UN General Assembly Adopts First Declaration on Sea-Level Rise

The United Nations General Assembly adopted its first-ever declaration on sea-level rise on 24 September 2026 at its 81st session in New York. The text affirms that the physical disappearance of territory, or a change in coastline caused by rising seas, does not automatically end a country's statehood. It also supports stability of maritime zones already established under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The declaration was adopted by consensus and is a political commitment rather than a binding treaty. For exams it links ocean law, climate obligations and the survival of small island states.

What Happened

On 24 September 2026 the United Nations General Assembly adopted a declaration on sea-level rise, the first text of its kind in the organisation's history. It was agreed by consensus at the 81st session, so no vote was recorded against it. The declaration's central move is legal rather than financial: it states that a country does not automatically lose its statehood because its territory shrinks or vanishes under rising seas. It also backs the stability of maritime zones already notified under the law of the sea.

When & Where

The declaration was adopted on 24 September 2026 at United Nations Headquarters in New York during the 81st session of the General Assembly. The timing placed it in the high-level week of the Assembly, when heads of state and government gather, which gave small island delegations an unusually visible platform. The process that produced it had been mandated two years earlier, by General Assembly Decision 78/558 in 2024.

Who Is Involved

United Nations General Assembly — the body that adopted the declaration; every member state has one vote and its declarations are recommendatory.
International Law Commission — the expert body whose study of sea-level rise and international law supplied the legal reasoning on statehood and baselines.
International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea — issued the 21 May 2024 advisory opinion treating anthropogenic greenhouse-gas emissions as marine pollution.
International Court of Justice — delivered an advisory opinion on climate obligations in July 2025.
World Meteorological Organization — supplies the sea-level and climate observations the declaration relies on.
UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission — runs the Global Ocean Observing System and the Global Sea Level Observing System, the networks that measure the rise.
Small island and low-lying coastal states — the countries whose statehood and maritime claims the declaration is designed to protect.

How It Works

A coastal state draws baselines along its coast, and from those baselines it measures its territorial sea, contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone. The baselines are deposited with the UN Secretary-General.
Rising seas push the physical coastline inland, which in strict geographic terms would shift the baselines and shrink every zone measured from them.
The International Law Commission concluded that the law of the sea does not oblige a state to update baselines or outer limits once they are duly deposited, so the legal line can stay fixed even when the water line moves.
The declaration endorses that stability, which means a sinking state keeps the fishing, mineral and shipping rights attached to its zones instead of losing them metre by metre.
Separately, the text affirms continuity of statehood, so a government does not cease to be a state in international law merely because its land is submerged.
Alongside the legal provisions, the declaration calls for adaptation finance, early warning systems and nature-based coastal protection, which is where the money and engineering sit.

Why It Matters

Legal angle: statehood has traditionally been explained through territory, population and government. Accepting that statehood survives the loss of territory stretches that settled understanding, which is why the text matters far beyond climate policy.
Economic angle: an exclusive economic zone can be worth far more than the land it surrounds. Freezing the zones protects tuna fisheries, seabed minerals and licence revenue for states with very small land areas.
Strategic angle: fixed maritime zones reduce the risk of fresh boundary disputes as coastlines change, which matters in crowded seas where overlapping claims already exist.
Humanitarian angle: with about 770 million people living less than five metres above the high-tide line, the declaration's call for early warning systems and coastal defence reaches a very large population.

Historical Background

Modern ocean law was settled in 1982 with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which entered into force in 1994 and fixed the familiar limits of the territorial sea, contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone. That architecture assumed coastlines were effectively permanent. Small island states began questioning the assumption as sea-level projections hardened, and the International Law Commission took up sea-level rise in relation to international law. Two judicial opinions then changed the climate of argument: the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in May 2024 and the International Court of Justice in July 2025. The 2026 declaration converts that legal groundwork into a political statement by the whole membership.

Previous Related Events

On 21 May 2024 the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea delivered an advisory opinion treating anthropogenic greenhouse-gas emissions as marine pollution under the law of the sea.
In 2024 the General Assembly adopted Decision 78/558, which set in motion the process that produced this declaration.
In July 2025 the International Court of Justice delivered an advisory opinion on states' obligations in relation to climate change.

