UN official: Climate change threatens global peace

The climate emergency "is a danger to peace" as climate change exacerbates existing risks of conflict "and creates new ones," a top United Nations official said on Friday.

Miroslav Jenca, Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, said "around the world, fragile or conflict-affected situations are more exposed and less able to cope with the effects of climate change."

Jenca was speaking at a virtual meeting convened by Germany which holds the presidency of the Security Council for the month of July.

The UN official highlighted that "7 of the 10 countries most vulnerable and least prepared to deal with climate change host a peacekeeping operation or special political mission."

For his part, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said "the fight against climate change should not divide us. We fight it to save ourselves."

(Representative image)