Writeshop spotlights proceedings of ICJ’s advisory opinion on climate change

Quang Ninh (VNA) – A legal and technical writeshop was held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Vanuatuan Government in Ha Long city, the northern province of Quang Ninh, on March 16 - 17 to look into the proceedings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ)’s advisory opinion on climate change.

The event, gathering ASEAN and other Asian member states of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, aimed to provide an overview of the proceedings of the ICJ’s advisory opinion on climate change on the basis of the UN General Assembly’s Resolution 77/276, adopted on March 29, 2023, which requested the ICJ provide an advisory opinion on the obligations of states in respect of climate change.

Vietnam and Vanuatu were among the 18 states of the core group promoting this resolution. According to the ICJ’s regulations, March 22, 2024 is the deadline for UN member states to make submissions before the ICJ issues its opinion in 2025.

Opening the event, Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu said that with a long coastline, Vietnam is particularly vulnerable to climate change. Therefore, it attaches great importance to cooperation with other countries and international organisations in common efforts against environmental and climate change challenges.

The UN General Assembly’s resolution recognises climate change’s different impacts on countries, so the burden of and responsibility for making response must be equally and equitably shared. The engagement in the proceedings of the ICJ’s advisory opinion is a great chance for developing countries to join global efforts in climate change response, promote the rights of vulnerable countries, and shape international environmental law, he noted.

Attorney General of Vanuatu Arnold Kiel Loughman noted climate change challenges like sea level rise, extreme weather conditions, marine pollution, and biodiversity degradation are threatening the life, culture, and even existence of many nations. Taking effective response measures is a moral responsibility of the international community.

Ambassador Odo Tevi, Permanent Representative of Vanuatu to the UN, said the workshop was important as it provided a venue for Asian countries to discuss their submissions to the ICJ. It will be good if all countries can improve their capacity, and countries’ opinions to be submitted to the ICJ should be listened to.

So far, about 80 countries have made submissions to officially engage in the proceedings of the ICJ’s advisory opinion, turning this into one of the largest cases the ICJ has ever handled and also reflecting the importance of the court’s opinion to climate change response.

Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, said the active promotion and participation in the proceedings of the ICJ’s advisory opinion demonstrate Vietnam as a responsible member of the international community. The proceedings also show the international community’s respect for the country’s role and contributions to climate change response, including its strong commitments made at international forums.

At the workshop, participants discussed key legal aspects of the proceedings, contributions that Asian-Pacific countries can make, and technical support for countries to effectively engage in the proceedings.

To help countries make submissions to engage in the proceedings, some writeshops have also been held in different regions around the world./.