Prime Ministers Kausea Natano of Tuvalu and Gaston Browne of
Antigua and Barbuda will give evidence at the International
Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, which will consider whether
carbon emissions absorbed by the ocean should be considered
marine pollution, and what obligations nations have to protect
the marine environment.
The tribunal will issue an advisory opinion, which is not
legally binding, but offers an authoritative statement on legal
matters that could guide countries as they craft climate
protection law.
The prime ministers, representing the Commission of Small Island
States on Climate Change and International Law (COSIS), will
argue that countries have an obligation to protect the marine
environment under the UN convention on the Law of the Sea,
including from greenhouse gas emissions.
“We come here seeking urgent help, in the strong belief that
international law is an essential mechanism for correcting the
manifest injustice that our people are suffering as a result of
climate change," said Tuvalu's Natano.
Excessive carbon pollution results in damage to the oceans,
including coral bleaching and acidification.
Low-lying island states like Tuvalu and Vanuatu are also at risk
of becoming submerged by water by the end of the century due to
slow-onset climate impacts.
Small island nations have also sought legal clarity on nations'
climate obligations in other courts. Vanuatu led a campaign to
ask the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to issue an
advisory opinion on countries' obligations to address climate
change.
The UN General Assembly in March voted to refer the case to the
ICJ, which will issue an opinion in 2024.
(Reporting by Valerie Volcovici; editing by Diane Craft)
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