UN Backs Libya's First Climate Strategy, Urges Unified Action

The United Nations Security Council signatories of the Joint Pledges on Climate, Peace and Security have welcomed Libya's adoption of its first strategic climate framework under the Paris Agreement, announced in July 2026.

Speaking at the UN on Tuesday, Danish Ambassador Christina Markus Lassen, on behalf of the signatories, encouraged Libyan authorities to integrate climate risks into national planning by strengthening coordination and institutional capacity. This approach, she said, would ensure that climate adaptation, conflict-sensitive early warning, and disaster governance are managed through a unified framework rather than fragmented across rival authorities.

Lassen also called for accelerated support for Libya's National Water Security Strategy 2026–2050, launched in April 2026. The strategy provides a concrete roadmap to address aquifer depletion and infrastructure gaps while managing demand. She urged the international community to provide sustained financial and technical support for its implementation.

The Ambassador further called for stronger, more inclusive local governance of shared water resources, including the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer system. She emphasized the formal inclusion of women, youth, and local communities in decision-making processes and encouraged continued regional cooperation and water diplomacy with neighboring countries to manage resources cooperatively, rather than as a source of tension.

Finally, Lassen called for targeted support for resilient livelihoods in communities most exposed to climate-driven instability, particularly where drought intersects with cross-border mobility, pastoralism, and trafficking networks. Such support, she noted, could reduce vulnerabilities that might be exploited by armed actors, criminal networks, and traffickers.

The signatories expressed readiness to support Libyan-led efforts and international partners in translating the strategy into funded and coordinated action.