Sarcouncil Journal of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences

Abstract: As climate change intensifies, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) stand at the frontlines of rising sea levels, climate-induced displacement, and existential threat. This article explores how SIDS are leveraging climate diplomacy to reclaim agency, reshape international security discourse, and negotiate more inclusive, anticipatory frameworks for climate resilience. It examines the evolution of “climate diplomacy” from a peripheral concern to a core strategy within global governance and security architectures, highlighting how SIDS use moral authority, coalition-building, and legal innovation to assert influence far beyond their geopolitical size. Drawing on empirical sea level data, case studies from Tuvalu, the Maldives, and the Marshall Islands, and critical analysis of institutions like the UN Security Council and NATO, the article shows how SIDS have repositioned themselves from victims to vanguards of global climate justice. It also interrogates the legal vacuum surrounding climate refugees and the diplomatic efforts underway to fill it. Ultimately, the piece argues for a redefinition of security one that includes climate vulnerability as a trigger for preemptive diplomacy and multilateral cooperation. In doing so, it positions SIDS not only as witnesses to planetary crisis, but as architects of a more resilient, inclusive international order.