“COP31 will be our next battlefield. We need to arrive there not as an individual, but also as a unified Pacific bloc with shared positions, shared legal arguments and shared deadlines.”
That is the call from Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change Dr Sivendra Michael as the Pacific prepares for another critical round of global climate negotiations.
Speaking at the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting side event on ICJ Climate Ruling and the Blue Pacific: Strengthening our collective climate leadership, Dr Michael said the International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion on climate change must now be used to strengthen the Pacific’s voice and ensure the realities of its people are heard in international forums.
He said the ICJ AO must be the foundation in negotiations for Pacific region in advancing the priorities at COP31.
“All Pacific priorities that the region is looking to bring to COP31 have been articulated as legal obligations under international law by the ICJ. The law now provides the backing to all our advocacy and this can be a strong tool the region can leverage to create the shifts that we would like to see.”
The Permanent Secretary said the same solidarity that brought the Pacific’s concerns before the world’s highest court must now carry through to Pre-COP31 and COP31.