The Pacific island nation of Vanuatu wants the UN General Assembly to enforce last year’s International Court of Justice Decision on the responsibility of States in relation to climate change by adopting a draft resolution.
The draft calls on nations to adopt climate action plans aligned with the 1.5°C limit specified in the 2015 Paris Agreement, phase out fossil fuel subsidies, and establish an International Register of Damage to record evidence and claims for reparations. Vanuatu was one of a group of Pacific island nations that successfully lobbied and garnered support for a UN General Assembly resolution to request the ICJ’s advisory opinion a few years ago. This next step is a follow on from that, seeking to enforce the findings of the court through a UNGA resolution. In guidance issued earlier in February to all United States embassies and consulates abroad, the State Department said it “strongly objects” to the proposal being discussed by the U.N. General Assembly and that its adoption “could pose a major threat to US industry.”