressure, including erratic rainfall and rising temperatures. Ethiopia's third nationally determined contribution commits to a 70.3 reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, away from a business as usual approach.

This is an

integral part of my country's determination to fight against climate change, strengthen resilience, and align its national development with climate actions. In conclusion, Mr. President, Ethiopia, the COP32 presidency, will aim to build on the achievements of COP31 and accelerate implementation. I thank you, Mr. President.

I thank you, Ambassador Sabo, for your statement. We have heard the last speaker in the opening segment. I would like to express my deep appreciation to our distinguished speakers for their contributions. This concludes the opening segment of our meeting. We will now begin the plenary segment. I would like to remind delegations that the time limit for statements will be three minutes for delegations speaking in their national capacity and five minutes for delegations speaking on behalf of a group of states. Time limits will be strictly enforced through an automatic microphone cut-off. To assist delegations in managing their time, a countdown clock will be displayed on the screen. Having said this, I would appeal to all speakers to deliver their statements at a reasonable pace to facilitate interpretation into the six official languages. I thank you for your cooperation. The first speaker on my list is Palau on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States. You have the floor, madam.

Mr. President, Excellencies, I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States. We thank the President of the General Assembly for convening this discussion ahead of COP31 and for the opportunity to exchange views on strengthening adaptation, resilience, and early warning systems. Across our islands, rising seas, increasingly intense storms, sea level rise, and extreme weather events are already reshaping our landscapes, threatening our livelihoods, and undermining decades of hard-won development gains. And while we continue to strengthen our resilience, the climate crisis is advancing faster than our capacity to respond. As we consider how to restore trust through climate action, we must begin by recognizing that trust is built not only through new commitments, but through respect for those already made. For AOSIS, this begins with the recognition of the special circumstances of small island developing states, firmly established through decades of international agreements, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement. Our leaders reaffirmed this principle in their 2025 declaration on the special circumstances of SIDS, calling for this recognition to be fully operationalized across the international system. The same principle must also guide our approach to adaptation and early warning systems. For SIDS, climate hazards rarely occur in isolation. A storm surge can coincide with extreme rainfall and coastal flooding, disrupting electricity, damaging transport networks, and cutting communities off from essential services. Effective early warning systems must therefore go beyond predicting individual hazards. It must also anticipate their cascading consequences. This requires bringing together scientific observation, satellite monitoring, meteorological forecasting, and digital technologies with local and traditional knowledge. At the same time, an early warning is only as effective as the action it enables. For SIDS communities, a warning delivered minutes before a disaster can mean the difference between life and death. And we need warnings linked to preparedness, functioning shelters, clear evacuation procedures, trained responders, and financing that can be activated before disaster strikes. At the same time, however, early warning systems, while indispensable, cannot substitute for ambitious mitigation, sustained adaptation, and action to address loss and damage. Support must reflect our special circumstances with simplified access requirements and sustained investment in national and regional capabilities. We therefore call for predictable, accessible, grant-based, and non-debt creating finance, accompanied by technology transfer and long-term country-owned capacity building. Mr. President, therefore, as we approach COP31, our message is straightforward. Restoring trust requires honoring the agreements we've already reached, preserving the integrity of established negotiating processes, and translating recognition into practical support. In this regard, we welcome the recent pre-COP meetings hosted in Fiji and Tuvalu, which brought the realities of the climate crisis directly to the forefront of international discussions. We commend both countries for their leadership and for reminding the international community that SIDS cannot be expected to bear an ever-growing burden of adapting to an ever-worsening crisis. We cannot be expected to adapt indefinitely to a future of escalating climate devastation when the world still has the power and the responsibility to prevent. The momentum generated in the Pacific must now be carried forward to Antalya with concrete progress on adaptation, climate finance, loss and damage, and the urgent need to keep the 1.5 degree goal within reach. Let this be the measure of our collective ambition as we look towards COP31. Thank you very much.

Thank you, representative of Palau, on behalf of AOSIS, and thank you for staying within the time limit. I now call upon the representative of European Union to speak on behalf of EU and its member states. You have five minutes.

President, Excellencies, I have the honor to deliver the statement on behalf of the European Union and its member states. Thank you for bringing us together at this important moment. as we look ahead to COP31, just a week after the pre-COP in Fiji and Tuvalu. And thank you to the Excellencies for their introduction and leadership. Divides are deepening, pressure on multilateralism is growing, and climate impacts are accelerating. But our message must remain clear. The Paris Agreement works, and it remains our best defense against climate change impacts and disasters. It has helped us correct course against a global warming of plus 3 or 4 degrees. The alarming findings of the new UNF report, Limiting Overshoot, is an urgent call to prevent and prepare for the consequences of exceeding global warming of 1.5 degrees and indicate that our shared goal should be staying as close as possible to 1.5 and getting back below 1.5. That requires rapid, deep and sustained global emissions reductions. COP31 must show that multilateral climate action remains credible, effective and capable of delivering results. For the EU, five priorities will guide our approach. First, we must uphold science. The best available science, in particular from the IPCC, must remain the foundation of our decisions and our ambition. It is essential that the IPCC's upcoming reports are delivered in time to inform the second global stocktake. Second, we must maintain momentum on implementation. This means carrying out fully the first global stocktake and strong delivery on post-2030 nationally determined contributions. We call on all parties that have not yet submitted their NDCs. Now is the time to do so and to align them with the 1.5 pathway. Third, the global clean energy transition must remain central. It is essential not only for climate action, but also for energy security, competitiveness, and economic resilience. We must continue advancing the outcomes already agreed, including tripling renewable energy and doubling energy efficiency, while ensuring to transition away from fossil fuels in a just, orderly, and equitable manner. At the same time, COP31 should help build coalitions of first movers in key areas, such as clean electrification and carbon markets. The EU will continue to support global clean electrification consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement, including through the Electrify Now initiative. Fourth, we must progress across mandates and deliver on agreed outcomes. That means that we need to strengthen the mitigation work program beyond 2026 so it delivers more substantive outcomes and better supports ambitious decarbonization strategies. It also means agreeing on a lean and effective just transition mechanism that helps parties integrate just transition considerations into NDCs, adaptation plans, and long-term strategies. With an expected overshoot of the 1.5 temperature goal, we need a step change on delivery and implementation of that adaptation and resilience. Accelerated adaptation action is required in all countries. We are therefore committed to operationalizing the global goal and adaptation. And of course, we should advance the realization of the new collective quantified goal, which is the agreed framework for international climate finance. Fifth and finally, we should begin a process to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the UNFCCC regime, especially in a context of growing demands and tighter resources. President, Excellencies, the road to COP31 requires unity, early engagement and stronger partnerships. and we trust in Turkey and Australia as COP31 presidency to ensure a positive outcome as well as preserve the integrity of the UNFCCC process by leading an open, transparent and inclusive process through engagement with all parties, including all EU member states and observers, safeguarding the respect for sovereign equality of all UN member states. The EU remains fully committed to working with all partners to make COP31 a success. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished delegate of European Union who spoke on behalf of EU and its member states. I now have the pleasure of giving the floor to the distinguished delegates of Uruguay, speaking on behalf of Group of 77 and China. You have the floor.

I thank you, Mr. President. Excellencies, dear colleagues, the Oriental Republic of Uruguay has the honor and

privilege of delivering this statement on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

Global impacts from climate change are being experienced now across all our group members. As the science inform us, the time has come to move decisively into an era of international cooperation and implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Paris Agreement. We underscore that meaningful climate action must be tailored to the diverse national circumstances of developing countries and driven by scale-up means of implementation, including finance, technology transfer, and capacity building.

