UN backs ICJ climate ruling despite US opposition

The United Nations General Assembly voted Wednesday to support a landmark International Court of Justice ruling that states have a legal responsibility to prevent the worsening climate crisis, with 141 member nations in favor, eight opposed and 28 abstaining.

Vanuatu, which championed the case, hailed the vote as a victory for frontline communities. Ralph Regenvanu, the nation’s climate change minister, said in a statement: “Today the international community affirmed that climate change is not only a political and economic challenge, but a matter of law, justice, and human rights.”

Regenvanu added: “For vulnerable countries like Vanuatu, this resolution is deeply significant because it confirms that no State is above its obligations to protect people, future generations, and our planet.”

The July advisory opinion from The Hague-based court found states have a legal duty to act on the “existential threat” of climate change.

The case was the largest in the ICJ’s history, with its 15 judges reviewing tens of thousands of pages of written submissions and hearing two weeks of oral arguments before delivering their verdict.

The case reached the court after the General Assembly adopted a resolution led by Vanuatu by consensus in March 2023.

Wednesday’s vote attracted objections from Belarus, Iran, Israel, Liberia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the United States and Yemen.

The United States had urged nations to reject the resolution. Al Jazeera reported in February that a U.S. diplomatic cable stated: “We are strongly urging Vanuatu to immediately withdraw its draft resolution and cease attempting to wield the Court’s Advisory Opinion as a basis for creating an avenue to pursue any misguided claims of international legal obligations.”

The cable, seen by Al Jazeera, reflected Washington’s opposition to framing climate action as a binding legal duty rather than a political choice.

Wesley Morgan, a fellow at the Australian nonprofit Climate Council, said the vote confirmed states have a legal duty to act.

“This landmark resolution is a massive victory for Vanuatu and the Pacific leaders who have spent decades fighting for survival on the frontlines of the climate crisis and a warning for Australian governments,” Morgan said in a statement.

“For far too long, fossil fuel heavyweights have treated climate action as a political choice, but the UN General Assembly has now confirmed it is a binding legal duty,” he added.

The resolution underscores growing international legal pressure on major emitters, even as some nations resist binding obligations.

Vanuatu’s minister described the outcome as a win for “communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis,” reinforcing the Pacific island nation’s role as a leader in climate litigation.