State of Play Event 22 March
From left to right: Ilan Kiloe, Alyn Ware, Lee-Anne Sackett, Cristelle Pratt, and Sumeyra Arslan.
Following the historic adoption by consensus of the UN General Assembly Resolution asking the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to issue an Advisory Opinion (AO) on climate change and human rights, the Court set the deadline for states and international organizations to file written submissions on 22nd March.
To build momentum around this deadline, WYCJ, PISFCC, and the government of Vanuatu organized an in-person event at The Hague Humanity Hub, located in the same city as the ICJ. The event “State of Play: the ICJ AO Written Submissions and Beyond” facilitated a dialogue to share progress on the campaign, discuss the next steps, and build collaboration around the ICJ process.
Host and WYCJ campaigner Sumeyra Arslan was accompanied by esteemed panelists, who provided their insights into the significance of the written submissions, diving into the key challenges and opportunities:
Dr. Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh, Attorney Blue Ocean Law and Associate Professor at the University of Amsterdam
Lee-Anne Sackett, Legal Affairs Manager at the Vanuate Climate Diplomacy Program
Alyn Ware, Nuclear Weapons Advisory Opinion Campaigner
Ilan Kiloe, Political and Legal Adviser at Melanesian Spearhead Group
Jule Schnakenberg, Campaigner World’s Youth for Climate Justice (WYCJ)
His Excellency Georges Maniuri, Vanuatu Ambassador to the European Union, provided an inspirational opening speech. He emphasized the importance of the deadline for written submissions and congratulated all countries and regional organizations that submitted their written statements: “[This] underscores the potency of collective action and the pivotal role of youth-led institutions in effecting meaningful change on the global stage,” he said.
During the event, Dr. Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh invited Ms. Cristelle Pratt, Assistant Secretary-General for the Environment and Climate Action at the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), to take part in the panel discussion. Ms. Cristelle Pratt saluted the leadership of Vanuatu and the students of the University of the South Pacific for their tireless efforts in driving the campaign.
The written statements will shape the final Advisory Opinion, representing a once-in-a-generation opportunity to contribute to the development of international law in the context of the climate crisis. Hence, as highlighted during the event, the deadline for written submissions marks a significant step in the journey toward climate justice.