Further, we highlight the importance

of upholding the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities in light of the different national circumstances as enshrined in the convention and its Paris Agreement. These principles are not only foundational to the climate regime, but are essential to ensuring that developing countries can effectively pursue sustainable development while advancing ambitious climate goals. For developing countries, climate action cannot be decoupled from the broader context of poverty eradication, economic development, and resilience, and sustainable development in general. Enhanced international support and predictable delivery of commitments are critical to enable transformative action on the ground. It is of great relevance for scaling of climate action to continue and strengthen the implementation by Annex I Parties in terms of their implementation of their commitments under the Convention with respect to mitigation, and Annex II Parties in terms of their obligations with respect to the provision of support to non-Annex I developing countries. The G77 and China is concerned with the insufficiency, inaccessibility, and very low availability of climate finance in accordance with developing countries' needs and priorities. This includes the trajectory as well as the lack of ambition from developed countries to provide and mobilize committed and pledged climate finance resources. Additionally, inclusion and participation, effective engagement of developing countries is primary for us through transparent processes. A balanced approach is needed that supports both mitigation ambition and development priorities and not impose prescriptive pathways. Climate science plays a key role in climate action addressing national circumstances. The Group reaffirms its commitment to multilateral cooperation as well as party-driven consensus-based progress across agenda items. We reaffirm our continued commitment to contribute to the ultimate objective of the Convention and the goals of the Paris Agreement, including the temperature, holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels and pursing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius. above pre-industrial levels, on the basis of equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities in the light of different national circumstances. We recognize the need for urgent progress on mitigation, with developed countries taking the lead, adaptation and loss and damage, take into account increasing impact of climate change in our countries, which require the provision of support from developed countries and an enabling international economic system. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Uruguay, who spoke on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. I now have on my list the distinguished delegate of Jamaica, speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community. You have the floor.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. I do have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the 14 member states of the Caribbean Community. The full version of the statement will be uploaded. Mr. President, for more than three decades, small island states have sounded the alarm. In 1989, we adopted the first international declaration on global warming and sea level rise. which was a precursor for the framework convention. Even then, we knew that the best of efforts could not prevent all loss and damage, and we called for a mechanism to ensure against consequences we could not avoid nor afford. Before Paris, we championed 1.5 to stay alive. The International Court of Justice has since found 1.5 degrees to be the parties' agreed primary temperature goal. The court also confirmed that states must prevent significant harm to the climate system and that full reparation is owed where breaches cause harm. Today, we face overshoot. UNEP has concluded that exceeding 1.5 degrees can no longer be avoided. So for CARICOM, the priorities for COP31 are clear. On mitigation, 1.5 degrees is non-delegable. The major economies with roughly 80% of global emissions must raise ambition and action. The UAE consensus from the first global stocktake on transitioning away from fossil fuels, tripling renewables and halting deforestation must now be implemented. On adaptation, warming already locked in is erasing our development gains. Belém called for efforts to at least triple adaptation finance by 2035. A target without a baseline and a pathway is merely an aspiration. We ask COP31 to confirm the baseline and set out credible pathways. On finance, parties agreed at Baku to pursue efforts to at least triple outflows from the UNFCCC climate funds by 2030. That is the nearest test of delivery. CARICOM seeks improved access to grant and concessional finance for SIDS and LDCs and a meaningful share of reaching them. On loss and damage, this is at its core a question of justice. Climate change was responsible for some US$53 billion of loss and damage in the Caribbean between 2000 and 2024. Hurricane Melissa alone caused about 12 billion US dollars in damage and losses in Jamaica, roughly 57% of its 2024 GDP. These are the costs of a crisis driven by emissions beyond our shores. The principle is simple and long recognized in law. Those who cause harm bear responsibility for repairing it. Yet, the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage holds pledges of about US$823 million, of which US$486 million has been paid in. CARICOM is not asking for charity. We ask that the cost of this harm not rest with those who did least to cause it. The Fund must be capitalized at the scale of need, sustained through an ambitious first replenishment, and made accessible. On just transition, our people who move because the sea has reached their doorstep, or who seek new livelihoods because farms are inundated and fisheries depleted, are already bearing the cost. A just transition is one in which small island states continue to thrive. Nothing less will suffice. On science, the second global stocktake concludes in 2028. COP31 should reaffirm its invitation to the IPCC to deliver the seventh assessment report in time to inform it. Mr. President, what CARICOM asks is not new. It is the faithful implementation of what parties have already agreed. The Secretary-General has called for an overshoot of ambition to answer the overshoot of temperature. Let Antalya be where that call is heard. The measure of this COP will be whether, a year from now, a family rebuilding after a hurricane on a Caribbean island can see the difference. CARICOM stands ready to work with every party and every stakeholder to make this a reality, and I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Jamaica speaking on behalf of the Caribbean community. I now have the honor of giving the floor to the distinguished delegate of Namibia, speaking on behalf of the African group. You have the floor, sir.

Thank you, Mr. President. I have the honor to speak on behalf of the African group. The group aligns itself with the statement delivered by the permanent representative of Uruguay on behalf of the G77 in China. The group's full statement will be shared via e-statement. Mr. President, we thank you for convening this event three weeks before Antalya. The group supports the presidency of COP31 and looks forward to COP32 in Addis Ababa next year, which Africa intends as an implementation COP. We see the two conferences as one road, and both will be judged by delivery. Africa contributes less than 4% of the global emissions. Yet, extreme weather affected at least 13 million people on the continent last year and killed more than 3,000, according to the State of the Climate in Africa report. And climate-related costs can reach 5% of GDP in African countries. The strong El Nino is now forecast, and the African Union has urged member states to prepare and to act before the hazard arrives. Mr. President, finance comes first. Official development assistance fell by 23% in 2025, while Africa's adaptation finance gap stands at between 200 and 400 billion United States dollars a year. Antalya should set out a credible pathway to deliver the commitment made in Belém. The triple adaptation finance and climate finance should hold its proper place on the agenda of the conference. We call for the obligations of developed countries under Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement and ask that the new collective goal be met through grants and concessional resources that do not deepen debt burdens already constraining our fiscal space. The Bonn sessions made no progress on the global goal on adaptation. We call on parties to settle this at Antalya, building on the indicators adopted in Belm, so that the goal guides investment in national adaptation plans. Mr. President, this afternoon's panel speaks directly to Africa. Only 40% of African countries have multi-hazard early warning systems against more than 60% of countries worldwide. The African multi-hazard early warning and early action system coordinated by the African Union Commission agreed in Maputo in May on a continental data sharing framework, guidelines for anticipatory action, and an early warning preparedness framework. These steps need sustained support. We urge partners to finance national meteorological and hydrological services and observation networks over the long term, beyond the life of the single projects. Warning must reach the last mile in a local language and be tied to prearranged finance, so that communities can act before a hazard becomes a disaster. We extend our sympathy to the people of Nepal after the Rasuwa flood in August. Mr. President, the group calls for the African common position on energy access and just transition. adopted by the Executive Council of the African Union in 2022, which affirms Africa's right to differentiated paths towards universal energy access. A just transition must remain responsive to national circumstances and take account of energy access, poverty eradication, decent work, and the right to development. In closing, Mr. President, the group will go to Antalya with one African voice and to Addis Ababa with the same resolve. We count on your leadership and on all partners to turn commitments already made into delivery. I thank you, Mr. President.

I thank the distinguished delegate of Namibia speaking on behalf of the African group. We have thus heard the last speaker speaking on behalf of groups of countries, and I thank them for staying within the five-minute limit, all of them. I now have on my list speakers who will be speaking in their national capacity, and I kindly remind them of the three-minute time limit. The first speaker is Maldives, and I invite you to take the floor. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, we need We need a secure and sovereign future for all states. A sovereign future means having the freedom and capacity to shape our development, protect our people, and preserve the choices available for future generations. But climate change shrinks that space. COP31 must widen it through action that people can trust. The Maldives remains committed to ambitious action at home. But the scale and urgency of that challenge demands stronger international cooperation and support. For COP31, we see three priorities. First, climate finance must be delivered at the scale required. We need meaningful progress on the new collective quantified goals on climate finance. And the climate finance work program must be firmly anchored in the formal UNFCCC process. The amount of finance matters, but so do accessibility, predictability and quality. Finance must reach countries and communities that need it most, without deepening unsustainable debt. Second, adaptation commitments must become action. Progress on global goal and adaptation must be matched by adequate, accessible support for national priorities and adaptation plans. We also need a clear pathway to at least tripling adaptation finance by 2035. Scaling up must begin well before then. The UN Declaration on Sea Level Rise adopted by the General Assembly this week strengthens this work. It affirms continuity of statehood in the face of sea level rise, for SIDS, climate action must protect sovereignty, rights, and national agency. Third, COP31 must take the just transition work from developing countries. Transition pathway must be nationally determined and country driven. For SEEDS, this means economic diversification, resilient livelihood, and access to technology. Any new mechanism should provide practical support, complement existing processes, and avoid creating additional reporting burdens. Restoring trust means showing that multilateralism can deliver. Climate action must leave every country more able to protect its people, pursue its development, and shape its own future. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Maldives. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Indonesia.

Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, Indonesia aligns itself with the statement delivered by Uruguay on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. Indonesia welcomes this timely dialogue. As we approach COP31, restoring trust requires bridging global commitments with tangible results, guided by equity, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, as well as the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement. Allow me to highlight three points. First, climate action must deliver results at the local level. Climate change continues to pose serious challenges to communities worldwide, including in Indonesia. This underscored the importance of locally led adaptation, stronger early warning systems, and community preparedness. Indonesia continues to advance community-based initiatives, including through our Climate Village program, to strengthen local adaptation and resilience. We must ensure that scientific knowledge and early warnings translate into timely and actionable measures, particularly for vulnerable and coastal communities. Second, we must sustain momentum from previous COPs towards COP31 and beyond. Each COP should build upon previous achievements, translating commitments into implementation. This is particularly important for advancing a just, orderly and equitable energy transition. through nationally determined transition pathways that respect national circumstances, energy security, and the right to sustainable development. Indonesia remains committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2060 or sooner, while expanding renewable energy and strengthening national resilience. Third, climate cooperation must remain inclusive and serve as a bridge rather than a source of division. Effective climate solutions must respect diverse national circumstances and capacities while addressing the needs of the most vulnerable. Developing nations cannot undertake climate action and energy transition alone. It requires predictable and accessible climate finance, technology transfer and capacity building, particularly for developing countries. Mr. President, as we approach COP31, let us build on previous achievements, strengthen locally-led action, and advance inclusive climate solutions that leave no one behind. Indonesia stands ready to deepen partnerships that turn climate ambition into genuine development, opportunity, and resilience for all. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Indonesia. And I'll give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Federated States of Micronesia.

Thank you, Mr. President. I thank you for convening this important event as we prepare for COP31. For Micronesia, COP31 represents a critical opportunity to advance the action necessary to safeguard our people, preserve our homeland, and secure a viable future for generations to come. Although Micronesia is steward of a vast area of the Blue Pacific, our islands remain small, low-lying, and highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Rising sea levels are eroding coastlines, contaminating freshwater resources, and threatening livelihoods, infrastructure, and ecosystems. For us, climate change is not a future challenge. It is a present reality with profound implications for our sustainable development, cultural heritage, and national identity. These circumstances underscore the urgent need to strengthen adaptation, resilience, and preparedness. Effective multi-hazard early warning systems are among the most practical and cost-effective tools for protecting lives and reducing climate-related losses. Adaptation and resilience require adequate means of implementation. We therefore reiterate the need for scaled up, predictable, accessible, and grant-based climate finance. Vulnerable countries should not be compelled to assume additional debt in order to respond to a crisis they did little to create. At the same time, adaptations substitute for cannot be substituted for mitigation. Preserving the 1.5 goal requires ambition and immediate action, including rapid reductions in methane and other short-lived climate pollutants. As we look toward COP31, we call for renewed solidarity, strengthened support for vulnerable countries, and the full implementation of commitments already made. Let COP31 be remembered as the moment when the international community matched the urgency of the climate crisis with meaningful action. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Micronesia. And I'll give the floor to the distinguished representative of Guatemala.

