An historic UN vote calls for the world’s highest court to establish climate change obligations and consequences for countries. Source: Ontheway Advice, Wikimedia Commons
The Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu won an historic vote at the United Nations on Wednesday, calling for the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to establish countries’ obligations for addressing climate change, including the consequences if a country fails to meet these obligations.
This comes after a four-year-long push by Vanuatu and other Pacific nations to get the issue of climate change in front of the ICJ.
Vanuatu and other Pacific nations have long experienced extreme impacts of rising sea levels caused by climate change.
Vanuatu Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau said this decision is a “massive win for countries feeling the effects of natural disaster, after natural disaster.”
“There can be some resolution upon how we respond to the effects that we’re facing as smaller countries, and the court can clarify what the obligations and duties are with countries that are involved with some of these disasters,” Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau said.
This decision also won the support of 120 co-sponsors, including Australia, as well as the celebrity endorsement of Jane Fonda.
“The science is clear. As long as the world fails to eliminate our collective addiction to fossil fuels, climate impacts will only get worse and more and more people will suffer,” Fonda said.
Through this resolution, world leaders asked the ICJ to form an advisory opinion to clarify the obligations of countries to address climate change. This includes a legal consensus on climate change’s impacts on human rights and the rights of future generations.
This advisory opinion by the ICJ will provide legal answers and clarity to guide UN organisations and member countries.
While this advisory opinion is not binding, experts say it could impact the outcome of climate change court cases across the world.
