After six long years of relentless advocacy, the much-anticipated International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion (ICJAO) on Climate Change is set to be released on July 23rd, marking a historic moment for the Pacific and the global climate justice movement.
For Vanuatu’s Minister of Climate Change, Ralph Regenvanu, the journey began with a letter – one that would spark a movement across oceans and generations.
“It has been a long process. I remember when I was the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the group from Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change came to see me. They had already issued the letters to all Pacific governments. I was very happy to receive them and happy to take their passionate call, coming from the heart of the Pacific Island countries’ youth,” Regenvanu said.
That passionate call was quickly taken up by Pacific leaders. The letter was elevated to the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) foreign ministers’ meeting in Suva, and later, to the Leaders Summit in Tuvalu in August 2019. That pivotal decision formally initiated the Pacific’s push toward securing the ICJAO.
Among those student changemakers was Vishal Prasad, now Director of Pacific Island Students Fighting for Climate Change (PISFCC). Alongside other Pacific youths, he has dedicated six years to advocating for the ICJ to weigh in on one of the most pressing questions of our time: What are the legal obligations of states to protect the planet and the people from climate change?
“The impacts of climate change are accelerating, and so too is the need for urgent, bold and systemic action,” said Prasad. “Frontline communities have long sounded the alarm that the climate crisis is not a distant threat.”
The ICJAO campaign was never just about laws – it was a response to survival. It was a direct reply to the cries of islanders already facing rising seas, saltwater intrusion, devastating cyclones, and loss of ancestral lands.
“Young people stood up, not only as witnesses to the injustice, but as architects of change,” Prasad emphasised. “This was precisely what motivated us to launch the ICJ advice campaign in 2019 and the reason for our continued advocacy for climate justice today, with the delivery of that opinion on the horizon.”
Over the past six years, the Pacific has come together – united in purpose and voice. Civil society organisations (CSOs), grassroots partners and international partners traversed islands to collect testimonials and stories from climate-impacted communities. From outer island farmers losing their crops to coastal villages facing relocation, these voices were gathered to be heard in the world’s highest court.
Pacific science institutions, including the Pacific Community (SPC), worked in parallel, compiling and presenting rigorous scientific evidence to bolster the legal case.
What began as a youth-led initiative has since evolved into a global campaign, with support from international legal scholars, states, and advocacy groups. And leading the global charge, once again, is the government of Vanuatu and Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change.
“We expect the ICJ to deliver a clear and authoritative articulation of states’ legal obligations to prevent, reduce and remedy the harms of climate change,” Prasad said. “Not just under the Paris Agreement, but also under customary international law, human rights law, and the law of the sea.”
To date, the ICJ has received 91 written statements and 62 written comments, followed by oral hearings involving 96 states and 11 organisations – a remarkable show of international participation.
For the Pacific, this advisory opinion could be a game-changer. While not legally binding, ICJ opinions carry immense weight and could reshape how courts worldwide interpret climate-related cases, giving new legal tools to communities seeking justice and accountability.
This moment comes on the heels of the landmark opinion by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) and international human rights conventions, both affirming that greenhouse gas emissions constitute pollution and that climate change infringes on basic human rights.
Still, some nations continue to assert that an advisory opinion will not shift their position. But for the Pacific—and many others on the frontlines—it signals a long-awaited turning point.
Coral Pasisi, Director of Climate Change at SPC, emphasised that regardless of the outcome, the work continues.
“I think for us, the critical thing that will help to bring to the table is the science and evidence of where the world is at right now. And unfortunately, the science is very clear, as is the lived experience, that we are not on track,” Pasisi said.
“And the most powerful voices that presented to the ICJ were our Pacific countries, who were presenting some of this evidence, some of the lived experiences of their people. And that evidence is really critical to help inform, you know, the legal responsibility of states, reparation, and the rate at which this needs to occur.”
In these final days before the ruling, anticipation is building across the region and beyond. Watch parties, livestreams, and global solidarity events are being organised – a testament to the scale and spirit of this movement.
For the Pacific, the ICJAO is more than just a legal opinion. It is a hope that justice is served for those whose homes are under water, whose cultural identity was stripped from them, whose health, food, and life were affected due to climate change.
And on July 23rd, the world will listen.
Join the live updates on the livestream from The Hague on Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change | Seeking an Advisory Opinion from the ICJ