Source: Amnesty International –
A draft United Nations (UN) resolution on climate change is seeking to turn the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) Advisory Opinion on states’ obligations concerning the “urgent and existential threat” posed by climate change, into a roadmap for concrete action and accountability.
Although non-binding, the landmark opinion issued by the world’s highest court in 2025 is widely regarded as an authoritative opinion that clarified the obligations of states in respect of climate change. It will significantly strengthen efforts to hold world leaders to account, guide the just and equitable phaseout of fossil fuels, reinforce climate laws and policies, and advance climate justice for billions of people globally.
UN member states are currently negotiating the draft resolution which gives full support to the ICJ opinion. They are expected to vote on the text towards the end of April 2026. Vanuatu, which has repeatedly warned that it could disappear under rising sea levels, is spearheading efforts to secure the resolution. The Pacific island nation and archipelago also led the diplomatic drive for the ICJ’s 2025 advisory opinion through active campaigning initiated by a group of young law students.
A core group of states contributed to the “zero draft” first version of the resolution, with cross-regional representation from Vanuatu, Barbados, Burkina Faso, Colombia, Jamaica, Kenya, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Palau, Philippines, Singapore, and Sierra Leone.