Oxfam Australia has welcomed the Australian government’s in-principle support at the Pacific Islands Forum for a Vanuatu-led campaign for climate justice.
Oxfam, along with a global alliance of civil society groups in 130 countries, is calling for the International Court of Justice to offer an advisory opinion to provide an international legal framework for those experiencing the worst of the climate crisis to affect broad, accelerated change.
Pacific youth and NGOs have been driving the campaign to ensure an adequate global response to the human rights crisis caused by climate change, which is impacting most the people who have contributed the least to global emissions.
Oxfam Australia’s Acting Chief Executive Anthea Spinks said Oxfam Australia had sent a letter to Prime Minister Albanese urging him to support the ground-breaking campaign.
“We strongly believe that an ICJ Advisory Opinion will strengthen both the Paris Agreement and international responses to climate change more broadly by clarifying the obligations of states under international law,” she said.
“Oxfam Australia views the climate crisis as a human rights and justice issue. However, basic human rights obligations are yet to be effectively integrated into climate treaties, climate laws or climate debates. Only the International Court of Justice has the authority to bring this about.
“This year, the calls of Pacific Island countries and of the youth of the world to take climate change and human rights to the International Court of Justice, must be answered – firstly at the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting this week, and then at the United Nations General Assembly.
“These demands present a great opportunity to the Australian government to demonstrate its willingness to listen to Pacific Island voices and to prove that it is prepared to act on the existential threat of the climate crisis in a manner that offers hope to future generations of Australians and Pacific Islanders.
“We look forward to the Australian Government backing up this in-principle support at the United Nations General Assembly in September by voting in favour of this resolution.
“We also urge it to engage genuinely with the worst impacted countries at the upcoming COP on the issue of loss and damage, which would provide those countries already facing extreme climate impacts with the funds required to enable them to recover.”
