Also adopted without a vote was a resolution titled “Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences, 2025–2034” (document A/78/L.99).  By its terms, the Assembly proclaimed the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences to address the challenges associated with melting glaciers and changes to the cryosphere by advancing related scientific research and monitoring.

Introducing that text, the representative of France, speaking also on behalf of Tajikistan, spotlighted the vulnerability of glaciers and poles to climate change and their role in regulating climate, ocean levels and preserving biodiversity.  Describing the cryosphere — the frozen components of the Earth’s system — as “an essential resource for our planet’s equilibrium”, she said that more than 30 countries, with the support of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), have launched an international appeal for the poles and glaciers, committing to launch a Decade of Cryospheric Sciences from 2025 to 2034.  “This UN Decade will provide a political impetus needed to make this issue a priority on the multilateral agenda,” she said.

The Decade initiative was originally launched at the One Planet – Polar Summit to expand on and support International Polar Year (IPY) efforts, with support from the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The International Science Council (ISC) and the Antarctic Treaty System organizations (ATCM and CCMALR) are also involved. 

The Decade’s objective is to provide international scientific research with substantial, concerted resources to do the following:

• Conduct ambitious international projects aimed at understanding the mechanisms at work in the collapse of the cryosphere (poles and high glacier plateaus) and its impact on the associated socio-ecosystems;
• Increase the scope of observations and thus map out the most plausible scenarios for the future evolution of the planet under the effects of climate change, the creation of new shipping lanes, the exploitation of natural resources, the chemical and plastic pollution of these environments, the loss of biodiversity and its consequences for human beings and the balance of the world, as well as the dramatic rise in sea levels on a global scale.

As a core project of the World Climate Research Programme, CliC is sponsored by UNESCO, WMO, and ISC. We look forward to working alongside our sponsors, partners, and fellow cryosphere-focused organizations to deliver a successful decade of impactful research.