The International Court of Justice has granted the request of the World Health Organization to take part within the proceedings on its advisory opinion on the Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change. At the request of the United Nations General Assembly, the ICJ will decide the prevailing monetary legal responsibility of nations for his or her contribution to local weather change. Notably, the WHO’s authorization got here after the March 22 deadline for submission of written statements and with out an extension. This leaves the deadline for submission of responses as June 24.

On March 29, 2023, the UNGA requested the ICJ to challenge an advisory opinion on the authorized obligations of nations in stopping local weather change. The opinion, whereas non-binding, will give an indicator of how the Court could interpret future local weather associated litigation and information future legislative growth.

The UN sent an initial package of related legal guidelines and treaties. The Court determined that members states and worldwide organizations must also be given the chance to weigh in on their authorized arguments and opinions by way of written statements.

It is unknown what worldwide organizations had been denied the chance to submit written statements, because the Court solely publicizes organizations who’ve been authorised. So far, the Court has licensed the African Union; the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS); the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law; the European Union; the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA); the International Union for Conservation of Nature; the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG); the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS); the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC); the Pacific Islands Forum; and the Parties to the Nauru Agreement Office (PNAO) to take part within the proceedings. The March 26 addition of the WHO is more than likely the final. It is unclear which member states submitted written statements,

Currently, the written statements and court docket paperwork are non-public. However, the WHO has beforehand advocated that local weather change is a public well being emergency. At a Strategic Roundtable in May 2023, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said “the climate crisis is a health crisis, fueling outbreaks, contributing to higher rates of noncommunicable diseases, and threatening to overwhelm our health workforce and health infrastructure.”

The Court has but to stipulate the method it’s going to use as soon as the written statements and responses are acquired, however I consider the advisory opinion will more than likely not be launched till someday in 2025.

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