Static GK Connection

UN Convention on the Law of the Sea: adopted in 1982 and in force since 1994. It sets the territorial sea at up to 12 nautical miles, the contiguous zone at up to 24 nautical miles and the exclusive economic zone at up to 200 nautical miles, all measured from baselines.
Baselines: the line along the coast from which all maritime zones are measured. Once deposited with the UN Secretary-General, it becomes the legal reference point, which is precisely why its stability was the key question here.
Advisory opinion: a non-binding legal opinion given by a court or tribunal when asked by an authorised body. The International Court of Justice sits at The Hague; the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea sits at Hamburg.
General Assembly declarations: adopted by the full membership but recommendatory in nature. They are not treaties and need no ratification, so their force comes from political weight and from shaping later state practice.

India & World Comparison

The global measurement baseline is the same for every country: global mean sea level rose 11 cm between January 1993 and the end of 2025, measured by satellites since 1993. India is affected in the same direction but from a different position. Unlike the small island states whose entire statehood is in question, India faces localised danger in the Sundarbans delta, in Lakshadweep and in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, along with tidal flooding in low-lying stretches of its coastal cities. India is therefore both a vulnerable coastal state and a large maritime power with substantial zones of its own, which gives it an interest on both sides of the argument: protecting coastal populations and keeping its own maritime limits stable. Island states such as Tuvalu, Kiribati and the Maldives, where almost all land sits within a few metres of sea level, led the push for the text.

Future Impact

The declaration is not binding, so the next step is for states to reflect it in practice, legislation and future treaty negotiations through the rest of the decade.
Coastal risks are projected to rise tenfold by 2100 without stronger mitigation, which sets the horizon against which adaptation finance will be judged.
Adaptation finance, early warning coverage and coastal protection commitments will be tracked at future climate conferences.
The statehood language is likely to be cited in disputes over migration, nationality and compensation, which the declaration itself does not settle.

🔑 Key Points for Revision

The UN General Assembly adopted its first declaration on sea-level rise on 24 September 2026.
It was adopted at the 81st session of the General Assembly in New York.
The declaration was adopted by consensus, with no recorded vote.
Loss or change of territory from sea-level rise does not automatically end statehood.
Maritime zones already established under the law of the sea are supported for stability.
The International Law Commission found no obligation to update baselines once duly deposited with the Secretary-General.
About 770 million people live less than five metres above the high-tide line.
Global mean sea level rose 11 cm from January 1993 to the end of 2025.
Satellite measurement of global mean sea level began in 1993.
Coastal risks are projected to increase tenfold by 2100 without stronger mitigation.
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea gave its advisory opinion on 21 May 2024.
The International Court of Justice gave its climate advisory opinion in July 2025.
General Assembly Decision 78/558 of 2024 mandated the process.
The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea was adopted in 1982 and entered into force in 1994.
The declaration calls for adaptation finance, early warning systems and nature-based coastal protection.

🧠 Concept Link (Static GK Deep Dive)

