The UN General Assembly on Wednesday approved a resolution requesting that the international organization’s highest court define the legal obligations associated with climate change.
According to reports, the resolution which had been pushed for years by youngsters from Vanuatu and the Pacific islands requested the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to outline governments’ responsibilities for preserving the planet’s climate as well as the legal ramifications of failing to do so.
“Together, you are making history. We would assist the General Assembly, the UN, and member states to take the bolder and stronger climate action that our world so desperately needs,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, emphasizing that even if non-binding, an opinion from the International Court of Justice.
The resolution, which was ultimately co-sponsored by more than 130 member states, had been generally anticipated to pass.
The resolution requested clarification from the ICJ about “states’ obligations under international law to ensure the protection of the climate system.”
“Its adoption sends a loud and clear message not only around the world but far into the future,” Vanuatu’s PM Ishmael Kalsakau told the assembly.
