ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the main arguments put forward by United Nations (UN) member-states for and against the Security Council considering the issue. On July 20, 2011, the UN Security Council held a thematic debate on the implications of climate change for international security. It was the second time the Council had dedicated a meeting to the topic of climate change, and both sessions proved to be controversial, for both conceptual and procedural reasons. The primary body for addressing climate change within the UN system is the Framework Convention on Climate Change, formed in 1992. Under the terms of the UN Charter, the Security Council is charged with "primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. In advance of the debate, Germany circulated a concept note to member-states setting out its rationale for holding a debate and posing questions on the UN system's preparedness for potential security implications of climate change, such as reduced water access, and migration.