Core Concept: Maritime Zones and Statehood under the Law of the Sea

Definition: maritime zones are the belts of sea measured outward from a coastal state's baselines, each carrying a different mix of sovereignty and resource rights.
Constitutional / Legal Basis: the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, adopted in 1982 and in force from 1994, is the governing treaty. The declaration adopted in 2026 is a General Assembly text and creates no new treaty obligation.
Scientific / Economic Principle: thermal expansion of seawater and the melting of land ice raise sea level, pushing the physical coastline inland. Because every zone is measured from the coast, physical change would otherwise shrink legal rights worth far more than the land lost.
Link to this event: the declaration's practical effect is to separate the legal line from the moving water line, so a shrinking coast no longer shrinks a state's zones.
Origin & History: the three-zone structure was settled by the 1982 Convention, which entered into force in 1994 and was built on the assumption of stable coasts.
Key milestone 1: the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea advisory opinion of 21 May 2024 treated anthropogenic greenhouse-gas emissions as marine pollution.
Key milestone 2: the International Court of Justice advisory opinion of July 2025 addressed state obligations on climate change.
Related Acts / Schemes / Treaties: the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement cover emissions and adaptation; the law of the sea covers zones and rights; the two streams met in this declaration.
Nodal Ministry / Body: internationally the General Assembly and the International Law Commission; in India the Ministry of External Affairs handles the law-of-the-sea position while the Ministry of Earth Sciences handles ocean observation and coastal warnings.
India-specific relevance: India must protect dense coastal populations and deltas while also defending the stability of its own maritime zones, so the declaration's logic serves both of its interests.
Global comparison: island states such as Tuvalu, Kiribati and the Maldives face the loss of almost all habitable land, while large coastal states face partial inundation, which is why the two groups argue for different priorities within the same text.
Data point: global mean sea level rose 11 cm between January 1993 and the end of 2025.
Common exam angle: examiners ask the adoption date and session, the statehood provision, whether the declaration is binding, and the distinction between the territorial sea, contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone.
Easy memory hook: "12–24–200" for the three zones in nautical miles, and "water moves, the line stays" for the declaration's core idea.

❓ Practice MCQs

Q1. When did the UN General Assembly adopt its first declaration on sea-level rise? [Easy]

A) 24 September 2026

B) 30 September 2026

C) 24 September 2025

D) 1 October 2026

Answer: A

Explanation: The declaration was adopted on 24 September 2026 at the 81st session of the General Assembly in New York.

Q2. Roughly how many people live less than five metres above the high-tide line? [Easy]

A) 270 million

B) 500 million

C) 770 million

D) 1.5 billion

Answer: C

Explanation: About 770 million people live less than five metres above the high-tide line.

Q3. The maritime zones whose stability the declaration supports are established under which treaty? [Moderate]

A) UN Framework Convention on Climate Change

B) Ramsar Convention

C) UN Convention on the Law of the Sea

D) Paris Agreement

Answer: C

Explanation: The territorial sea, contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone are established under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, adopted in 1982.

Q4. By how much did global mean sea level rise between January 1993 and the end of 2025? [Moderate]

A) 11 cm

B) 5 cm

C) 25 cm

D) 40 cm

Answer: A

Explanation: Global mean sea level rose 11 cm over that period, measured by satellites from 1993 onwards.

Q5. Which body issued the advisory opinion of 21 May 2024 treating anthropogenic greenhouse-gas emissions as marine pollution? [Moderate]

A) International Court of Justice

B) International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea

C) Permanent Court of Arbitration

D) World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Body

Answer: B

Explanation: The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, which sits at Hamburg, issued that advisory opinion on 21 May 2024.

Q6. What does the declaration say about the statehood of countries losing territory to rising seas? [Tricky]

A) Statehood is automatically lost once the territory is submerged.

B) The General Assembly will decide each case separately by vote.

C) Affected states must merge with a neighbouring country.

D) Statehood is not automatically lost because of the loss or change of territory.

Answer: D

Explanation: The text affirms that the physical disappearance of territory or a change of coastline caused by sea-level rise does not automatically end statehood.

Q7. Which statement about this General Assembly declaration is correct? [Tricky]

A) It is a binding treaty that overrides the law of the sea.

B) It is a political commitment adopted by consensus and is not a binding treaty.

C) It enters into force only after ratification by the Security Council.

D) It binds only those states that separately sign it later.

Answer: B

Explanation: It was adopted by consensus as a General Assembly declaration, which is recommendatory and needs no ratification.

Q8. Without stronger mitigation, coastal risks are projected to increase by how much by 2100? [Tricky]

A) Twofold

B) Fivefold

C) Tenfold

D) Twentyfold

Answer: C

Explanation: Coastal risks are projected to increase tenfold by 2100 in the absence of stronger mitigation.

📜 Previous Year Question Style (PYQ)

PYQ 1:

The first United Nations declaration on sea-level rise was adopted at which session of the General Assembly?

