On 9 November 2022, Sharm El Sheikh - The President of Vanuatu, His Excellency Nikenike Vurobaravu, issued an impassioned appeal to world leaders to vote at the UN General Assembly in favour of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) climate resolution to place human rights in the At the center of climate change decision-making.

Speaking at the high-level plenary session of the 27th UNFCCC Conference of the Parties in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, President Vurobalavu said it was time for the International Court of Justice to recognize the impact of climate change undermining fundamental human rights It's time.

"Our young people demand climate justice and intergenerational equity," said His Excellency Vurobalavu. "I therefore urge all leaders at COP27 to vote in favour of the ICJ climate resolution at the UN General Assembly so that we can finally put human rights at the centre of climate change decision-making."

In David & Goliath's move, Vanuatu joins a global coalition of more than 85 countries in calling for a legal review of international law by the International Court of Justice to help countries affected by it make better climate decisions.

To achieve this, Vanuatu needs a majority in the UN General Assembly to instruct the International Court of Justice to do so. An advisory opinion is legal advice provided by the International Court of Justice to the United Nations or specialized agencies under Article 96 of the United Nations Charter.

Voting is expected in a few weeks, and at COP27, Vanuatu seized the opportunity to push for further support.

The President of Vanuatu said the advisory opinion on climate change should inspire practical action to salvage the goals of the Paris Agreement and preserve the integrity of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change.

“More than three decades have passed since we started the process to stabilize greenhouse gases to prevent dangerous climate change. Clearly, with rising emissions, climate finance remains completely inadequate and the 1.5-degree limit will soon be crossed , the resulting climate injustices are suffered on the planet every day,” said President Vuro Balavu. “Fundamental human rights are being undermined at every moment by our collective dependence on fossil fuels. It is time to fix this process. We must bring more tools to inspire the real national action needed. Climate change is a threat to life These are the biggest threats to the safety and livelihoods of Pacific Islanders on the front lines of impact. Although the Pacific Islands contribute less than 0.03% of the world's total greenhouse gases, they are among the most vulnerable. For Vanuatu, Vanuatu is the country with the highest natural disaster risk in the world according to the UNU World Risk Index 2021. Vanuatu has also been consistently ranked as the country with the highest disaster risk in the world by the Institute for Environment and Human Security.

Without prompt and far-reaching action, low-lying atoll nations like Vanuatu are projected to become uninhabitable by mid-century, threatening the very existence of their culture, statehood and sovereignty. “Vanuatu believes that under a range of international laws, countries have existing legal obligations to protect the rights of present and future generations from the adverse effects of climate change,” His Excellency Vurobalavu told the meeting. “The UNFCCC is not designed to operate in isolation, nor does it exempt any party from its legal obligations under other treaties it has ratified. The ICJ process is inclusive. All countries will be invited to discuss how to make climate action effective Better international legal consistency and coherence to express opinions.

Youth and grassroots efforts have started a campaign to advocate for the ICJ Advisory Opinion, whose support has continued to grow over the past year. At the intersessional meeting of the 33rd CARICOM Heads of Government meeting in March this year, the heads of government expressed their support for Vanuatu to seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice.