Pacific still lacks plan to implement ICJ climate ruling
More than a year after the opinion, Pacific leaders have yet to establish a regional mechanism for implementation.
Wednesday 07 October 2026 | 14:00
Updated 07 October 2026 | 15:50 FJT
From left: Kiribati Minister for Women, Youth, Sport and Social Affairs Ruth Cross Kwansing, Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change engagement outreach lead Abdul Shaheed, Pacific Community (SPC) Human Rights and Social Development director Miles Young, Pacific Islands Climate Action Network international policy lead Dr Sindra Sharma and Reverend James Bhagwan General Secretary of the Pacific Conference of Churches Secretariat.
Photo: Kaneta Naimatau
The Pacific still has no regional plan to implement the International Court of Justice (ICJ) climate ruling, more than a year after it was delivered.
Pacific Community (SPC) Human Rights and Social Development director Miles Young highlighted the gap in Nadi today.
“We don’t have that yet. There’s a gap there,” Mr Young told a panel at a pre-COP side event.
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He said Pacific Islands Forum leaders had directed that the opinion be used in climate talks, but there was no regional mechanism to put it into practice.
In the meantime, SPC is using its own programmes, including the first Pacific Justice Week.
It also plans to use the opinion in United Nations human rights reviews of Pacific countries.
Why it matters
Pacific Islands Climate Action Network international policy lead Dr Sindra Sharma said the 1.5C limit was now clear in law.
She said this gave people more power to push their governments to align national climate plans with the legal position.
Mr Young wants governments, national human rights institutions and civil society groups to come together to agree on a strategy.
“Implementation, implementation, implementation is what I really want to focus on,” he said.
The United Nations General Assembly backed the ruling on May 20 this year. The UN Secretary-General is due to report in 2027 on ways to advance compliance.
Pacific Conference of Churches general secretary Rev James Bhagwan, who moderated the panel, questioned what it meant for countries to celebrate the opinion while ignoring other ICJ opinions.