President, Guatemala is grateful for your leadership in convening this dialogue on climate action ahead of the COP31 that is to be held in Antalya, Turkey, this coming November. My delegation aligns with the statement delivered on behalf of the G77 and China. Adaptation to climate change represents a national priority. Prolonged droughts, flooding, and other extreme weather events have affected food and water security, agricultural production, and also the livelihoods of our population, especially in vulnerable areas. In response to these challenges, Guatemala will continue to strengthen its national climate action instruments. Under the auspices of our National Council on Climate Change, we have been driving actions focused on updating our national climate change action plan and bolstering our national climate change fund. All of this is part of a planning vision that prioritizes protection of people and one that promotes inclusive and sustainable development. Progress is also being made in formulating our national plan for preemptive action aimed at strengthening preparedness for phenomena associated with climate variability through inter-institutional coordination. President, ahead of the upcoming COP31, Guatemala believes it is fundamental that we strengthen adaptation resilience measures. especially through disaster risk management, through early warning systems, and through preemptive or anticipatory action, promoting the use of scientific information as well as local knowledge. Ensuring access to sufficient, predictable, and affordable climate finance is crucial, and this should be accompanied by technology transfer and capacity building. And this is key to enabling developing countries to implement their commitments and to addressing their own national priorities. Guatemala also stresses the importance of strengthening response mechanisms for loss and damage linked to climate change. ensuring effective access to support available for those countries in vulnerable situations. We also reiterate the importance of implementing the commitments set out in the Convention and in the Paris Agreement on the basis of the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities, or CBDR. Restoring trust in climate action requires urgent action, but it also must be forward-looking. This means turning commitments into concrete actions that strengthen adaptation, restore ecosystems, and offer support to developing countries. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Guatemala. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Monaco.

President, for decades, Science has provided us with a considerable body of evidence indicating that global warming already has serious consequences for ecosystems and for human populations. It also highlights the role of the oceans in regulating the climate and the urgent need for action to protect, preserve and sustainably use them. The ocean is warming, it is becoming more acidic and less fertile. The cryosphere is melting at an unprecedented rate. And these phenomena have and will have irreversible ramifications: rising sea levels, jeopardizing marine and coastal ecosystems, the deterioration of coral reefs and mangroves that support life in the oceans, and extreme weather events. The first to be affected are coastal states and small island developing states. In order to restore trust and to work together effectively, our action must be immediate and it should be based on science. For Monaco, a small Mediterranean coastal state, there are three complementary pillars and they are priorities. First, mitigation. Here, again, science is clear. We simply must reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Since 1990, the principality has reduced its emissions by more than 39.3%. thanks to a structured and consistent policy focused on road transport, waste treatment and energy for buildings. The new nationally determined contribution commits us to reducing emissions by 67.6% by 2035, in addition to the 55% target for 2030. Adaptation is complementary and essential to mitigation. It is also essential to reducing vulnerability, especially for the least developed countries and for small island developing states. This has led us to contribute to strengthening the early warning system, the climate risk and early warning systems crews in these countries. Finally, the question of financing remains central. For Monaco, investing in the ocean is not just necessary from an environmental perspective, it is also relevant from an economic and strategic perspective. Building on the results from the Blue Economy and Finance Forum in Monaco in 2025, the Principality organized a second edition in May 2026. This forum aims in particular to promote innovative solutions for coastal resilience, to unlock greater financing for a sustainable blue economy, and more environmentally friendly transformation of maritime sectors. President, by way of conclusion, our message is clear. The ocean must occupy its rightful place in our work and we are pleased to see that it is one of the key priorities for COP2031. The actions undertaken today will form the basis of future efforts. Rest assured that the Principality of Monaco will continue to play its full part. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Monaco. I now give the floor to the Chinese representative of China.

Thank you, President. Let me start by thanking PGA for convening this meeting ahead of the 31st UN Climate Change Conference. In the face of global climate change, the international community should come together and accelerate actions in order to promote a balanced, positive, and practical outcome at COP31. In this connection, China would like to share three observations. First, strengthen global climate governance. Multilateral cooperation remains the most effective way to address climate change challenges. The international community should remain unwavering in confidence, unremitting in actions, and unrelenting in intensities so as to comprehensively and effectively implement the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement. Second, accelerate the green and just transition. Countries should determine their transition pathways based on their national circumstances and resource endowments in order to achieve a just and orderly transition. All countries should strengthen cooperation to build a critical mineral governance system that is just, equitable, open, and inclusive, a system that's mutually beneficial and environmentally friendly, thereby providing essential support for the global energy transition. Third, Enhance climate action capacity. Developed countries should deliver on their climate commitments. MDBs, private sectors, and other stakeholders should do more in terms of climate-related investments and financing to help developing countries address deficiencies in capital, technology, and capability. There is a need for countries to actively carry out international cooperation in areas such as early warning, risk assessment, disaster prevention, and disaster reduction. Efforts should be made to further improve the rapid disbursement mechanism vis-a-vis the fund for responding to loss and damage with a view of reaching the goal of tripling adaptation finance by 2035. President, China is an active promoter of and contributor to global climate action. China has carried out green cooperation with more than 100 countries and regions, making important contributions to addressing climate change. President Xi Jinping recently put forward a four-point proposition on China-Africa mining cooperation. It highlights China's readiness to transfer to African countries green technologies suited to their national conditions, move China-Africa mining cooperation towards industrial value addition, and explore new financing models that are affordable and sustainable. These initiatives further showcase China's concrete actions in advancing a global green and just transition. China is willing and ready to join hands with all parties to promote trust and cooperation through climate action and build a community with a shared future for mankind. And I thank you, President.

I thank the distinguished representative of China. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Russian Federation.

Mr. President. The Russian Federation views COP31 as an opportunity to bring the climate process back towards the practical dimension, focused on achievement of agreements that have already been arrived at. We believe that amid polarized mindsets, there is a need to avoid further politicization of the climate process and rather to focus on matters where it is possible to achieve consensus. A key prerequisite for the success of COP31, in our view, is ensuring continuity in the negotiations process. Each session of the conference needs to build upon previously agreed upon decisions while prioritizing their implementation, rather than advancing new political notions or revisiting agreements that had already been arrived at. We welcome this precise focus of the forthcoming chairmanship of COP31. It is of key fundamental importance to preserve the balanced architecture of the Paris Agreement, which is rooted in respect for national specificities and development priorities, measures determined by countries themselves in combating climate change, as well as taking into account the principle of common but differentiated responsibility. Mr. President, the climate policy needs to be focused on long-term reductions in emissions and the achievement of tangible ecological outcomes, rather than setting out as the objective limitation on the use of any given means of fuel. There's a need to ensure an appropriate balance between mitigation, adaptation, climate financing, technology transfer, and capacity building. The international cooperation also should generate practical results, first and foremost for developing nations, which are encountering growing climate-related risks and persistent obstacles in access to financing and technology. The assistance proposed by countries needs to be based on meeting national needs and priorities. The future. taking into account the interests of our planet, requires not just ambitious declarations being made, but what is necessary is first and foremost practical action and cooperation that is based on mutual respect. Thank you for your attention.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Russian Federation. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cuba.

Senor Presidente.

President, we align with the statement by Uruguay on behalf of the G77 and China. Cuba congratulates Turkey and Australia for their leadership and for the efforts ahead of the COP31. For Cuba, the fundamental priority of the upcoming COP31 should be to close the gap between the climate pledges and effectively fulfilling these pledges on the basis of equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capacities. as well as the different national circumstances. In the area of climate finance, it is crucial that we make progress in implementing the new global quantified goal of financing that was agreed in Baku, and that developed countries fulfill their obligations as per the Paris Agreement. We need new, additional, adequate, and predictable resources. with special attention given to public financing, the needs of developing countries, and the barriers that limit their access to available resources. It is also necessary that we make progress towards operationalizing the global adaptation goal, including technically robust indicators that can be applicable and that are sensitive to differing national circumstances. These should be accompanied by the necessary means of implementation. Small island developing states especially need greater support to strengthen their resilience, their early warning systems, and their ability for preparedness and response ahead of disasters. In terms of loss and damage, the COP31 should support the entry into force of existing mechanisms and guarantee that the fund provides timely, sufficient and accessible or affordable support to affected countries. In the area of mitigation, we should also strengthen the implementation of the nationally determined contributions, and we should also close the emissions gap while preserving the nationally determined nature of these commitments. We should avoid uniform approaches that fail to recognize the historic contributions, capacities and priorities of each country. The energy transition must be just and equitable. It should be supported by international cooperation, technology transfer, and capacity building. Cuba reiterates its readiness to contribute constructively to the success of the COP31 in the defense of multilateralism, climate justice, and the right to development. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Cuba. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Suriname.

Mr. President, trust in climate action will be restored when global commitments translate into tangible protection, predictable financial and technical support, and resilience for the most exposed to climate change. For Suriname, this is a matter of climate justice. More than 90% of our territory remains forested, and our country is carbon negative. Sri Lanka is among four countries organized in the G0 initiative that absorb more carbon dioxide than they emit. Yet, Sri Lanka's low-lying coastal communities, infrastructure, and livelihoods face growing risks from flooding, coastal erosion, changing rainfall, and rising sea levels. Protecting our forests provides a global benefit, so its cost cannot fall on the people of Suriname alone. The international community must recognize and support the global public benefits provided by countries that maintain their forests. As we look towards COP31, Suriname wishes to reiterate the importance of the following priorities. Climate finance must be adequate, predictable, and accessible. High forest cover, low deforestation countries must receive fair recognition and incentives for keeping forest standing. They should not first have to lose forest before climate finance institutions recognize the value of protecting them. Adaptation finance must reach vulnerable communities and support resilience infrastructure and locally led solutions. Second, we must strengthen people-centered, end-to-end, multi-hazard early warning systems Scientific forecasting must connect with indigenous and local community, local knowledge, trusted communication, and effective preparedness. Warnings save lives when people receive them in time. Third, technology transfer and capacity building must become sustained partnerships. Developing countries need the tools, expertise, and institutional capacity to address interconnected risks across oceans, forests, water, food, and energy. UNOPS stands ready to work with Member States, the United Nations system, and all partners to turn these priorities into measurable progress. As we approach COP31, let us turn our commitments into what really matters: protecting forests before they are lost, preparing communities before disasters strike, and ensuring that the most vulnerable are not left to bear the greatest cost of a crisis they did not create. For Suriname, genuine solidarity is measured not by promises made, but by action delivered. So let's roll up our sleeves and get the job done. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Suriname. And I'll give the floor to the distinguished representative of Tunisia.

