Rising Seas, Shared Responsibility: Monaco Calls for Decisive Global Action.
On the 24th September 2026, at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, the Principality of Monaco underscored the urgency of addressing sea-level rise through science, multilateral cooperation and international law, calling for a collective response that leaves no State behind.
Sea-level rise is no longer a distant threat or an abstract environmental concern. It is a measurable and accelerating reality, already reshaping the lives of millions of people around the world. This was the central message delivered by Monaco at the high-level meeting on the Declaration on Sea-Level Rise, held during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
In its intervention, the Principality stressed that rising seas pose a growing threat to coastal territories, marine and coastal ecosystems, critical infrastructure and national economies. For Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the consequences are particularly severe, potentially threatening the habitability of their territories, their livelihoods, their cultural heritage and, ultimately, the very territorial continuity of some States.
As Monaco emphasised, this is not a challenge confined to vulnerable islands or low-lying coastal communities. It is a global concern that demands shared responsibility and coordinated international action.
Sea-level rise is a visible manifestation of a broader planetary imbalance. Its effects transcend national borders, highlighting the interconnectedness of the world's oceans and the shared responsibility of the international community to protect them.
Against this backdrop, the adoption of the Declaration on Sea-Level Rise represents an important political commitment. It reaffirms the need for responses grounded in scientific evidence, effective multilateral cooperation and international law.
For Monaco, these principles are central to building a credible and lasting response to the climate crisis. The Principality has consistently advocated an approach that places scientific knowledge at the heart of environmental policymaking, recognising that sound decisions depend on reliable data, international collaboration and a clear understanding of the changes affecting the marine environment.
Under the impetus of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, the Principality has made science a cornerstone of its environmental policy. Its support for international oceanographic and hydrographic initiatives reflects the conviction that improving knowledge of the oceans is essential to strengthening collective resilience.
Monaco hosts the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and supports the development of the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO), an international initiative dedicated to mapping the world's ocean floors.
By advancing the collection, accessibility and sharing of oceanographic and bathymetric data, these efforts contribute to a better understanding of marine environments and support more informed decision-making. Such knowledge is increasingly important as governments seek to assess coastal vulnerabilities, anticipate environmental changes and develop effective adaptation strategies.
However, scientific understanding alone cannot meet the scale of the challenge. It must translate into practical measures that protect communities, safeguard ecosystems and strengthen the capacity of countries to withstand the consequences of rising seas.
Monaco therefore called for sustained investment in resilient coastal infrastructure, the preservation of marine and coastal ecosystems, and the mobilisation of adequate financial resources, particularly for the benefit of the most vulnerable States.
These priorities are closely interconnected. Resilient infrastructure can help protect exposed communities and essential services, while healthy coastal ecosystems provide natural protection and sustain biodiversity and livelihoods. Meanwhile, predictable and accessible financing remains indispensable for countries whose resources are insufficient to address escalating climate risks.
Alongside scientific cooperation and adaptation, Monaco highlighted the importance of stability and legal certainty in addressing the implications of sea-level rise.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement collectively provide essential foundations for international cooperation. Together, these instruments establish a framework within which States can pursue coordinated responses to climate change, protect the marine environment and address the challenges associated with rising sea levels.
The legal dimension is particularly significant for countries facing the prospect of profound and potentially long-term changes to their coastlines and territories. Maintaining clarity, predictability and cooperation under international law is therefore an essential component of any effective global response.
For Monaco, the international community must continue to work through established multilateral frameworks, ensuring that scientific evidence, legal principles and political commitments reinforce one another.
CONCLUSIONS
While welcoming the Declaration as an important step forward, Monaco stated that its adoption must not be regarded as an end in itself. Rather, it should mark the beginning of a more determined phase of implementation. The urgency of the situation demands rapid and substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, alongside measures to anticipate unavoidable consequences and strengthen national capacities to protect populations at risk.
This requires more than declarations of intent. It calls for sustained political leadership, effective international partnerships, appropriate financing and concrete action on the ground. Above all, it requires solidarity with those countries facing the greatest exposure and possessing the fewest resources to respond.
The principle that no State should be left alone to confront rising seas lies at the heart of Monaco's message. The effects of climate change may be experienced unevenly, but responsibility for addressing them is shared by the international community.
Thus, Monaco reaffirmed its commitment to playing an active role in this collective endeavour, building on its longstanding support for scientific cooperation, ocean protection and multilateral diplomacy.
The message delivered in New York was both a warning and a call to action: humanity must choose between passively enduring the consequences of rising seas and preparing decisively for the future.
That choice will be measured not only by the commitments governments make today, but also by their willingness to implement them, mobilise resources and protect the communities most at risk.
As sea levels continue to rise, the international community faces a defining responsibility. The challenge is to ensure that this accelerating phenomenon does not become an irreversible tragedy for vulnerable populations and States, but instead serves as a catalyst for stronger cooperation and more ambitious environmental action.
For Monaco, the way forward is clear: science must guide policy, international law must provide stability, and solidarity must underpin implementation. One more reason to say:
the time to act is now! ***
✒️ Maurice Abbati
Strategic Communication Specialist, Editor in Chief, Journalist, Executive.
Lecturer and Author in English in the field of Environmental Communication to foster Circular and Blue Economy
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