Vanuatu’s call for the international court of justice to protect from climate change

Vanuatu’s call has received the backing of 1,500 civil society organisations from more than 130 countries, as it heads toward a crucial vote at the UN General Assembly later this year. In 2021 Vanuatu announced its intention to seek an advisory opinion by the international court of justice on the rights of present and future generations to be protected from climate change. If it succeeds, the ICJ’s advisory opinion - although non-binding - carries legal weight and moral authority which experts say could help shape international law.