Global: Governments ‘must not squander opportunity’ to show they stand on side of climate justice

Opportunity to turn International Court of Justice advisory into robust action

Informal consultations on draft climate resolution begin today

‘This is a vital moment for states to show they stand on the side of climate justice - not delay, weaken, or turn away from their legal obligations’ - Candy Ofime

Governments must not squander the opportunity to turn the International Court of Justice’s 2025 Advisory Opinion on states’ obligations regarding climate change into robust climate action, Amnesty International said ahead of discussions on a new UN climate change resolution.

Informal consultations on the draft resolution circulated by Vanuatu begin today. UN member states are expected to vote on it at the end of March, marking three years since the UN General Assembly first requested the International Court of Justice’s opinion.

Candy Ofime, Amnesty International’s Climate Justice Researcher and Legal Advisor, said:

“The resolution attempts to turn the International Court of Justice’s interpretation of key legal standards into a practical roadmap for state accountability, which is likely to trigger political pushback from higher income, high emitting countries wary of their historical responsibility and financial liability.

“The International Court of Justice has made clear that the full enjoyment of human rights cannot be ensured without protecting our climate system and other parts of the environment from the harms of human-induced climate change.

“We know that extracting and burning fossil fuels are the root cause, yet recent actions by major world leaders - including U.S. President Trump’s latest revocation of the ‘endangerment finding’ on greenhouse gases - have weakened global climate action. This has included defunding key international climate bodies and rolling back multi-lateral climate cooperation.

“Global cooperation, with those most responsible for climate change leading the way, is essential to equitably phase out fossil fuels, support a just transition for workers and others impacted by the phase out, protect groups and communities on the frontline of the climate crisis, and finance recovery from climate change-related loss and damage.

Without it, climate impacts such as sea-level rise, salinisation and coastal erosion, extreme heat, food insecurity, wildfires, violent storms, floods, and shortages of safe water will intensify.

“This is a vital moment for states to show they stand on the side of climate justice - not delay, weaken, or turn away from their legal obligations and moral duty. The world cannot afford anything less. Humanity must win.”

Amnesty is calling on governments to sponsor the resolution and secure its adoption in its current form. The draft resolution gives unqualified support to the Advisory Opinion and urges states to meet the legal obligations that it clarified. These include:

• Adopting national climate actions plans, known as nationally determined contributions, to limit global temperature rise to below 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels;
  
• Taking effective steps to cut emissions, such as ending subsidies for fossil fuel exploration, production and exploitation;
  
• Fully upholding their obligations to refrain from returning displaced people to a country where climate change impacts pose a risk to life, and to consider creating safe, regular and non-discriminatory pathways and protection frameworks for people displaced across borders by climate-related factors;
  
• For states that have violated their obligations, to provide full and prompt reparation for damage.

The zero draft has now been shared with all UN Member States and will be taken up during informal consultations on 13 and 17 February at the General Assembly in New York, giving every government the opportunity to shape this crucial resolution.

A revised draft is expected in early March, followed by a window for governments to add their sponsorship and move it toward adoption later in the month.

Amnesty’s Climate Justice team will be available for media comments and interviews throughout this process, providing analysis as the draft evolves and urging governments to strengthen - not dilute - this landmark effort for global climate justice.