Thousands of Civil Society Organisations Call On Countries to Support Vanuatu Climate Justice Initiative
5 May 2022
05 MAY 2022: A global alliance of civil society groups, representing over 1500 civil society organisations in 130 countries, was launched today to support a powerful new climate justice initiative by the Government of Vanuatu to take the human rights impacts of climate change to the world’s highest court, the International Court of Justice.
The Government of Vanuatu has announced that it will take a proposal to the United Nations General Assembly in September, which will then vote whether to refer the matter to the court.
The Alliance consists of Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change, Climate Action Network – International, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, 350 Pacific, Pacific Islands Climate Action Network and Vanuatu Climate Action Network.
The United Nations General Assembly will consider the Government of Vanuatu’s proposal in September, requiring a simple majority vote to send the question to the International Court of Justice. The civil society alliance is calling on all countries to support the Government of Vanuatu’s proposal with a vote in favour of the resolution in September reflecting a global commitment to fight the climate crisis and protect human rights.
Tasneem Essop, Executive Director, Climate Action Network, said: “This initiative by the Government of Vanuatu puts the protection of human rights at the heart of our struggle for climate justice. We are witnessing how escalating climate impacts are undermining people’s rights in every way. Hundreds of millions of people impacted by climate change across the world, and particularly in developing countries, are being denied their fundamental rights- the right to food, water, shelter, property, freedom of movement, livelihoods, health and a clean environment. We urge all countries to support this initiative and recognise that the climate crisis is at its core a human rights crisis.”
Romabeth Siri, Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change Vanuatu Campaigner, said: “Youth are leading this campaign because they are fighting for their future. The science is clear, if the world doesn’t get serious about stopping climate change this decade, our future will be destroyed. We are literally fighting for the survival of our lands, our oceans, our culture and the generations unborn.
Young people everywhere are entitled to a right to equal access to justice and the right to remedy. Seeking clarification from the International Court of Justice to secure their interests and their children’s interests is therefore their right.”
Greenpeace Australia Pacific Climate Justice Campaigner Justin Rose, said: “Whoever leads the Australian Government has a unique opportunity to show true friendship with our Pacific neighbours by standing in solidarity with them in supporting Vanuatu’s bid to have the world’s highest court consider the world’s most important challenge – climate change. The recent flood disaster in Australia demonstrates with tragic clarity the truth of the warnings our Pacific neighbours have been sending us for many years – no one is immune to the climate crisis.”
Lavetanalagi Seru, Regional Policy Coordinator, Pacific Islands Climate Action Network, said: “Seeking an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on human rights and climate change is another tool in our toolbox that we must use in our urgent and collective efforts to bolster action on climate change. In many frontline climate change affected communities today, the most vulnerable, including women and girls, elderly people, people with disabilities, indigenous communities, LGBTQI, youth and other marginalized groups, have, and will continue to experience their basic human rights being undermined.
“We applaud the Government of Vanuatu on its intention to seek a resolution from the UN General Assembly this year, and we call on the global civil society family and most importantly on all countries to support this important initiative, which is predicated on human rights and intergenerational equity”.
Joseph Sikulu, Pacific Director, 350.org, said: “The Pacific has already shown that governments and civil society can work together to achieve impactful change; the 1.5 degree benchmark being ingrained into the Paris Agreement is a testament to that. Through this alliance we hope to continue to weave together advocacy at all levels to build momentum behind the Vanuatu Government’s push for this Advisory Opinion.”
“We will work to strengthen our ties as a Pacific family and build an intergenerational movement of Pacific people everywhere rallying behind the ICJAO.”
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Media Contacts:
Climate Action Network International, Dharini Parthasarathy dparthasarathy@climatenetwork.org +918826107830
Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change, Solomon Yeo, pisfcc@gmail.com, +679 7292447
Pacific Islands Climate Action Network, Dylan Kava, dylan.kava@gmail.com, +6799061989
Greenpeace Australia-Pacific, Martin Zavan, martin.zavan@greenpeace.org, +61424295422
Global Strategic Communications Council, Matt Hilton, matthew.hilton@gsccnetwork.org , +61423106247
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BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT:
What is the Government of Vanuatu Doing?
In September 2021, during the annual session of the UN General Assembly, the Honorable Bob Loughman Weibur, Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu, announced his intention to build a coalition of States to seek an advisory opinion on climate change from the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Vanuatu’s diplomatic campaign is led by His Excellency Ambassador Odo Tevi, Vanuatu’s Special Envoy on Climate Change and Permanent Representative to the United Nations..
The interest of this initiative goes beyond the concerns of Vanuatu: it is of utmost importance for all climate vulnerable countries and peoples and ultimately for the world at large. Vanuatu sees this initiative as an opportunity for all States, and in particular climate vulnerable States, to raise awareness about climate change and its disproportionate impacts on the most vulnerable.
Already states are signing on to the campaign. At the thirty-third inter-sessional Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on March 2022, Heads of Government have indicated their support for Vanuatu in its pursuit of an Advisory Opinion from the International Court of Justice on the rights of present and future generations to be protected from Climate Change.
More information can be found at https://www.vanuatuicj.com/
What is an International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion?
Climate change is causing a human rights crisis, with hundreds of millions of people in vulnerable countries already being denied their human rights. Livelihoods, healthcare and the environment are already being severely impacted. Youth and future generations will be the most affected by the climate crisis. An International Court of Justice ruling will explore how climate change is affecting the human rights of people and create legal clarity on how to address it. An ICJ advisory opinion holds great legal weight and would influence States climate change ambition, by focusing on obligations to prevent harm from emissions and protect human rights. It will strengthen multilateralism and catalyze more ambitious actions by state parties to the Paris Agreement.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has made it clear that there is a rapidly closing window in which the world can prevent the worst of global warming and climate change which is already hitting climate vulnerable countries first. An advisory opinion will help accelerate climate action and clarify the obligations of states in protecting human rights from the adverse effects of climate change
The Vanuatu Government has produced a fact sheet: ‘Why an ICJ” https://sites.google.com/view/vanuatuicj/why-icj
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ABOUT CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK
Climate Action Network (CAN) is a global network of over 1500 NGOs in more than 130 countries fighting the climate crisis. More information on www.climatenetwork.org
ABOUT PACIFIC ISLANDS CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK
The Pacific Island Climate Action Network (PICAN) brings together civil society actors, across the Pacific island countries, advocating for climate justice. More information on https://www.pican.org/
ABOUT PACIFIC ISLANDS STUDENTS FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE
PISFCC is a youth-led organisation whose members are students from the Pacific Island countries. More information on https://www.pisfcc.org/who-we-are