International climate law needs teeth

PORT VILA—Last year, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivered a legal opinion on climate change with a clarity of purpose not seen since the 2015 Paris agreement. It left no doubt that states have a legal obligation to prevent significant harm to the climate system, and that failure to do so carries legal consequences. My own country, Vanuatu, brought this question to the world and to the ICJ. But we were not alone. We built a coalition of countries spanning every region and gained sustained support from youth movements. Ultimately, 132 countries co-sponsored a motion for a United Nations resolution asking the ICJ to rule on the matter, which then passed by consensus. It was a historic moment, and one that did not happen by accident. Now we are back at the U.N. General Assembly, presenting a resolution to give the ICJ’s advisory opinion practical effect and calling on the world to support it. It is normal practice for ICJ advisory opinions to go back to the U.N. General Assembly, where resolutions give member states an opportunity to amplify such rulings’ political andWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times