A) 79th session

B) 80th session

C) 81st session

D) 82nd session

Answer: C

Explanation: The declaration was adopted at the 81st session of the General Assembly on 24 September 2026.

PYQ 2:

Consider the following statements:

The first United Nations declaration on sea-level rise was adopted by the General Assembly in September 2026.
The declaration affirms that a change of coastline caused by sea-level rise does not automatically result in the loss of statehood.
The declaration is a legally binding treaty that requires ratification by member states before it takes effect.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

A) 1 only

B) 1 and 2 only

C) 2 and 3 only

D) All of the above

Answer: B

Explanation: Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong because a General Assembly declaration is recommendatory and needs no ratification.

PYQ 3:

Assertion (A): The United Nations declaration on sea-level rise supports the stability of maritime zones already deposited with the UN Secretary-General.

Reason (R): The International Law Commission concluded that the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea does not require states to update baselines or the outer limits of maritime zones once they are duly deposited.

A) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.

B) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.

C) A is true but R is false.

D) A is false but R is true.

Answer: A

Explanation: The Commission's conclusion on baselines is exactly the legal basis on which the declaration rests its support for stable maritime zones.

✍️ Mains Answer Pointers

Question 1 (150 words): Explain why the question of baselines became central to the United Nations declaration on sea-level rise.

Baselines became central because every maritime entitlement a coastal state holds is measured from them.

A state draws baselines along its coast and deposits them with the UN Secretary-General. From that line it measures a territorial sea of up to 12 nautical miles, a contiguous zone of up to 24 and an exclusive economic zone of up to 200. If rising water moved the baseline inland, each of those zones would shrink with it, and the fishing, mineral and licensing rights attached to them would shrink too.

The International Law Commission concluded that the law of the sea imposes no duty to update baselines once duly deposited. The declaration adopted on 24 September 2026 endorses that reading.

The practical result is a legal line held steady while the physical coast retreats. The way forward is for states to reflect this in their own maritime legislation.

Question 2 (250 words): The United Nations declaration on sea-level rise has been described as an attempt to settle a question of statehood by political consensus rather than by treaty. Critically examine this view.

The description is accurate, and the reasons for it are worth separating from the criticism.

International law has long explained statehood through territory, population and government. Sea-level rise attacks the first of those, raising a question the law of the sea never anticipated: what remains of a state when its land goes under? The declaration adopted on 24 September 2026 at the 81st session answers that the physical disappearance of territory does not automatically end statehood, and it supports the stability of maritime zones already established under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, adopted in 1982.

The legal groundwork was already laid. The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea ruled on 21 May 2024 that anthropogenic greenhouse-gas emissions amount to marine pollution, and the International Court of Justice addressed climate obligations in July 2025. The International Law Commission supplied the finding that baselines, once duly deposited, need not be updated.

The weakness is in the instrument. A General Assembly declaration is recommendatory; it creates no obligation and no enforcement route, and it leaves relocation, nationality and compensation unresolved. Adoption by consensus is its strength and its limit at once: nothing was voted down because nothing was made binding.

Yet the political route had advantages a treaty lacked. Consensus among the whole membership produced an agreed statement in two years, where a convention would have taken a decade of ratifications, with the states most at risk, such as Tuvalu and the Maldives, running out of time.

The sensible next step is to convert the declaration's language into national maritime legislation and into future treaty text, so that stable zones rest on state practice rather than on goodwill alone.

⚠️ Examiner Trap

Trap 1: Students confuse the International Court of Justice with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. The correct fact is that the Tribunal gave the advisory opinion of 21 May 2024 on emissions as marine pollution and sits at Hamburg, while the Court gave a separate climate advisory opinion in July 2025 and sits at The Hague.
Trap 2: A common wrong assumption is that a General Assembly declaration is a binding treaty. The reality is that it is recommendatory, needs no ratification, and derives its force from political weight and later state practice.
Trap 3: Many students miss the difference between the territorial sea, the contiguous zone and the exclusive economic zone. Always remember the limits measured from baselines are up to 12, 24 and 200 nautical miles respectively.

