World Court's ruling opens the door wider for climate justice
ruled on July 23 that government failures to protect vulnerable populations and ecosystems from
climate change could amount to breaches of international law. The court's non-binding ruling, which says that countries must comply with climate treaties, has been hailed as a great victory for youth activism from small island nations facing the brunt of the climate crisis.
The triumph at the ICJ is the culmination of a unique university project started by a group of law students at the University of the South Pacific's law school in Vanuatu in 2019. Their lecturer set up an extracurricular activity, for which 27 students volunteered, to discuss the most productive legal actions Pacific Island countries could take under international law and design a plan of action for their governments.
The students embarked on a campaign, eventually forming the Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, determined to hold polluting nations accountable so they and their children would have a home to live in. They wanted to test whether international law could save them from the impacts of climate change.
Their initial efforts focused on persuading the
Pacific Island Forum – of which Australia and New Zealand are members – to take the issue to the world's top court. Undeterred by the lack of traction, the student group was eventually joined by the World's Youth for Climate Justice, which helped the campaign go global.
Thanks to this campaign, in March 2023, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution supported by over 130 countries requesting that the ICJ give an advisory opinion that clarifies the obligations of countries under international law in respect of climate change. The ICJ has handed down a ruling that vindicates the efforts of young activists from the Pacific region and around the world.
Rising sea levels threaten to cut off a road that runs along an atoll in Tuvalu. Photo: Kalinga Seneviratne
Sera Sefeti, a University of the South Pacific journalism graduate who reported on the issue for Pasifika TV from The Hague, said climate change is 'a violation of our rights, our cultures and our very existence'. She added that the ruling exceeded the expectations of many Pacific youth.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- South China Morning Post
World Court's ruling opens the door wider for climate justice
In a unanimous decision, a 15-member bench of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague in the Netherlands ruled on July 23 that government failures to protect vulnerable populations and ecosystems from climate change could amount to breaches of international law. The court's non-binding ruling, which says that countries must comply with climate treaties, has been hailed as a great victory for youth activism from small island nations facing the brunt of the climate crisis. The triumph at the ICJ is the culmination of a unique university project started by a group of law students at the University of the South Pacific's law school in Vanuatu in 2019. Their lecturer set up an extracurricular activity, for which 27 students volunteered, to discuss the most productive legal actions Pacific Island countries could take under international law and design a plan of action for their governments. The students embarked on a campaign, eventually forming the Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, determined to hold polluting nations accountable so they and their children would have a home to live in. They wanted to test whether international law could save them from the impacts of climate change. Their initial efforts focused on persuading the Pacific Island Forum – of which Australia and New Zealand are members – to take the issue to the world's top court. Undeterred by the lack of traction, the student group was eventually joined by the World's Youth for Climate Justice, which helped the campaign go global. Thanks to this campaign, in March 2023, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution supported by over 130 countries requesting that the ICJ give an advisory opinion that clarifies the obligations of countries under international law in respect of climate change. The ICJ has handed down a ruling that vindicates the efforts of young activists from the Pacific region and around the world. Rising sea levels threaten to cut off a road that runs along an atoll in Tuvalu. Photo: Kalinga Seneviratne Sera Sefeti, a University of the South Pacific journalism graduate who reported on the issue for Pasifika TV from The Hague, said climate change is 'a violation of our rights, our cultures and our very existence'. She added that the ruling exceeded the expectations of many Pacific youth.
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- South China Morning Post
World Court's ruling opens the door wider for climate justice
In a unanimous decision, a 15-member bench of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague in the Netherlands ruled on July 23 that government failures to protect vulnerable populations and ecosystems from climate change could amount to breaches of international law. The court's non-binding ruling, which says that countries must comply with climate treaties, has been hailed as a great victory for youth activism from small island nations facing the brunt of the climate crisis. The triumph at the ICJ is the culmination of a unique university project started by a group of law students at the University of the South Pacific's law school in Vanuatu in 2019. Their lecturer set up an extracurricular activity, for which 27 students volunteered, to discuss the most productive legal actions Pacific Island countries could take under international law and design a plan of action for their governments. The students embarked on a campaign, eventually forming the Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, determined to hold polluting nations accountable so they and their children would have a home to live in. They wanted to test whether international law could save them from the impacts of climate change. Their initial efforts focused on persuading the Pacific Island Forum – of which Australia and New Zealand are members – to take the issue to the world's top court. Undeterred by the lack of traction, the student group was eventually joined by the World's Youth for Climate Justice, which helped the campaign go global. Thanks to this campaign, in March 2023, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution supported by over 130 countries requesting that the ICJ give an advisory opinion that clarifies the obligations of countries under international law in respect of climate change. The ICJ has handed down a ruling that vindicates the efforts of young activists from the Pacific region and around the world. Rising sea levels threaten to cut off a road that runs along an atoll in Tuvalu. Photo: Kalinga Seneviratne Sera Sefeti, a University of the South Pacific journalism graduate who reported on the issue for Pasifika TV from The Hague, said climate change is 'a violation of our rights, our cultures and our very existence'. She added that the ruling exceeded the expectations of many Pacific youth.
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Vanuatu looks to Hong Kong to support digital finance plans, economic transformation
Vanuatu is seeking closer ties with Hong Kong to support its ambitions in digital finance and economic diversification as the South Pacific island nation positions itself as a gateway for collaboration between the Global South and Asia. Advertisement The country is entering a new era of economic stability with a renewed focus on infrastructure, digital transformation and international commercial engagement, according to Deputy Prime Minister Johnny Koanapo Rasou. 'We've gone through years of [political] instability, but now we have a government that's stable and serious,' he said in an interview with the Post in Hong Kong on Friday. 'We want to deepen our engagement, especially in digital finance. The goal is to create a well-regulated environment that allows responsible innovation, and Hong Kong is a role model in that space.' He said the government was building airports, upgrading roads and investing in new townships. More importantly, it had passed legislation to pursue its ambitions, including the country's first public-private partnership law and land reforms allowing investors to lease state-owned properties for up to 99 years from 75, he added. Deputy Prime Minister Johnny Koanapo Rasou says Vanuatu is ready to embrace more foreign investors. Photo: Edmond So 'I've come to Hong Kong to say Vanuatu is ready,' said Rasou, who is also the minister of finance and economic management. 'I feel it is the time to invite companies, investors from mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, across Asia, Europe and other places to come to Vanuatu and have meaningful commercial engagements.' Advertisement Vanuatu, a nation of about 330,000 people spread across an archipelago of 83 islands. To lay the digital groundwork, the government recently introduced the Virtual Assets Services Providers (VASP) Act, a legal framework aimed at regulating businesses involved in blockchain-based assets and stablecoins.