Thank you, Mr. President. Tunisia aligns itself for the statements delivered by by Uruguay on behalf of G77 and Namibia on behalf of the African group. Tunisia reaffirms its firm commitment to the Paris Agreement and the strengthening of global climate action. We consider mitigation, adaptation, and environmental protection essential to achieving sustainable development.

Regarding climate change mitigation, Tunisia has strengthened.

Its ambition through its third national determined contribution, setting a target of reducing the carbon intensity by 62% by 2035.

These objectives are supported by efforts to accelerate.

The energy transition, promote renewable energy, and advance our long-term pathway towards carbon neutrality by 2050.

With regard to sea level rise and coastal protection, Tunisia faces a particularly urgent challenge.

According to the World Bank.

Projections, approximately 24% of our coastline could be affected by sea level rise by 2050 under certain climate scenarios.

Tunisia is therefore committed to strengthen integrated coastal zone management, protecting vulnerable communities and ecosystems, and promoting nature-based solutions to address coastal erosion and flooding.

Water security is another national priority.

Through a project supported by the African Development.

Bank, Tunisia is investing in improved wastewater treatment, the reuse of treated wastewater for agricultural purposes, and solar energy applications.

My country is also intensifying its efforts to combat desertification and restore degraded ecosystems, with a national objective of rehabilitating 2.2 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.

These efforts.

Complement our broader commitment to biodiversity conservation and sustainable agriculture. Mr. President, Excellencies, Tunisia believes that national ambition must be matched by international solidarity. Developing countries need predictable and accessible climate finance, as well as technology transfer to implement their commitments to protect and protect vulnerable populations. We also recognize the importance of innovative financing mechanisms, including debt-for-climate swaps, to mobilize additional resources. In this regard, my country has pursued the ESCWA initiative on debt swaps to support investment in climate adaptation and sustainable development. As we look toward COP31, Tunisia calls for stronger international cooperation, accelerated emissions reductions, and adequate financing for adaptation measures, particularly in vulnerable coastal countries. And I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Tunisia. And I'll give the floor to the distinguished representative of France.

Thank you, Mr. President. The climate tragedies are intensifying, and France experienced it this week with extreme heat, droughts, and unprecedented fires. The intensity of these tragedies poses a direct threat to global stability and security with those who are most vulnerable on the front lines. After the adoption of the Paris Agreement, we have a particular responsibility, France, and we are advocating for the implementation of these commitments, and we are seeking to remain within the 1.5 degree limit and to avoid surpassing that. And in order to achieve this, we need to be more ambitious. Our efforts so far have fallen short as a whole. We call upon those parties who have not done so yet to present their nationally determined contributions prior to COP31. The best adaptation strategy, let us be clear-sighted here, is a rapid reduction of emissions and ending use of fossil fuels as was determined during COP28. And in this regard, we applaud Turkey's priorities regarding to electrification, which needs to be low carbon. And we will be attentive when it comes to the roadmap drafted by Brazil following COP30. In a national capacity, we have undertaken a number of efforts, emissions are rising, we have a roadmap for exiting from fossil fuels, and this was published in April. A number of other states have done so as well, we call upon others as well to follow suit. Because this transition cannot be done without cooperation, we are providing support to a number of states through partnerships for a just energy transition. France supports ambitious adaptation policies, which are key to the protection of populations, and we dedicate nearly 40% of our financing for developing states to that. France, moreover, will continue to implement initiatives that reforming the international financial infrastructure in order to make investments not only more nimble, but also more accessible to reach those countries who are most in need. Let us make COP32 in Ethiopia a key meeting for these adaptation-related challenges. In light of forthcoming disasters, the Secretary-General's initiative for universalization of early warning systems should be our lodestar during our chairmanship of G77. France, alongside the UK and Switzerland, renewed our financial support for the CROZ initiative which we spearheaded several years ago, and this is an initiative which is making headway. It is a key component for improving global reactivity and response to extreme climate events. And lastly, we need to protect science against misinformation. Ignoring or falsifying science has unprecedented repercussions and leading to greater climate injustice. We call upon the-- we deliver our full support for the international government-- the panel for strengthening its independence and its ability to act at the IPCC. The microphone has been cut off.

I thank the representative of France. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Malawi. Malawi, are you in the room? It doesn't seem to be the case to me. May I give the floor now to the distinguished representative of the United Kingdom.

And Chair for convening us, and thank you to the COP presidencies of Turkey, Australia, Brazil and Ethiopia.

We also thank Small Island Developing States whose decades of leadership helped secure this week's.

UN declaration on sea level rise, and now we must match that with action. Climate disasters are now more frequent, and climate security is a vital issue for all of us. The UK stands with Nepal at this time of grief, with condolences.

To those who have lost loved ones and livelihoods.

As we approach COP31, the United Kingdom stands with SIDS on three priorities. First, resilience. COP31 should put the goal on adaptation, the global goal on adaptation, back on track. Take forward the fund for responding to loss and damage. and strengthen early warning systems to reach every community in time to act. Second, finance. We consistently hear that access to finance is not just about quantity, but is about the barriers to accessing that finance.

The new collective quantified goal should be delivered in a way that simplifies access to finance from all sources.

The UK has tripled its adaptation finance since 2019 to more than 1.5 billion pounds. We will deliver around 6 billion pounds in official development assistance alongside 6.7 billion pounds of UK-backed climate and nature positive public finance and will mobilise billions more from the private sector. Our

330 million pledge to the global environment facility comes alongside reforms that increase resources for SIDS and least developed countries.

And we have committed 10 million to the Pacific resilience facility, which is Pacific owned and grant based.

Third ambition for the most vulnerable 1.5 degrees is not an abstraction.

Every fraction of a degree avoided limits the sea level rise that future generations will face. Pre-COP in Fiji put Pacific voices at the heart of the road to Antalya. At COP31, we must double down, not give up, on 1.5 degrees. That means accelerating mitigation and adaptation, strengthening the mitigation work programme and acting on methane, electrification and clean energy. Finally, this must be a COP that delivers for climate-vulnerable states, and the UK will always be a steadfast partner in making that so. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the United Kingdom. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Bangladesh.

President, we thank the PGA for convening this important and timely meeting and appreciate the COP Presidency's troika for their remarks this morning. Bangladesh aligns itself with the statement of the G77 and China. We have only one planet and nowhere else to go. Addressing this existential threat is beyond any doubt in our shared interest. But for those of us on the front lines of climate change, despite our negligible contributions to global emissions, it is also fundamentally a matter of justice and human rights. Climate vulnerability reflects existing inequalities in our societies. Women, children, youth, and other marginalized groups are among those who face disproportionate risks. Reports show climate change could push up to 158 million additional women and girls into poverty by 2050.

The science is clear.

The numbers are alarming. Mr. President, Bangladesh is advancing an ambitious climate agenda guided by our NDC 3.0, National Adaptation Plan, Climate Prosperity Plan, strengthened emissions reduction targets, and expanded renewable energy ambitions. We are forced to make difficult choices between funding essential services and responding to climate impacts. Bangladesh loses about $3 billion each year from the adverse impacts of climate change. That is equal to more than half of our health sector allocation for this financial year. Such concerns underscore our call for accessible, predictable, and grant-based climate finance and an adequately funded loss and damage fund. We need simpler procedures, proportionate fiduciary requirements, and faster approvals to ensure timely support. Greater investment in anticipatory action, multi-hazard monitoring, and locally led adaptation is essential. Advanced technologies, including AI, must be made affordable and reach communities that need them most. Political considerations and commercial interests must not add to the burdens of the vulnerable. Mr. President. I take this opportunity to assure Turkey and Australia of Bangladesh's constructive engagement and full support in their respective leadership roles. General Assembly Resolution 80/263 provides important guidance on states' climate obligations, consequences of breaches, and reparations where warranted. As we approach COP31, these principles should inform our deliberations. We hope that the conference will translate commitments and obligations into tangible support, helping communities to protect their livelihoods.

I thank the distinguished representative of Bangladesh. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Poland.

Thank you, Mr. President. Poland aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the European Union and its member states. Distinguished delegates, as we approach COP31 in Antalya, I would like to acknowledge the progress we have made. 11 years ago, the world came together and delivered the Paris Agreement, a powerful example of what the international cooperation can achieve. A decade ago, we were heading towards a world that could be 4 degrees centigrade warmer, Celsius warmer than by the end of this century. Today, that projection is closer to 2.6 degrees Celsius. We have changed the trajectory. But as we are moving forward, so is the climate change. We are now facing an overshoot of 1.5 degrees threshold. Every additional fraction of a degree means higher costs and greater disruption. This is why global efforts must continue on both fronts, mitigation to limit the overshoot and adaptation to prepare for impacts we can no longer avoid. Distinguished delegates, the case for the energy transition is also different today than it was a decade ago. The recent energy crisis has shown the risks of dependence on imported fossil fuels and the need to transition away from them in a just, orderly, and equitable manner. This is why COP31 can highlight a new and powerful motivation for continuing the just transition, energy security. Reducing our dependence on imported fossil fuels can make our economies more resilient and allow us to invest more at home in infrastructure, innovation, and economic growth. Finally, Poland's experience has taught us another important lesson. Just transition matters. Its costs and benefits need to be shared fairly, and new opportunities need to reach the regions most affected by change. Poland shows that significant change can go hand in hand with jobs and growth. in just over a decade, we have reduced the share of coal in our electricity generation by almost 40% by keeping unemployment among the lowest in Europe and our economy growing. It is in this context that we look forward to constructive discussions on just transition at COP31, which was one of the main topics of COP24 held in Katowice, Poland. Excellencies, COP31 is an opportunity to take stock of how far we have come, focus on delivering the commitments already made, and remind ourselves why the transition matters for a safer climate, for a greater energy security, for stronger economies, and transition that people can support. These are powerful reasons to stay the course. And I think.

