#ClimateICJAO Oral Hearings Schedules Released
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has announced the Oral Hearings schedule for the advisory opinion regarding the obligations of states in relation to climate change.
The hearings will take place from Monday, 2 December to Friday, 13 December 2024, at the Peace Palace in The Hague, marking a historic moment for international climate justice.
This is the biggest fight for climate justice and represents exactly what we launched our campaign in 2019 and what we’ve been fighting so hard to achieve. Now, we stand alongside 98 states and 12 international organisations scheduled to participate in this first, and biggest ever advisory opinion proceedings at the ICJ.
These hearings will address and clarify the legal responsibilities of states in mitigating and adapting to climate change, focusing especially on protecting vulnerable nations, including Pacific island states that face the most severe climate impacts.
Representing the Pacific, 🇻🇺 Vanuatu will open the proceedings alongside the Melanesian Spearhead Group on 2 December at 10:15 a.m.
Other Pacific island nations will follow, each presenting their stance on climate accountability:
🇫🇯 Fiji - 4 December, 5:45 p.m.
🇨🇰 Cook Islands - 5 December, 3 p.m.
🇲🇭Marshall Islands - 5 December, 3:30 p.m.
🇸🇧Solomon Islands - 5 December, 4 p.m.
🇵🇬Papua New Guinea - 6 December, 10:30 a.m.
🇰🇮Kiribati - 6 December, 11:45 a.m.
🇫🇲Micronesia - 9 December, 11 a.m.
🇳🇷Nauru - 9 December, 3 p.m.
🇵🇼Palau - 10 December, 10 a.m.
🇼🇸Samoa - 11 December, 10:30 a.m.
🇹🇴Tonga - 12 December, 11:45 a.m.
🇹🇻Tuvalu - 12 December, 12:15 p.m.
For our communities, we are here to demand that the world takes responsibility, acknowledges the rights of those most affected, and commits to protecting them.
Legal Questions Presented to the Judges
These are the legal questions we are asking the Judges of the ICJquestions that form the backbone of this case:
“Having particular regard to the Charter of the United Nations, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Paris Agreement, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the duty of due diligence, the rights recognised in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the principle of prevention of significant harm to the environment and the duty to protect and preserve the marine environment,
(a) What are the obligations of States under international law to ensure the protection of the climate system and other parts of the environment from anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases for States and for present and future generations;
(b) What are the legal consequences under these obligations for States where they, by their acts and omissions, have caused significant harm to the climate system and other parts of the environment, with respect to:
(i) States, including, in particular, small island developing States, which due to their geographical circumstances and level of development, are injured or specially affected by or are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change?
(ii) Peoples and individuals of the present and future generations affected by the adverse effects of climate change?”
You Can Watch as the Hearings Happen:
The ICJ will broadcast the hearings live and on demand (VOD) in the two official languages of the Court on the Court’s website, the United Nations Journal section dedicated to the ICJ, and on UN Web TV.
Additional information on attending the hearings and registration procedures can be found on the ICJ’s website.
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