The Marshall Islands delivered a strong pitch in support of a climate petition before the International Court of Justice in The Hague late last week, joining several Pacific nations and regional agencies to provide oral testimony.
United Nations Ambassador John Silk, Climate Envoy Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner and Deputy Attorney General Johnathen Kawakami all spoke to the court on December 5.
Convened in The Hague, from 2 to 13 December, under the advisory opinion proceedings on the “Obligations of States in Respect of Climate Change,” the two weeks of hearings at the ICJ “represents a landmark moment for climate justice on the global stage,” said the Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Marshall Islands to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva in a statement.
These proceedings were initiated through the leadership of Vanuatu, which brought the critical issue of addressing climate change through legal frameworks to the forefront of international discussions at the General Assembly of the United Nations. These ICJ proceedings and the subsequent advisory opinion to come seek to clarify the responsibilities of states to combat the climate crisis, particularly in relation to small island developing states that are disproportionately affected by its impacts, as well as their initial responsibility in creating this climate crisis.
The Marshall Islands’ oral submissions featured three presentations:
- Ambassador John M. Silk delivered an opening statement focused on the critical situation faced by the Marshall Islands due to climate change. He underscored the significance of climate change as an unprecedented threat to the human rights of the Marshallese people.
- Climate Envoy Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner highlighted the devastating and immediate impacts of climate change on the Marshallese people, including the effects of rising sea levels, as well as the broader consequences for other vulnerable communities.
- Deputy Attorney General Johnathen Kawakami presented the legal arguments, emphasizing the duty of states under international law to prevent environmental harm, uphold human rights, and address the effects of climate change.
“As one of the most vulnerable nations to rising sea levels and extreme weather events, the Marshall Islands continues to advocate for robust legal responses to secure the rights and livelihoods of its people,” said the RMI Permanent Mission in Geneva in a statement. “The Marshall Islands remains resolute in calling for a decisive and unified global response to address the climate crisis, recognizing that collaboration and legal clarity are essential to achieving lasting solutions.”