I thank the distinguished representative of Poland. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Egypt. Egypt. Then I'm going to call on the following speaker on my list. If I may give the floor now to the distinguished representative of Sierra Leone.

Mr. Chair, Sierra Leone appreciates the climate advocacy which has been championed by previous COP presidencies with support from the UN agencies and multilateral organizations. The climate crisis has inflicted further wounds on the structural challenges and budget constraints of developing countries. Commitment to the nationally determined contributions is a critical step towards achieving the recommendations in the Paris Agreement. The global climate crisis is accelerating faster than our capacity to respond. Temperatures, unprecedented floods, prolonged droughts, vanishing glaciers, and rising sea levels are affecting landlocked developing countries, SIDS, and coastal states in building climate resilience infrastructure, mitigating strategies, and adaptation. The operationalization of the loss and damage fund must be fulfilled in a swift and responsive manner to enable development countries to address climate-induced shocks. International financial institutions and regional development banks must make climate finance, green bonds, and blended finance accessible to respond to climate shocks and build mitigation measures. Investments in all AI-powered climate Early warning systems must be tailored to address climate shocks and support recovery. Establishing research centers, innovation hubs, and exchange programs on climate mitigation and technology must meet international and domestic investment with the participation participation of private sector players. Developed partners must be willing to transfer knowledge and technology on climate mitigation to help developing countries build resilience. In conclusion, the upcoming climate discussion in Turkey and the upcoming COP32 must focus on addressing climate finance, glacier loss, sea levels, mitigation, and adaptation strategies that could enable responses to climate change and biodiversity loss. I thank you all.

I thank the distinguished representative of Sierra Leone. I have Egypt, Netherlands, Mongolia, Portugal on my list. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Egypt.

Thank you so much, Mr. President. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, Egypt thanks the President of the General Assembly for convening this timely event ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Turkey. We meet at a critical juncture between COP30 in Belm and COP31 in Antalya. The task before us is to translate international commitments into tangible results and move beyond broad commitments towards a focused agenda for delivery. A decade after the adoption of the Paris Agreement, The world confronts a new reality.

Temperature overshoot is now inevitable, and its consequences are already reshaping lives, economies, and ecosystems.

Our collective challenge is to ensure that climate action is not only fast, but also fair.

Excellencies, for Egypt, climate action and sustainable development are inseparable.

Our national experience has shown that effective climate action requires coherence across mitigation, adaptation, and finance. and must be grounded in an integrated approach to the water, food, energy nexus. This is the foundation of Egypt's flagship initiative, NWFE+, which translate our climate and development priorities into investable, scalable programs. Our initiative demonstrates how countries can transition climate pledges into actionable projects at the national level by modernizing energy systems, strengthening water security, enhancing food resilience, and mobilizing blended finance to support communities. It's a practical example of how integrated planning can deliver climate action that is both ambitious and equitable. In this regard, Egypt underscores the cl- the critical role of just transition work program, GTWP, under the UNFCCC, established at COP27 and advanced through subsequent dialogues. The JTWP has become the principal platform for parties to exchange experiences, identify needs, and build a shared understanding of what just transitions mean in practice.

It has highlighted the importance of protecting workers

and communities, addressing the impacts of structural change, ensuring that transitions respect national circumstances and development and pathways. Excellencies, climate finance must remain at the center of implementation.

The Baku to Belm roadmap to mobilize at

least 1.3 trillion USD annually by 2035 for developing countries must be translated into accessible, predictable, adequate, and grant-based support.

This is

urgent for adaptation, loss and damage, resilience, and green development, where developing countries' needs are greatest and that vulnerable acute. Restoring trust requires translating commitments into implementation. This meeting

I thank the distinguished representative of Egypt. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Netherlands.

Thank you. Thank you very much. The Kingdom of the Netherlands is grateful to the PGA for convening this special event on climate action. We align ourselves with the statement of the European Union. The UNEP Overshoot Report makes clear that much remains to be done on mitigation to limit the duration and impact of our overshoot. It also underscores the need to strengthen adaptation and to ensure climate finance flows at much greater scale. Therefore, we wish to highlight three points: finance, adaptation, and transitioning away from fossil fuels to keep 1.5 degrees within reach. First, the adaptation to climate shocks will require major collective investments, both public and private. The Kingdom of the Netherlands is strongly committed to adaptation finance. Currently, over 60% of Dutch international public climate finance goes to adaptation. All of it is grant-based and addresses adaptation needs in climate-vulnerable areas. Through the UN Early Warnings for All initiative, including Water at the Heart of Climate Action, we are helping improve early warning systems and support community-led action to rebuild resilience. Meeting the global finance need will require every instrument, every channel and every source available, public and private, domestic and international, including new and innovative approaches. Second, at COP31, the Kingdom of the Netherlands wishes to see actions and decisions that not only accelerate implementation of national adaptation plans, but also make progress towards mainstreaming of adaptation across policies, programmes and budgets. Third, we must also address the root cause of the climate crisis. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and phasing out fossil fuels must remain a top priority. Together with Colombia, the Netherlands organized the world's first conference on transitioning away from fossil fuels. It brought together 57 countries representing one third of global GDP, energy demand and energy supply. We will continue to develop practical solutions to advance this transition, and we invite public and private partners to join us. Let us strengthen climate ambition through joint action, recognizing our mutual interdependence in this global crisis. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Mongolia.

Mr. President, Mongolia aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the G77 and China. We thank the President of the General Assembly for convening this discussion. We also thank Armenia and Turkey for convening the forthcoming COPs, respectively. Restoring trust through climate action means turning commitments into implementation and ensuring that developing countries' vulnerabilities are reflected in our collective response. As a landlocked developing country with vast drylands, range lands, and fragile mountain ecosystems, we are experiencing the increasingly interconnected impacts of climate change, land degradation, drought, and water stress. These challenges directly affect rural livelihoods, food and water security, ecosystems, and the resilience of our communities. Climate action, therefore, go hand in hand with action on land, water, and ecosystems. Two months ago, Mongolia hosted UNCCD COP17 in Ulaanbaatar. In Ulaanbaatar Declaration, Restoring Land, Restoring Hope, called for stronger cooperation to address desertification, land degradation, and drought. Sustainable rangeland management and the water-land nexus and resilient infrastructure remain central to these efforts. As we prepare for COP31 in Antalya, we would highlight three priorities. First, adaptation must receive the same political attention as mitigation supported by adequate, predictable, and accessible finance. Second, climate action must address interconnected risks facing landlocked mountain and other vulnerable developing countries, including water insecurity and drought.

Third,

stronger support for finance, technology transfer, and capacity building is essential to help developing countries turn national commitments into tangible results. The forthcoming COPs offer an opportunity to strengthen cooperation across the Rio Conventions and ensure that climate action, biodiversity, and conservation, and land restoration reinforce one another. COP 31 must help rebuild confidence in multilateral cooperation by delivering on commitments already made. We stand ready to work with all partners towards an ambitious, balanced and implementation-oriented outcome in Antalya.

Thank you. I thank the distinguished representative of Mongolia. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Portugal.

Thank you. Mr. President, Excellencies, we welcome the conveying of this important discussion ahead of COP31. Portugal aligns with the statement delivered by the European Union and would like to make the following statement in its national capacity. Restoring trust requires turning commitments into results. COP 31 must accelerate the implementation of Paris Agreement, guided by science, with ambitious emissions reductions and stronger support for adaptation. We would like to highlight three priorities. First, place climate, biodiversity, the ocean nexus in its rightful place. The ocean regulates our climate, sustains biodiversity, and supports food security and livelihoods. Protecting and restoring maritime and coastal ecosystems strengthens both mitigation and adaptation. We must better integrate ocean action into NDCs and national adaptation plans, aligning these with biodiversity strategies and efforts to strengthen water resilience. The implementation of the Rio Conventions covering climate, biodiversity, and land restoration depend on stronger coordination, including water management to achieve practical results. The effective implementation of the BBNJ Agreement is also a priority for Portugal, further contributing to ocean protection and resilience. Second priority, strengthen early warning and disaster risk reduction. From droughts to floods to sea level rise, these all demand better preparedness and sustained investment in prevention. We need human-centered, multi-hazard early warning systems that connect scientific observation and local knowledge to protect those most exposed, particularly SIDS. Portugal continues to support the Secretary-General's Early Warning Systems for All initiative. Third priority, mobilize innovative finance for implementation. Ambitious plans need financing, including from the private sector, both for mitigation and adaptation. Multilateral development banks must strengthen their support, simplify access, and help develop projects that respond to national priorities. Excellencies. The severe impacts of climate change have implications for peace and security. Water scarcity, food insecurity, displacement and loss of livelihoods can compound fragility and heightened tensions. Portugal remains committed to work with all to deliver. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Portugal. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Kyrgyzstan, to be followed by Timor-Leste and India. Kyrgyzstan, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President, distinguished delegates. We also would like to thank the PGA for convening this timely discussion. As we approach the COP31 in Turkey, Kyrgyzstan calls for stronger international cooperation in the preservation of our planet. As a mountainous country, let me highlight the few things that the President of Kyrgyzstan initiated at his address to the General Assembly in September. First, the President Sadyr Japarov has proposed establishing, under the auspices of the UN, a special joint trust fund for the preservation of the Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan, with the initial national contribution of 10 million US dollars. Climate change also poses a serious risk to Issyk Lake, which is a part of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and is included among the wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar framework. As my President has emphasized, we must prevent the similar environmental tragedies to those experienced in the Aral Sea and the Lake Chad. Second, on 21st, 23rd October 2027, Kyrgyzstan, together with the UN, will host the second global mountain summit, Bishkek+25. The summit will mark the culmination of the five years of action for the development of the mountain regions and provide an opportunity to transform international commitments into practical partnership and investment. Protecting mountains means protecting water, biodiversity, livelihoods, and our common future. Ladies and gentlemen, as all delegations gathered in Armenia today for the CBD conference, Kyrgyzstan also proposed another initiative. First, to establish the program for the mountain regions within the Global Environmental Facility and the Global Center for Mountain Resilience in Bishkek. Second, to promote the debt for nature swaps to finance environmental protection and glaciers preservation. And finally, to strengthen the regional cooperation on the protection of the endangered wildlife species. We believe these proposals can help translate global commitments into concrete actions. Mr. President, ahead of the first BBNJ COP in January next year, We are ready to engage with the work of the BBNJ with the great ambition. Kyrgyzstan is ready to the concrete steps under the BBNJ agreement. We call more active support for mountainous and landlocked developing countries, including SIDS, particularly in the climate adaptation, access to financing, and technologies.

