Forum Secretary General, Baron Waqa has welcomed the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) Advisory Opinion on climate obligations as a ‘historic milestone’ and a major win for the region’s fight for climate justice.
Speaking at a reception hosted at the Forum Secretariat in Suva, Waqa said the ruling sends a clear legal message to the world.
“This journey began six years ago, with 27 passionate law students from the Pacific, who with conviction and courage, transformed climate advocacy into meaningful climate action,” Waqa said.
“Today, their vision and determination has resulted in a landmark ruling from the highest court in the world – the International Court of Justice.”
He praised the Government and People of Vanuatu for their leadership in taking the campaign global.
“I also extend heartfelt congratulations to the Government and People of Vanuatu for their steadfast and visionary leadership in championing the Advisory Opinion, both within our region and globally,” Waqa said.
The ICJ Opinion, which clarifies states’ legal obligations to combat climate change, comes at a time of escalating climate impacts across the Pacific.
“The ICJ’s Advisory Opinion marks a pivotal moment for our region, forging a new legal pathway that strengthens our efforts to safeguard our ocean, our people, and our environment, from the devastating impacts caused by climate change,” he said.
Waqa linked the ruling to key Pacific regional positions, including the Boe Declaration and the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
“It reinforces the vision of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, ‘for a resilient Pacific Region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion and prosperity, that ensures all Pacific peoples can lead free, healthy and productive lives’,” he said.
“It also reaffirms the Boe Declaration’s framing of climate change as the Pacific’s single greatest threat, to the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of the peoples of the Pacific, and our commitment to progress the implementation of the Paris Agreement.”
The Secretary General said the ruling was more than just symbolic—it was a legal foundation to demand action.
“This Opinion reflects the enduring call by Forum Leaders and Pacific peoples that climate change is not just an environmental issue, but a matter of international justice, human rights, and intergenerational equity.”
He added that the opinion is consistent with the region’s legal work on sea-level rise and maritime zones.
“Importantly, it also aligns with the Pacific’s legal positions as articulated in the 2021 PIF Maritime Zones Declaration and the 2023 PIF Statehood Declaration, both of which continue to help shape global discourse on the complex and unprecedented legal challenges posed by sea-level rise.”
Waqa urged continued unity and global engagement, especially as the region prepares for the upcoming 54th Forum Leaders Meeting in the Solomon Islands.
“This Advisory Opinion stands as a powerful affirmation of what we can achieve when we work together as one Blue Pacific,” he said.
“We now have a clear legal roadmap, to pursue the transformative change and accountability that is so urgently needed in the global fight against climate change.”
“Today, as we honour this remarkable achievement, we call upon our partners to uphold the Advisory Opinion and to deliver on its potential – for our planet, our people, and our children, who will one day inherit this planet, and the consequences of our actions today,” said SG Waqa.
