GENEVA, 9 October 2026 — UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has urged governments preparing for COP31 to strengthen climate action and protect communities exposed to rising seas and extreme weather.
Speaking during pre-COP meetings in the Pacific, Mohammed stressed that any overshoot of the 1.5°C warming threshold should be kept as limited and brief as possible.
The Secretary-General’s spokesperson reported on 8 October that she had concluded her visit to Fiji after addressing the high-level ministerial meeting on his behalf.
Her message placed adaptation and resilience alongside emissions reduction as political priorities. Measures to protect countries and communities on the frontlines must feature prominently in the climate negotiations.
During the visit, Mohammed met delegation leaders, civil society and youth representatives. She reaffirmed UN support for the sovereignty, dignity and rights of communities facing climate threats.
UN News reported the appeal on 8 October ahead of November’s COP31 summit in Türkiye. The call emphasizes that a warming overshoot should prompt stronger action rather than weaken international ambition.
References
- UN Secretary-General’s noon briefing, 8 October 2026
- UN News, republished by Global Issues, 8 October 2026
Featured image: illustrative stock photograph, not an image of the reported event. Photo by Nicholas Doherty / Unsplash.