UN General Assembly Adopts First Declaration on Sea-Level Rise

What Happened

When & Where

Who Is Involved

United Nations General Assembly — the body that adopted the declaration; every member state has one vote and its declarations are recommendatory.
International Law Commission — the expert body whose study of sea-level rise and international law supplied the legal reasoning on statehood and baselines.
International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea — issued the 21 May 2024 advisory opinion treating anthropogenic greenhouse-gas emissions as marine pollution.
International Court of Justice — delivered an advisory opinion on climate obligations in July 2025.
World Meteorological Organization — supplies the sea-level and climate observations the declaration relies on.
UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission — runs the Global Ocean Observing System and the Global Sea Level Observing System, the networks that measure the rise.
Small island and low-lying coastal states — the countries whose statehood and maritime claims the declaration is designed to protect.

How It Works

A coastal state draws baselines along its coast, and from those baselines it measures its territorial sea, contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone. The baselines are deposited with the UN Secretary-General.
Rising seas push the physical coastline inland, which in strict geographic terms would shift the baselines and shrink every zone measured from them.
The International Law Commission concluded that the law of the sea does not oblige a state to update baselines or outer limits once they are duly deposited, so the legal line can stay fixed even when the water line moves.
The declaration endorses that stability, which means a sinking state keeps the fishing, mineral and shipping rights attached to its zones instead of losing them metre by metre.
Separately, the text affirms continuity of statehood, so a government does not cease to be a state in international law merely because its land is submerged.
Alongside the legal provisions, the declaration calls for adaptation finance, early warning systems and nature-based coastal protection, which is where the money and engineering sit.

Why It Matters

Legal angle: statehood has traditionally been explained through territory, population and government. Accepting that statehood survives the loss of territory stretches that settled understanding, which is why the text matters far beyond climate policy.
Economic angle: an exclusive economic zone can be worth far more than the land it surrounds. Freezing the zones protects tuna fisheries, seabed minerals and licence revenue for states with very small land areas.
Strategic angle: fixed maritime zones reduce the risk of fresh boundary disputes as coastlines change, which matters in crowded seas where overlapping claims already exist.
Humanitarian angle: with about 770 million people living less than five metres above the high-tide line, the declaration's call for early warning systems and coastal defence reaches a very large population.

Historical Background

Previous Related Events

On 21 May 2024 the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea delivered an advisory opinion treating anthropogenic greenhouse-gas emissions as marine pollution under the law of the sea.
In 2024 the General Assembly adopted Decision 78/558, which set in motion the process that produced this declaration.
In July 2025 the International Court of Justice delivered an advisory opinion on states' obligations in relation to climate change.

Static GK Connection

UN Convention on the Law of the Sea: adopted in 1982 and in force since 1994. It sets the territorial sea at up to 12 nautical miles, the contiguous zone at up to 24 nautical miles and the exclusive economic zone at up to 200 nautical miles, all measured from baselines.
Baselines: the line along the coast from which all maritime zones are measured. Once deposited with the UN Secretary-General, it becomes the legal reference point, which is precisely why its stability was the key question here.
Advisory opinion: a non-binding legal opinion given by a court or tribunal when asked by an authorised body. The International Court of Justice sits at The Hague; the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea sits at Hamburg.
General Assembly declarations: adopted by the full membership but recommendatory in nature. They are not treaties and need no ratification, so their force comes from political weight and from shaping later state practice.

India & World Comparison

Future Impact

The declaration is not binding, so the next step is for states to reflect it in practice, legislation and future treaty negotiations through the rest of the decade.
Coastal risks are projected to rise tenfold by 2100 without stronger mitigation, which sets the horizon against which adaptation finance will be judged.
Adaptation finance, early warning coverage and coastal protection commitments will be tracked at future climate conferences.
The statehood language is likely to be cited in disputes over migration, nationality and compensation, which the declaration itself does not settle.