I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Kyrgyzstan. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Timor-Leste.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Timor-Leste aligns itself with the statements of G77 and China and AOSIS. We thank the PGA for convening this discussion. For Timor-Leste, climate change is a question of economic resilience, sustainable development, and intergenerational justice. Changing rainfall patterns, Salts, drought, and coastal erosion threaten agriculture, food security, water resources, and livelihood. The recent Pacific Prep COP 31st in Fiji and Tuvalu brought renewed attention to realities facing vulnerable island nations. So restoring trust requires confronting structural challenges that should receive more attention in international discussions. Mr. Chair, first, climate vulnerability carries hidden economic costs. International financial institutions should better consider multidimensional vulnerability, including through the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index as a complement to existing criteria while scaling up predictable, accessible, and grant-based climate finance. Second, adaptation efforts must respond to the specific needs and circumstances of the communities. In Timor-Leste, rural families depend on rain-fed agriculture, local water systems, and coastal resources. Strengthening their resilience requires accessible adaptation finance, climate-resilient agriculture, improved watershed management, and stronger community infrastructure, drawing on local knowledge and ensuring women's participation. Third, we must recognize the long-term consequences of sea level rise. Timor-Leste welcomes the United Nations Declaration on Sea Level Rise and underscores the importance of preserving established maritime zones. safeguarding continuity of statehood and protecting affected populations, consistent with international law. Fourth, climate technology must be accessible to vulnerable countries. Early warning systems require reliable climate data, effective local communication, trained personnel, and evacuation arrangements. Technology partnerships should strengthen national capabilities. Mr. Chair, as COP31 approaches, Timor-Leste calls for keeping 1.5C within reach, guided by equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities in light of different national circumstances, while accelerating adaptation and ensuring accessible financing to address loss and damage. Trust grows when commitments are fulfilled, finance reaches communities, and vulnerable countries can shape their futures. A planet fit for the future must protect development gains and ensure future generations inherit opportunities rather than the cost of our inaction. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Timor-Leste. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of India, to be followed by Germany and Israel. India, you have the floor.

Thank you, Chair.

We join others in thanking the PGA for convening this timely discussion.

As India emphasized at pre-COP in Fiji, our shared ground exceeds our differences. COP31 must restore trust through balanced implementation. Implementation must respect national circumstances and development imperatives with practical support enabling developing countries to pursue nationally determined climate pathways. Allow me to highlight three priorities for India.

First, ambition requires greater finance, technology transfer, and capacity building.

The Article 9.1 work program under the Paris Agreement should advance developed countries' finance obligations, addressing scope and modalities first. Article 6 cooperation can mobilize additional resources.

COP31 should advance the BELEM technology implementation program and remove technology transfer barriers. Second, the global goal on adaptation must serve vulnerable communities, backed by predictable, accessible finance, technology, and capacity building, without becoming overly technical or adding reporting burdens. India is finalizing its first national adaptation plan.

We have demonstrated climate resilient agricultural technologies in 448 villages across 151 vulnerable districts.

Our Jal Shakti Abhiyan program strengthens water conservation and rainwater harvesting. Third, COP31 should operationalize the just transition mechanism, grounded in equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.

Safeguarding livelihoods and nationally determined development pathways. Unilateral trade measures, including carbon border adjustment mechanisms, must not shift historical emissions burden onto developing countries.

Mr. President, India achieved 50% non-fossil installed electricity capacity five years ahead of its 2030 target. PM Suryaghar program expands rooftop solar, while our National Green Hydrogen Mission promotes clean energy innovation.

Through the International Solar Alliance and the Global Biofuels Alliance, we advance technology cooperation, capacity building, and clean energy access.

Mr. President, climate multilateralism must remain party-driven, inclusive, and consensus-based.

The global stocktake should strengthen implementation of existing commitments, particularly on finance and the means of implementation. It should not become a vehicle for new mitigation obligations or sector-specific prescriptions which are outside the UNFCCC process.

India expresses full support to COP31 presidencies and stands ready for open dialogue.

Technical cooperation, and targeted capacity building towards a balanced, equitable COP31 outcome, particularly for the most vulnerable.

I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of India. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Germany.

Mr. President, Thank you for convening this timely and important event. Germany fully aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union. At the outset, I would like to emphasize Germany remains a reliable partner in international climate finance. The transition away from fossil fuels towards electrification and renewable energy is the biggest lever for achieving climate neutrality. It also strengthens energy security, efficiency, and competitiveness, while reducing dependence on fossil fuel imports. Germany is translating our collective commitment into concrete national action. On 23 September, the German government published its national roadmap for transitioning away from fossil fuels. Germany is legally committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2045. This requires a consistent transition across all sectors through electrification and rapid expansion of renewable energies. Our climate action program is expected to save almost 7 billion cubic meters of natural gas and around 4 billion liters of petrol in 2030 alone. We encourage all countries to make their own plans for an accelerated energy transition more concrete. Germany supports Brazil's roadmap process. We want COP31 to deliver an ambitious outcome that takes this process forward and encourages more countries to develop national roadmaps. Mr. President, Germany welcomes the Turkish presidency's focus on electrification, including the proposed pledge to increase electricity's share of global final energy consumption to 35% by the year 2035. COP31 should deliver an ambitious electrification package with concrete implementation steps, cooperation and financing for industry, transport and heating. But there can be no electrification without expanding and stabilizing electricity grids. As we expand our grids, we must also avoid locking in long-term emissions from sulfur, all say fluoride. Germany is developing an international pledge to address these emissions. For countries in the global south, electrification based on renewable offers a major development opportunity, expanding energy access, reducing import dependence, attracting investment, and building competitive industries. No country should have to manage this transformation alone. We stand ready to support. Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished representative of Germany. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Israel, to be followed by Malawi and the Republic of Korea. Israel, you have the floor.

President, Excellencies, as we prepare for COP31 in Turkey, our priority must be implementation, turning climate commitments into practical solutions backed by financing. Israel remains committed to keeping to the 1.5 goal. For a country facing water scarcity and warming climate, adaptation and resilience are immediate necessities. Our experience with water offers concrete example. For decades, Israel's national water carrier transported water from the Lake of Galilee southwards, supplying water to homes and farms. Today, New infrastructure allows us to send desalinated water from the Mediterranean to flow northwards into the Lake of Galilee, helping to preserve it as a strategic water reserve. We have redesigned and reassigned the way our national water system works. This reflects a broader lesson. Climate resilience requires research, investments, regulations, and cooperation to transform entire systems. The same approach guides our climate innovation ecosystem. In Israel, researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, and government work together to develop solutions and bring them into use. Initiatives like as Desertec help to connect scientific knowledge with practical needs. Yet promising technologies often face financing gap. Development is expensive, testing takes time, and early risk can discourage private investments. Public financing and risk sharing mechanisms can help bridge the gap in enabling solutions to demonstrate their value and attract private capital. For COP 31, the lesson is clear. Financing must support both innovation and development, helping effective solutions reach the communities that need them. For the Pacific Island countries, sea level rise threatens communities, infrastructure, and livelihood. Their priorities must inform our discussions, and the local communities must help shape the solutions. Excellencies, Israel attaches particular importance to the upcoming COP31, to a transparent and inclusive process in which all parties can contribute meaningfully. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Israel. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Malawi.

