UN adopts first declaration protecting island nations' statehood against rising seas
Countries at risk of losing their land will keep their sovereignty and maritime borders under the resolution, which the U.S. did not block.
World leaders at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on Sept. 24 approved by consensus the first declaration on sea level rise, affirming that island nations will remain sovereign states and keep their maritime borders even if rising seas swallow their land.
The declaration, a campaign by the Alliance of Small Island States, sets out what it calls a “presumption in favor of continued statehood.” It echoes a 2025 opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that a state does not necessarily lose its statehood if one of its constituent elements disappears.
For low-lying nations such as Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands, which face near-total flooding within a century, the declaration protects their sovereignty and their control over fishing, energy and other resources in their waters. “Our landmass is less than 3 meters above sea level, we are already seeing our land being swallowed by water,” said Philip Davis, prime minister of the Bahamas.
The text also says developed countries and historic emitters have an “urgent” obligation to expand small island states' access to adaptation funding, though the declaration does not itself provide any new money.
The United States, which has withdrawn from the Paris climate agreement under President Donald Trump, did not block the resolution. The State Department did not respond to Grist's request for comment.
This brief is based on reporting by Jake Bittle, published Sept. 24, 2026, on Grist. Read the original: https://grist.org/international/united-nations-sea-level-rise-declaration-islands/
This article was produced with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed by an editor before publication.
