Vanuatu seeks more focus on climate change before UNGA debate

A handout photo taken on March 4, 2023 and received from the Australian Department of Defence shows humanitarian aid supplies ready to be loaded on a C- 17 A Globemaster heading to Vanuatu as part of the Australian Government's response to Tropical Cyclones Judy and Kevin, from Amberley Base in Queensland. PHOTO AFP Vanuatu, still reeling from two cyclones that struck within a week, hopes that the UN General Assembly will adopt its push for greater priority given to the human rights impact of climate change.

The Pacific island nation's Minister of Climate Change, Ralph Regenvanu, said 119 governments have co-sponsored Vanuatu's resolution, which seeks legal clarity on the obligation of states to take climate change action, and draws attention to the vulnerability of small islands states that have been hit by worsening storms and rising seas.

Vanuatu hopes more nations will sign-on before the general assembly debate begins on Wednesday, and it will be passed by consensus, he said.

According to an online forum on Thursday evening, thousands of people are dealing with broken homes, destroyed infrastructure and loss of food crops in my country.

He said that the cost of the disaster will exceed half of Vanuatu's annual GDP.

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More than 3,000 people are still in evacuation centres three weeks after two Category-four cyclones hit Vanuatu, which has a population of 319,000 spread across 80 islands.

There were damaged or destroyed homes, schools and medical centres, and several island airports are shut down.

He said that the resolution does not name, blame, or shame a nation or group of countries, but it asks for guidance and clarity on the application of existing international law.

He said that the International Court of Justice would be asked to issue a legal opinion on the responsibility of states, and that it should motivate states to ensure human rights are prioritised in climate change negotiations.

READ MORE: Vanuatu threatens to sue countries that are responsible for climate change.

Vanuatu took up the challenge to seek a legal opinion from the United Nations' top court after a group of Pacific islands university students petitioned governments with the idea in 2019.

Cynthia Houniuhi, President of the Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, said it was the most ambitious action they could think of.

I don't want to show a picture to my child on my island. She said that I want my child to be able to experience the same environment, and she said it was highlighting the risk of rising sea levels to villages across the Pacific.