José E. Alvarez (Professor at NYU School of Law & USALI Faculty Director), Patricia Galvão-Teles (Co-Chair, ILC Study Group on Sea Level Rise in Relation to International Law), Dr. Nilüfer Oral (Director, Centre for International Law at the National University of Singapore &Co-Chair, ILC Study Group on Sea Level Rise in Relation to International Law), Bryce Rudyk (Legal Advisor to the chair of the Alliance of Small Island States)

Rising sea levels due to climate change are affecting the livelihoods of millions of persons in Asia-Pacific. While engineers develop physical adaptations, the UN’s International Law Commission (ICL) has been studying needed adaptations to international legal frameworks in order to protect the status and rights of affected states. Rising sea levels will change boundaries, force some populations to move to artificial islands, and could leave some small island nations without territory at all. Nilüfer Oral and Patricia Galvão-Teles, co-chairs of the ILC Study Group on sea level rise in relation to international law, will share the findings of the study group so far. They will be joined by Bryce Rudyk, legal advisor to the chair of the Alliance of Small Island States, as moderator.