The final draft resolution on the climate advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is now available. Vanuatu had submitted an initial draft to member states for discussion in February 2026: the UN General Assembly is to put the ICJ’s advisory opinion into practice. Due to opposition from, amongst others, the USA, Vanuatu has watered down the resolution by dropping the originally proposed climate damage register.

According to the websites of World’s Youth for Climate Justice and Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, the resolution is due to be voted on 20 May.

A ‘yes’ vote would mean that the member states acknowledge that they must take more consistent climate action. If they fail to do so, or even adopt counterproductive measures – such as granting licences for the extraction of oil, gas or coal – they could be sued for damages in accordance with the ICJ advisory opinion.

Here is the text of the resolution:

Here is an informal German translation:

The fact that the resolution has even reached the UN General Assembly is thanks to young people on Pacific islands – including Vanuatu – who are fighting to prevent their homeland from being flooded and submerged as a result of rising sea levels. They have supported the campaign through a variety of actions, taking it all the way to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Hamburg and the UN’s highest court. Here is their action guide:

Summary+for+Policymakers+_+Part+1+_+Youth+Climate+Justice+Handbook.pdf