Air Marshal (Ret) A.K. Singh Of India Issues Statement On COP 22

Marrakech, 18 November 2016 

On the final day of COP 22 in Marrakech, GMACCC President, Air Marshal (Ret) A.K. Singh of India, has issued a statement looking forward on the importance of continued global cooperation on climate efforts. 

“With the certainty that climate change impacts will become more extreme during this uncertain political period, it is deeply encouraging to witness the resolve and determination of countries to hold up cooperation at COP 22 in Marrakech and get on with implementing the historic Paris climate agreement.  

Without this continued collective effort to build resilient low carbon societies, we will see more people displaced, increased political instability related to food and water shortages and more intense natural disasters. These challenges will test nations’ ability to respond with effective humanitarian efforts. As Secretary of State John Kerry said, there is therefore a clear national security case for scaling up action to minimise the clear and present risks of a warming planet. 

While it is clear that the planning going into this meeting was not as thorough as it could have been, all nations, militaries and civil society organisations must maintain resolve to continue and build on efforts to date, and to seek positive ways to work together with all nations, even when prospects are not clearly positive. Our challenge to provide for the well being of humans everywhere is a challenge for everyone.” 

Air Marshal Singh, former Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Air Force, is a co-author of the 2016 GMACCC publication Climate and Security in South Asia: Cooperating for Peace. The publication calls for continuous regional dialogue and new climate-based strategies to lower the possibility of conflict and human suffering from climate impacts including food and water scarcity, natural disasters and drought. 

GMACCC will be represented at the upcoming Planetary Security Conference at the Peace Palace in The Hague on 5-6 December 2016. 

Photo: Air Marshal A.K. Singh (Ret.) of India (on right) with GMACCC members and publication co-authors (from left) Lt. General Tariq Waseem Ghazi (Ret.) of Pakistan, and Maj. General A.N.M. Muniruzzaman (Ret.) of Bangladesh.