During a meeting of the Security Council in New York

Mariam Al Muhairi calls for urgent international action to address food security and climate problems

Minister of Climate Change and Environment Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri called for rapid global action to address the problems of food insecurity and climate change during her participation in sessions hosted by the United Nations headquarters in New York City, USA.

She also met with Swiss President Alain Berset, who is currently in charge of the presidency of the UN Security Council.

At the UN Security Council meeting titled "Ensuring the Security and Dignity of Civilians in Conflict: Tackling Food Insecurity and Protecting Basic Services", Maryam Al Mheiri stressed the worsening impact of climate change on food security, the need to strengthen compliance with international humanitarian laws, and the role of climate change as a multiplier of the threat.

Al Muhairi referred to the Secretary-General's report on "Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict", which stated that more than a quarter of a billion people in 58 countries faced acute hunger in 2022, many of them living amid armed conflict.

"One of the most important reasons civilians continue to suffer from food insecurity resulting from conflict is the lack of clearly defined rules, it is important that we all commit to upholding international humanitarian laws," Al Muhairi said.

"We plan to adopt a robust, solutions-based approach to climate action at COP28 to be hosted by the UAE later this year. Our agenda for the conference will focus heavily on the issues of food and water systems, recognizing their important role in strengthening the resilience of vulnerable and conflict-affected countries to recover from disasters."

Al Muhairi attended a luncheon hosted by Swiss President Bercy, where they discussed how countries can work together to promote the values of peaceful coexistence and human fraternity for sustainable peace and conflict prevention.

She touched on the UAE's commitment to establishing a holistic approach during the hosting of COP28, with a focus on strengthening food and water systems in the context of climate change.

In a session titled 'Group of Friends for Food Security and Nutrition' hosted by the United Nations, Al Muhairi shed light on the UAE's strategic vision for food systems and security.

In her speech, she stressed the importance of aligning the food security agenda with climate change. She also highlighted the UAE's efforts in addressing local food security challenges, its focus on sustainable technology-based food supply and the diversification of international food sources.

"It is clear that changing food systems is an inevitable step if we are to act on the 1.5°C target set out in the Paris Agreement. We also need to reduce emissions and strengthen our resilience to ensure food security."

Given the UAE's geographical location, with limited water and arable land resources, Al Muhairi explained the steps the country will take to address local food security challenges head-on.

She also stressed the country's focus on local supply of sustainable technology-based food, diversifying international food sources, facilitating global agricultural trade, reducing food waste, improving food intake, and enhancing resilience to food security crises.

"Agritech solutions form the basis of our strategy to maximize local food security. The country is focusing on innovations such as vertical farming, hydroponics and AI-based irrigation systems as key to creating a more sustainable, efficient and resilient food production system."

She also stressed the critical role of COP28 as an opportunity to integrate food systems with climate change policy, encouraging States and non-state actors to make concrete commitments towards systemic change, while emphasizing the importance of collective action. "We urge all countries to commit to including food systems in their updated NDCs by 2025, and to prioritize food systems in their climate policies," Al Muhairi concluded.

Al Muhairi's participation in these meetings during her visit to the United States underscores the UAE's commitment to climate change and food security issues and their importance, as the country has declared 2023 the Year of Sustainability and is preparing to play its pivotal role as host of COP28 in Expo City Dubai between November and December this year.