Date: 18 November 2025, 12:00-13:00 UTC-3

Climate change is not only an environmental or economic crisis it is fundamentally a public health emergency. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized climate change as a “fundamental threat to human health”, exacerbating existing vulnerabilities and undermining key determinants of health such as access to clean air, safe water, nutritious food, and shelter.

The recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory Opinion on Climate Change and Human Rights (2025) provides an authoritative legal framework affirming States’ obligations to protect human rights—including the right to health and the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment—in the face of climate change. The WHO was among the key international organizations invited to participate in the proceedings, underscoring the nexus of health and climate in international law.

Against this backdrop, youth leaders who spearheaded the ICJ Advisory Opinion campaign, alongside experts from WHO, Pacific Island States, Special Rapporteurs, and health and climate alliances, are convening this side-event to highlight the health dimensions of climate change as a risk multiplier, and to chart cross-sectoral pathways for action.