International Court of Justice (ICJ) Receives 62 Written Comments for The Climate Advisory Opinion Proceedings

Following the submission of 91 written statements earlier this year, a total of 62 written comments have now been officially filed in the Registry of the ICJ as part of the ongoing legal process concerning the advisory opinion on the obligations of states in relation to climate change.

The submissions underscore the crucial importance of addressing climate change as a legal and human rights issue, with many comments highlighting strategies for enforcing international frameworks like the Paris Agreement, and exploring liability and compensation for loss and damage caused by climate-related events.

The initial deadline for the Comments phase was on 24 June 2024, however, in an Order on May 2024, the President of the ICJ extended the time-limit for the filing of written comments to 15 August 2024.

The 62 Comments received were from a diverse range of countries and organisations, demonstrating the broad global interest in the proceedings. Submissions were received from (in order of receipt):

Palau, Dominican Republic, Timor-Leste, European Union, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Seychelles, France, Melanesian Spearhead Group, Kenya, Antigua and Barbuda, El Salvador, Latvia, Solomon Islands, the Bahamas, Namibia, New Zealand, Colombia, Kiribati, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law, Tuvalu, Marshall Islands, Parties to the Nauru Agreement Office, Japan, The Gambia, Vanuatu, Sierra Leone, Albania, International Union for Conservation of Nature, United States, Barbados, Mauritius, Samoa, Iran, Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, Burkina Faso, Chile, Brazil, Nauru, Belize, Cameroon, United Kingdom, Pakistan, Uruguay, Mexico, the Netherlands, Australia, Ecuador, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Vietnam, Bangladesh, African Union, Egypt, and Pacific Islands Forum.

The written comments phase is an important step toward fostering constructive dialogue on the shared global responsibility for climate action.

The ICJ will now commence for the Oral Hearings on the advisory opinion on Monday, 2 December 2024.

These hearings will further explore the legal ramifications of climate change and will set the stage for the ICJ’s eventual ruling on the matter, expected to have massive implications for international climate law and policy.

The advisory opinion is expected to be delivered sometime in 2025.

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