The United Nations (UN) will ask the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for an advisory opinion on the obligations of states regarding climate change. This was decided after unanimously voting on the idea that Costa Rica and Vanuatu had begun to promote months ago. “Our country applauds the decision of the General Assembly to entrust to the ICJ the attention of an existential issue such as climate change, in an unprecedented context and with an unequivocal focus on human rights”, said Ambassador Maritza Chan, representative of Costa Rica at the UN.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs framed the plan along with other initiatives that the country has moved in recent years, especially the proposal that, in July 2022, managed to declare the universal human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
Also the agreement of a binding treaty on biodiversity in the high seas; this is associated with the goal of protecting 30% of the world’s oceans. “The request for an advisory opinion will give the ICJ the opportunity to consider, through the lens of human rights, the experience of those most affected by climate change; as well as the obligations that governments have to protect their rights”, added Ambassador Chan.
Pioneer at the UN
This will be the first time that the UN has called for such a pronouncement. The plan had a definite boost in recent weeks; after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a “final warning” report to cut emissions in half by 2030 if a “death sentence” is to be avoided.
The ICJ is based in The Hague, the Netherlands. She is in charge of deciding legal disputes between States; as well as to issue advisory opinions on issues that specialized UN bodies or institutions may submit to it.
