7 February 2012
Palau reiterates call for ICJ Advisory Opinion on responsibility for climate change
After that deliberations on a possible General Assembly resolution began in New York, the President of Palau, Johnson Toribiong, said that actions by individual States are not enough to ‘stem the rising tides or the flood of global emissions’ and that an Advisory Opinion from the International Court of Justice is an appropriate recourse that ‘will give us the guidance we need on what all states must do.’ In the view of the Palauan President ‘the small island states are least responsible’. Palau also intends ‘to raise the consciousness of the world community to the issue of responsibility’ in the process.
Palau had announced plans in September to seek an Advisory Opinion on whether countries have a legal responsibility to ensure that any activities on their territory that emit greenhouse gases do not harm other states.
Source: UN multimedia | ICJ / Climate change