Mr. President, Excellencies, Malawi welcomes this timely dialogue and commends the President of the General Assembly for convening us ahead of COP31. For Malawi, climate change is not a distant threat. It is a present development emergency, which is undermining food security, destroying infrastructure, displacing communities, and reversing the hard-won development gains. As both a least developed country and a landlocked developing country, Malawi faces disproportionate climate impacts despite contributing negligibly to global greenhouse gas emissions. Cyclone Freddy in 2023 and recurrent droughts demonstrate how a single climate disaster can erase years of development progress. Mr. President, Restoring trust through climate action requires moving decisively from commitments to implementation. Malawi therefore emphasizes four priorities. First, adaptation must receive greater political attention and predictable financing. Investments in climate-resilient agriculture, irrigation, water security, and infrastructure are essential to protecting livelihoods and building long-term resilience. Second, early warning systems must translate into early action. Forecasting technology, climate information services, and community-based preparedness must reach the last mile, particularly women, persons with disabilities, and vulnerable rural communities. Early warnings save lives only when communities have the capacity and resources to act. Third, Climate finance must be accessible, adequate, and responsive to national needs. For countries already facing severe fiscal constraints, adaptation financing should be predominantly grant-based rather than deepening debt vulnerabilities. The Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage must deliver timely and accessible support to affected countries. Fourth, COP31 must strengthen accountability for implementation. Developed countries must demonstrate leadership through ambitious emission reductions and fulfillment of their commitments on finance, technology transfer, and capacity building. Mr. President, Malawi remains committed to implementing its nationally determined contribution and strengthening climate resilience through national development priorities. However, ambition must be matched by international solidarity and meaningful support. Restoring trust means ensuring that those who contributed least to climate crisis are not left to bear its greatest costs. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Malawi. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Republic of Korea, to be followed by Tajikistan and Venezuela. Korea, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President. Today's event is timely and important as we build momentum to COP31. COP31 must prove that climate multilateral cooperation remains effective and capable of delivering tangible results. As Turkey has designated COP31 as an implementation COP, we hope this gathering will advance the pledges made at COP30 into concrete progress. In this regard, the timely submission of NDCs and BTRs by all parties is essential. We look forward to parties reaching a clear consensus at COP31 on the continuation of the mitigation work program and the launch of global goal on adaptation indicators. The UNEP report, Limiting Overshoot, clearly reminds us of urgent need for corrective action to accelerate mitigation and transition to clean and renewable energy. In this regard, the global electrification target proposed by IEA and Turkey can show our determination to accelerate this transition. We hope this target can be reflected in the outcomes of COP31. At the same time, the tragic loss of life and displacement caused by recent flash floods in Nepal serves as a stark reminder of our reality. international community expects the UNFCCC process to respond meaningfully to such climate disasters. Although the loss and damage fund was established at COP28, its first disbursement to vulnerable countries has yet to take place. If COP31 emergency response as if nothing happened in Nepal, it could undermine the credibility of the UNFCCC process. We hope that the first disbursement from the fund can be made within this year, together with the introduction of an emergency disbursement mechanism. We expect that a clear message on this issue can be reflected in the COP31 cover decision. Finally, the first climate and trade dialogue at SB64 this year was a meaningful start. We hope that the outcome of this dialogue also can be recognized in the COP31 cover decision. This will help to develop guiding principles for addressing the trade-related climate measures. Excellencies, the Republic of Korea will remain fully committed to collaborating with our partners to translate our shared commitments into action-oriented outcomes in our territory. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Republic of Korea. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Tajikistan.

Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, I thank you for convening this timely discussion ahead of COP31. What happens to glaciers in the mountains does not stay in the mountains. It affects rivers, agriculture, energy security, and communities far downstream. According to WMO, glaciers lost approximately 450 billion tons of ice in the 2023-24 hydrological year. For Tajikistan, a mountainous and landlocked developing country, this is not a distant threat. It's a challenge to our water availability, livelihoods, and future development. We must also accelerate global emissions reductions, because no amount of adaptation can replace the glaciers we continue to lose. Allow me, Mr. President, to highlight three priorities. First, protecting glaciers means protecting water availability. At Tajikistan's initiative, the UNGA designated 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers Preservation. Together with France, we also advanced the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences 2025-2034. The high-level conference in Dushanbe further strengthened international cooperation. Its Dushanbe Glaciers Declaration provides a foundation for continued action. Our task now is to translate this political momentum into stronger scientific cooperation and practical results. Second, science must lead to early action. Understanding glacier retreat is essential, but scientific knowledge alone does not protect communities. We need better monitoring, reliable forecasting, and effective multi-hazard early warning systems. Warnings must reach those most at risk, including communities in remote mountain regions. They must also have the capacity to respond. This is how science saves lives. Third, action requires reliable support. Even the best warning systems cannot protect communities without resources to act. Developing countries need accessible climate finance, technology, capacity building. Support must strengthen locally-led adaptation, resilient infrastructure, and preparedness. At COP31, we call for greater support for glaciers monitoring, early warning, and climate adaptation, particularly in vulnerable mountain and landlocked developing countries. Restoring trust in climate action requires more than commitment. It requires the risk we reduce, the lives we protect, and the promises we deliver. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Tajikistan. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, to be followed by Malaysia and Zimbabwe. Venezuela, you have the floor.

Venezuela is grateful for the convening of this timely, high-level event in the lead-up to COP31. Venezuela endorses the statement delivered on behalf of the G77 and China. Restoring trust in climate action requires first and foremost that we ensure inclusive and transparent negotiations processes. We as developing countries who have contributed the least to global emissions, we are now facing the most severe impacts of this crisis, even as we are struggling under poverty and structural inequalities. We therefore reaffirm that the principles of common but differentiated responsibilities, equity and respective capacities should remain the basis of all international climate action in accordance with differing national circumstances. Developed countries have a historic responsibility in this crisis. They should undertake greater commitments to reduce emissions and substantially increase climate finance, technology transfer and capacity building for the benefit of developing countries. Without fulfilling this, we cannot have trust and instead we would run the risk of greater disasters due to climate inaction. President, Venezuela supports a just, orderly and equitable energy transition that respects national priorities and the enduring sovereignty of each state over its natural resources. We reject the imposition of forced decarbonization schedules that ignore the economic and social realities of developing countries. The transition is supposed to close gaps, not deepen them. We would also caution against the use of the climate action to justify unilateral coercive measures or trade restrictions. These limit the ability of our countries to advance in the areas of adaptation, resilience, and energy transition. We reaffirm that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement constitute the legitimate fora for negotiating global climate action. President, today, Venezuela is experiencing a process of national rebirth driven by economic recovery and strengthening the country's productive capacity. In this context, we reaffirm our willingness to contribute as far as we are able and in accordance with our vocation for cooperation to strengthening energy security and to promoting sustainable development. Finally, Venezuela reiterates its commitment to inclusive multilateralism that is based on dialogue, cooperation, and climate justice. I thank you, President.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Malaysia.

Mr. President, Malaysia expresses its appreciation to the President of the General Assembly for convening this timely discussion ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Turkey. For Malaysia, climate change is not a distant threat. Its impacts are increasingly felt through extreme weather events, floods, and disruptions to livelihoods. Addressing these challenges requires not only stronger climate action, but also renewed trust in our collective commitments. Allow me to highlight three points. First, we must harness science and technology to strengthen climate resilience. Advances in climate modeling, satellite observation, and digital technologies offer opportunities to improve the detection and forecasting of climate-related hazards. Equally important is integrating scientific knowledge with local experience to ensure that early warning systems respond effectively to the needs and circumstances of communities.

Second,

Early warnings must translate into timely and effective action. In this regard, Malaysia is advancing its first national adaptation plan, which seeks to strengthen climate resilience across five priority sectors, including water and coastal resources, agriculture and food security, and public health. The plan aims to integrate climate risk into national development planning, while strengthening institutional coordination and adaptation financing. These efforts intend to strengthen effective early warning system and community preparedness, particularly in rural, remote, and coastal areas. Third, international cooperation must translate into tangible support. Developing countries continue to face significant financial and technological constraints in strengthening climate resilience. Malaysia, therefore, underscores the importance of adequate, predictable and accessible climate finance, alongside technology transfer and capacity building, to support nationally driven adaptation efforts. Mr President, Malaysia remains committed to the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, guided by the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in light of different national circumstances. As we look towards COP31, Malaysia hopes to see renewed political commitment translated into concrete implementation. Ultimately, trust is strengthened when promises are translated into action and undermined when commitments remain unfulfilled. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Malaysia. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Zimbabwe, to be followed by Sweden and Botswana. Zimbabwe, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President. We welcome the convening of this important engagement as we look ahead to COP31. We also welcome COP31's focus on implementation through concrete action in mitigation and building resilience in our communities. Zimbabwe aligns itself with the statement delivered by Uruguay on behalf of the G77 and China, and I deliver this statement in our national capacity. Zimbabwe has experienced the impact of climate shocks on livelihoods, food and water security, as well as infrastructure. Through the third generation nationally determined contribution, Zimbabwe committed to adaptation measures in sectors that include agriculture, water, infrastructure, early warning and disaster risk management, health, forestry and biodiversity. Meaningful progress will depend on collective action at national and international levels. and wish to highlight the following priorities. First, early warning systems must be designed to support rapid anticipatory action in protecting communities from climate-induced extreme weather phenomena. We support the sector general's early warning for all initiative and call for greater investment into this initiative so that no one in no place is left behind. Second, progress in climate action in developing countries is being constrained by inadequate finance, technology, and capacity gaps. We add our voice to the call for developed countries to honour their climate financing obligation in accordance with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. Zimbabwe looks forward to discussions on how to take forward the Baku to Belem roadmap in order to strengthen the means of implementation. Third, countries with critical energy transition minerals need to equitably benefit from their endowments through moving up the critical mineral value chain. look forward to discussions at COP31 that will prioritize the identification of innovative mechanisms to scale up financing for value addition and beneficiation of critical energy transition minerals at source. In conclusion, the future of our planet is our convergence point. Let us harness this occasion to build momentum towards COP31. Zimbabwe is committed to working with all stakeholders in setting out the framework for global cooperation on adaptation and resilience building. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Zimbabwe. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Sweden.