🔑 Key Points for Revision

The UN General Assembly adopted its first declaration on sea-level rise on 24 September 2026.
It was adopted at the 81st session of the General Assembly in New York.
The declaration was adopted by consensus, with no recorded vote.
Loss or change of territory from sea-level rise does not automatically end statehood.
Maritime zones already established under the law of the sea are supported for stability.
The International Law Commission found no obligation to update baselines once duly deposited with the Secretary-General.
About 770 million people live less than five metres above the high-tide line.
Global mean sea level rose 11 cm from January 1993 to the end of 2025.
Satellite measurement of global mean sea level began in 1993.
Coastal risks are projected to increase tenfold by 2100 without stronger mitigation.
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea gave its advisory opinion on 21 May 2024.
The International Court of Justice gave its climate advisory opinion in July 2025.
General Assembly Decision 78/558 of 2024 mandated the process.
The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea was adopted in 1982 and entered into force in 1994.
The declaration calls for adaptation finance, early warning systems and nature-based coastal protection.

🧠 Concept Link (Static GK Deep Dive)

Core Concept: Maritime Zones and Statehood under the Law of the Sea

Definition: maritime zones are the belts of sea measured outward from a coastal state's baselines, each carrying a different mix of sovereignty and resource rights.
Constitutional / Legal Basis: the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, adopted in 1982 and in force from 1994, is the governing treaty. The declaration adopted in 2026 is a General Assembly text and creates no new treaty obligation.
Scientific / Economic Principle: thermal expansion of seawater and the melting of land ice raise sea level, pushing the physical coastline inland. Because every zone is measured from the coast, physical change would otherwise shrink legal rights worth far more than the land lost.
Link to this event: the declaration's practical effect is to separate the legal line from the moving water line, so a shrinking coast no longer shrinks a state's zones.
Origin & History: the three-zone structure was settled by the 1982 Convention, which entered into force in 1994 and was built on the assumption of stable coasts.
Key milestone 1: the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea advisory opinion of 21 May 2024 treated anthropogenic greenhouse-gas emissions as marine pollution.
Key milestone 2: the International Court of Justice advisory opinion of July 2025 addressed state obligations on climate change.
Related Acts / Schemes / Treaties: the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement cover emissions and adaptation; the law of the sea covers zones and rights; the two streams met in this declaration.
Nodal Ministry / Body: internationally the General Assembly and the International Law Commission; in India the Ministry of External Affairs handles the law-of-the-sea position while the Ministry of Earth Sciences handles ocean observation and coastal warnings.
India-specific relevance: India must protect dense coastal populations and deltas while also defending the stability of its own maritime zones, so the declaration's logic serves both of its interests.
Global comparison: island states such as Tuvalu, Kiribati and the Maldives face the loss of almost all habitable land, while large coastal states face partial inundation, which is why the two groups argue for different priorities within the same text.
Data point: global mean sea level rose 11 cm between January 1993 and the end of 2025.
Common exam angle: examiners ask the adoption date and session, the statehood provision, whether the declaration is binding, and the distinction between the territorial sea, contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone.
Easy memory hook: "12–24–200" for the three zones in nautical miles, and "water moves, the line stays" for the declaration's core idea.

❓ Practice MCQs

Q1. When did the UN General Assembly adopt its first declaration on sea-level rise? [Easy]

A) 24 September 2026

B) 30 September 2026

C) 24 September 2025

D) 1 October 2026

Answer: A

Explanation: The declaration was adopted on 24 September 2026 at the 81st session of the General Assembly in New York.

Q2. Roughly how many people live less than five metres above the high-tide line? [Easy]

A) 270 million

B) 500 million

C) 770 million

D) 1.5 billion

Answer: C

Explanation: About 770 million people live less than five metres above the high-tide line.

Q3. The maritime zones whose stability the declaration supports are established under which treaty? [Moderate]

A) UN Framework Convention on Climate Change

B) Ramsar Convention

C) UN Convention on the Law of the Sea

D) Paris Agreement

Answer: C

Explanation: The territorial sea, contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone are established under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, adopted in 1982.

