Statelessness - Legal & Politics
Scenario: Small Island State in the Pacific becomes uninhabitable after a cyclone and storm surge decimate the islands and 20% of the 250k population are wiped out
Small Island States & Climate Change
The Alliance of Small Island State’s represents more than 1/4 of the worlds countries but is responsible for less than 1% of global emissions.
Island maps are already being redrawn due to SLR and erosion from storm surges [look for ref re: what year this started].
Statelessness
Is an island state still a state if it disappears below sea level or becomes uninhabitable? What happens to their citizens, governments and resources? ‘We could lose our status as a state’: what happens to a people when their land disappears | Pacific Islands Forum | The Guardian
PM Cook Islands, Mark Brown, Fiji 2023: “As our shorelines are eaten away by sea level rise, what will become of our sovereignty, of our lands, our titles, our homes? What will become of our fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed by our constitutions and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? How can we realise our shared vision when our very status as ‘states’ is being questioned? How can we fulfil our responsibility to our peoples if their homes and livelihoods are taken away from them?”
Foreign Minister Tuvalu, Fiji 2023: “Our discourse is not limited to legal instruments and policies, but encompasses the survival of our people and nations. We have the power to make a significant impact by acting urgently and decisively.”