Thank you, Chair. Excellencies, dear colleagues, Sweden aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union and would like to add the following remarks in our national capacity. First of all, thank you for bringing us together at this very important moment as we look ahead to COP31. Like many others, Sweden wishes to underscore both the severity of the climate change and the urgency of raising global climate ambition. Climate action is not only an environmental issue. It is also a pathway to economic competitiveness, energy security, resilience, sustainable development and global stability. I expect COP31 to send a clear signal to markets and actors globally that the transition to the net zero is indeed accelerating. We have the solutions. Policymakers need to set regulatory frameworks in place that strengthen demand for these solutions. Swedish business actors will be on the ground on COP31 to showcase the solutions they can offer across sectors such as energy, transport, industry, waste and food systems to accelerate NDC implementation. This must be accompanied by an orderly and just transition away from fossil fuels and towards increased electrification, improved energy efficiency, and the rapid deployment of renewable energy and other clean energy solutions. The Paris Agreement remains our best framework for collective climate action, with the NDCs and science and innovation at its core. To deliver on our shared goals, We need greater flows of public and private capital and better alignment of financial flows with climate resilient and low emission development pathways. Sweden is among the world's largest providers of international climate finance on a per capita basis, including through the Green Climate Fund, the Global Environmental Facility, and the Adaptation Fund. We encourage others to step up their support, particularly for low-lying coastal states, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, and small island developing states. Multi-hazard early warning systems are among the most efficient means of protecting lives and livelihoods, yet coverage and operational capacity remains uneven. COP31 should help accelerate efforts to close these gaps and ensure that no community is left without access to life-saving early warning systems. Sweden remains fully committed to working constructively with all parties and observers to make COP31 a success. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Sweden. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Botswana, to be followed by Ireland and Papua New Guinea. Botswana, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President, distinguished delegates. Botswana aligns itself with the statements delivered on behalf of the Group of 77 and China and the African group. We commend the President of the General Assembly for convening this timely meeting as we prepare for the 31st session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Tegucigalpa. For Botswana, climate change is not merely an environmental concern, it is a development, economic and intergenerational justice challenge. As a landlocked, semi-arid and climate-vulnerable developing country, we continue to experience the adverse effects of rising temperatures, recurrent droughts, erratic rainfall, desertification, and land degradation. These threaten water and food security, livestock production, biodiversity, and the livelihoods of our people. Mr. President, Botswana underscores that an equitable global response must be anchored in the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. countries that have contributed least to historical greenhouse gas emissions should not bear a disproportionate burden of addressing the consequences of climate change. Restoring trust in climate action requires translating commitments into tangible results. Climate finance must therefore be adequate, predictable, accessible and affordable, with developed countries honouring their commitments. Equally important are technology transfer and capacity building to enable developing countries to strengthen resilience and pursue sustainable development without compromising their development aspirations. For Botswana, adaptation is an immediate priority. Investment in water security, climate-resilient agriculture, drought preparedness, land restoration, and biodiversity conservation is essential. We also emphasized the importance of adequately resourcing the loss and damage fund to support vulnerable countries confronting climate impacts beyond their adaptive capacities. Mr. President, Botswana's climate response is integral to our national development aspirations as articulated in Vision 2036 and National Development Plan 12. We remain committed to integrating climate resilience into our development planning, promoting sustainable development, of natural resources and pursuing economic diversification towards a resilient and environmentally sustainable economy. As we approach COP31, Botswana calls for outcomes that move beyond declarations.

I thank the distinguished representative of Botswana. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ireland.

Thank you, President, for this timely meeting. Ireland aligns itself with the statement of the European Union and adds the following in a national capacity. Distinguished delegates, the global climate crisis remains the most profound and urgent crisis we collectively face. Its impacts are being felt in every corner of our world, but especially in more vulnerable countries and communities. That is why the 1.5 degree limit is not negotiable, it is a red line for humanity. At a time of continuing pressure on the multilateral system, effective international climate cooperation is more important than ever. As part of its EU presidency, Ireland will provide strong and coordinated leadership for the EU at COP31, and we look forward to continued collaboration with Turkey, Australia, and global partners in that regard. Together, we must ensure that COP31 delivers meaningful outcomes and tangible progress on the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the outcomes of the first global stocktake. This requires us to support climate mitigation efforts and to scale up climate adaptation, in particular by channelling climate finance to the most vulnerable. We also need to lay the groundwork for the second global stocktake, which concludes in 2028. As a key element of building climate resilience, Ireland supports the development of early warning systems and anticipatory action so that vulnerable countries can prepare earlier and more effectively for extreme weather events and climate crises. President, the transition away from fossil fuels is now inevitable and we must collectively plan for it. Ireland is honoured to co-host with Tuvalu the second international conference on transitioning away from fossil fuels in 2027, building on the good work of Colombia and the Netherlands in organizing the first conference. For too long, within the UNFCCC process, discussions around a transition have been effectively frustrated. Now is the time to reinvigorate this element. Finally, in a world marked by increasing geopolitical tension, the threat of global peace and security is exacerbated by the accelerating impacts of climate change, environmental degradation, and biodiversity loss. The interconnected nature of climate, food security, humanitarian, development, and peace and security challenges must be recognized. Addressing the impacts of El Nino, for example, and other climate-related shocks requires coherent political, humanitarian, and development responses. Recent initiatives such as the COP28 Declaration on Climate, Relief, Recovery and Peace have laid important groundwork, and COP31 is an opportunity to strengthen partnerships and accelerate delivery where climate vulnerability, fragility and conflict intersect. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Ireland. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Papua New Guinea, to be followed by South Africa and Malta. Papua New Guinea, you have the floor.

Mr. President, all protocols observed. We meet today on the heels of the Pre-COP 31 held in our Pacific region eight days ago, which showcased the significance of placing not only Pacific climate crisis concerns, are there of the world at front and center of international discourse. Global leaders' participation at heads of state and government level, however, could have been better to build the trust we need to support each other better in addressing collectively the climate change grave concerns facing humanity and the ecosystem. Mr. President, notwithstanding this, for Papua New Guinea and our Pacific family of nations, the message is loud and clear. First, the outcomes of the pre-COP31 meeting must be adequately accounted for in COP31, be it in the high ambition for the 1.5 degrees global temperature goal, on adaptation, mitigation, resilience building, renewable energy transition, climate finance, loss and damage, early warning systems, and capacity and institutional building. Second, climate ambition must now be matched by climate action. and climate action must be matched by climate finance at speed and scale. Third, Papua New Guinea and many other SIDS are also part of a global solution for the climate crisis. This role must not be undermined by inaction and/or inadequate support for SIDS. We are home to one of the world's great tropical rainforests and extraordinary biodiversity. Our forests and our oceans provide climate services far beyond our national borders. Protecting these global assets carries a cost, and the communities who have protected them for generations must share fairly in the benefits. Mr. President, our indicative NDC financing gap is around $1.8 billion, while adaptation needs alone are estimated at nearly a million dollars annually. International climate finance, therefore, must become more accessible, predictable, and affordable. Those facing the greatest climate impacts must have access to adaptation and loss and damage finance. We support a just and equitable transition. Mr. President, in our Pacific region, we have established the Pacific Resilience Facility and thank those who have supported us in this field. And we encourage the pledges to be turned into reality. Finally, Mr. President, as we work towards COP31, let us move from promises and pledges It's a real, tangible implementation. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Papua New Guinea. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of South Africa.

Thank you, Mr. President. We thank the President of the General Assembly for convening this timely discussion ahead of COP31. Mr. President, South Africa aligns itself with the statements delivered by the African Group and the G77 and China. We would like to add the following in our national capacity. South Africa remains firmly committed to the full implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Paris Agreement. For South Africa, climate change is not only an environmental challenge, but a development, economic, social and financial challenge as well. For this reason, climate change is integral to and must support sustainable development, industrialisation, poverty reduction, employment creation and a just transition. Mr. President, COP31 will mark the beginning of the second global stocktake to assess global progress on climate action and international cooperation. And South Africa believes that this assessment must look beyond reducing emissions alone. It must properly assess the delivery of climate finance, technology transfer, and the capacity building by developed countries to developing countries at a timely scale that meet the needs of developing countries while identifying ways to address the remaining gaps, including those related to loss and damage. South Africa calls for the development of a benchmark for the tripling of the adaptation finance by 2035 as well as a process for monitoring the achievement of this target to be established at COP31. The fund for responding to loss and damage must also translate into accessible and adequate support for communities and countries experiencing climate-related loss and damage. Mr. President, South Africa strongly supports operationalization of a just transition mechanism that will strengthen international cooperation and mobilize support for implementation. The mechanism must be grounded in equity, based on agreed principles, and should adopt a whole-of-economy and a whole-of-society approach. In closing, South Africa looks forward to a successful COP31, whose deliberations we believe should be anchored on science, equity, sustainable development, and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of South Africa. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Malta.

Mr. President, Excellencies. Malta aligns with the statement delivered by the European Union and is adding the following in its national capacity. The decisions we take at COP31 must strengthen trust and reaffirm international cooperation, particularly at a time when pressure on the rules-based international order is testing our ability to address challenges collectively. Ahead of COP31, our message is clear. The Paris Agreement cannot remain a framework of promises. Its credibility depends on means of implementation and support for those facing the greatest climate risks, including SIDS and LDCs. Mitigation ambition must rise. All parties and major emitters must strengthen and implement credible action consistent with the best available science and the Paris Agreement. Malta remains committed to keeping 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach, mindful of the findings of UNEP's Overshoot Report. For Malta, climate change is also about the ocean. The ocean regulates our climate, supports livelihoods, and is fundamental to the-- And cooperation are essential to address questions regarding sovereignty, statehood, and maritime zones. Mr. President, in 1988, Malta initiated the General Assembly resolution that recognized climate change as a common concern of humankind. This means that states have a responsibility to act collectively in accordance with their responsibilities and capacities to protect people and planet. Our planet, which sustains life and livelihoods, is already fit for the future. The decisions we take or do not take are what imperil it. We congratulate Fiji and Tuvalu for convening the pre-COP and reassure our full support to the COP31 presidency and president of negotiations to turn ambition into results. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Malta, Excellencies, distinguished delegates. We have heard the last speaker for this segment. In light of the very long list of speakers for this segment, not all delegations who inscribed will be able to deliver their statements during this segment. Those delegations are invited to submit their statements to e-statements@un.org for posting on the Journal of the United Nations. Before concluding, I would like to remind participants that the second panel discussion will begin promptly at 3:00 PM in this chamber and moderated by Mr. Marco Tedesco, Lamont Research Professor of Marine and Polar Geophysics at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia Climate School. The meeting is adjourned.