Q4. By how much did global mean sea level rise between January 1993 and the end of 2025? [Moderate]

A) 11 cm

B) 5 cm

C) 25 cm

D) 40 cm

Answer: A

Explanation: Global mean sea level rose 11 cm over that period, measured by satellites from 1993 onwards.

Q5. Which body issued the advisory opinion of 21 May 2024 treating anthropogenic greenhouse-gas emissions as marine pollution? [Moderate]

A) International Court of Justice

B) International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea

C) Permanent Court of Arbitration

D) World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Body

Answer: B

Explanation: The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, which sits at Hamburg, issued that advisory opinion on 21 May 2024.

Q6. What does the declaration say about the statehood of countries losing territory to rising seas? [Tricky]

A) Statehood is automatically lost once the territory is submerged.

B) The General Assembly will decide each case separately by vote.

C) Affected states must merge with a neighbouring country.

D) Statehood is not automatically lost because of the loss or change of territory.

Answer: D

Explanation: The text affirms that the physical disappearance of territory or a change of coastline caused by sea-level rise does not automatically end statehood.

Q7. Which statement about this General Assembly declaration is correct? [Tricky]

A) It is a binding treaty that overrides the law of the sea.

B) It is a political commitment adopted by consensus and is not a binding treaty.

C) It enters into force only after ratification by the Security Council.

D) It binds only those states that separately sign it later.

Answer: B

Explanation: It was adopted by consensus as a General Assembly declaration, which is recommendatory and needs no ratification.

Q8. Without stronger mitigation, coastal risks are projected to increase by how much by 2100? [Tricky]

A) Twofold

B) Fivefold

C) Tenfold

D) Twentyfold

Answer: C

Explanation: Coastal risks are projected to increase tenfold by 2100 in the absence of stronger mitigation.

📜 Previous Year Question Style (PYQ)

PYQ 1:

The first United Nations declaration on sea-level rise was adopted at which session of the General Assembly?

A) 79th session

B) 80th session

C) 81st session

D) 82nd session

Answer: C

Explanation: The declaration was adopted at the 81st session of the General Assembly on 24 September 2026.

PYQ 2:

Consider the following statements:

The first United Nations declaration on sea-level rise was adopted by the General Assembly in September 2026.
The declaration affirms that a change of coastline caused by sea-level rise does not automatically result in the loss of statehood.
The declaration is a legally binding treaty that requires ratification by member states before it takes effect.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

A) 1 only

B) 1 and 2 only

C) 2 and 3 only

D) All of the above

Answer: B

Explanation: Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong because a General Assembly declaration is recommendatory and needs no ratification.

PYQ 3:

Assertion (A): The United Nations declaration on sea-level rise supports the stability of maritime zones already deposited with the UN Secretary-General.

A) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.

B) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.

C) A is true but R is false.

D) A is false but R is true.

Answer: A

Explanation: The Commission's conclusion on baselines is exactly the legal basis on which the declaration rests its support for stable maritime zones.

✍️ Mains Answer Pointers

Question 1 (150 words): Explain why the question of baselines became central to the United Nations declaration on sea-level rise.

Baselines became central because every maritime entitlement a coastal state holds is measured from them.

The International Law Commission concluded that the law of the sea imposes no duty to update baselines once duly deposited. The declaration adopted on 24 September 2026 endorses that reading.

The practical result is a legal line held steady while the physical coast retreats. The way forward is for states to reflect this in their own maritime legislation.

The description is accurate, and the reasons for it are worth separating from the criticism.

⚠️ Examiner Trap

Trap 1: Students confuse the International Court of Justice with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. The correct fact is that the Tribunal gave the advisory opinion of 21 May 2024 on emissions as marine pollution and sits at Hamburg, while the Court gave a separate climate advisory opinion in July 2025 and sits at The Hague.
Trap 2: A common wrong assumption is that a General Assembly declaration is a binding treaty. The reality is that it is recommendatory, needs no ratification, and derives its force from political weight and later state practice.
Trap 3: Many students miss the difference between the territorial sea, the contiguous zone and the exclusive economic zone. Always remember the limits measured from baselines are up to 12, 24 and 200 nautical miles respectively.