Effective protection of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment by IISD, OHCHR, ICJ, WMO, agencies   UN experts urge states to support United Nations General Assembly resolution operationalising ICJ Advisory Opinion on climate obligations. (OHCHR)   All states must support a UN General Assembly resolution upholding the 2025 Advisory Opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on climate change obligations, UN experts said today, expressing concern about attempts to block discussion of the proposal.   “The timing of the General Assembly resolution is critical,” the experts said, as the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu leads negotiations on the resolution during the second half of May.   The proposal comes amidst new data indicating that the 1.5°C limit on global temperature rise under the Paris Agreement could be exceeded as early as May 2029, and recent cyclones, hurricanes, forest fires and floods across Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and Africa have already caused severe human rights impacts and losses.   “The Advisory Opinion was unanimous in response to a consensus request from the General Assembly,” they recalled. “The Opinion is based on a range of international legally binding sources of international law on how to effectively prevent further climate harm and its devastating impacts on lives, societies and economies.”   “We are gravely concerned about attempts to block the resolution from being considered at the UNGA,” the experts said. “States must comply with their obligations to cooperate in the effective protection of the environment, the climate system and human rights.”   “There is a disturbing pattern of growing obstruction across UN processes against explicit references to fossil fuels and the ICJ Advisory Opinion, including at the Human Rights Council,” they warned.   They noted that States at the UN Climate Conference of November 2025 (COP30) were unable to uphold the legal and scientific standards clarified by the ICJ, or agree on meaningful outcomes on climate mitigation.   “States must not delay “difficult” conversations,” the experts said, calling on countries to step up efforts to find inclusive, meaningful ways to comply with international obligations and effectively protect people from inter-linked planetary crises, growing economic inequality and armed aggression connected with the fossil fuel-based economy.   “We applaud over 80 States from different regions that pointed out the problematic dynamics at COP30 and launched a separate multilateral conference to advance concrete and fair action to transition away from fossil fuels, under the leadership of Colombia and the Netherlands.”   The draft resolution could support a collaborative and inclusive approach to fulfilling States’ obligations to legislate on the fossil fuel phase-out, remove fossil fuel subsidies, document climate harm and respond to reparation claims, the experts said.   These efforts could complement the Paris Agreement’s Loss and Damage Fund, which remains severely underfunded and in need of reform to support affected communities.   “Instead of resorting to adversarial measures, States must see this resolution as something that will benefit them all, through mutual learning and international cooperation on the climate crisis that is spreading across all continents,” they said.   The experts recalled that reparations identified by the ICJ overlap with States’ pre-existing obligations to prevent environmental and human rights harm, conserve and restore ecosystems, and fund effective environmental action in countries most affected by climate change and least responsible for it.   “A UN General Assembly resolution will set the direction for multilateral action towards the effective protection of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, including a safe climate, as a precondition for peace and the enjoyment of all human rights by present and future generations,” they said.   United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk hails landmark ICJ ruling affirming States’ human rights obligations with respect to climate change.   The Advisory Opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on States’ obligations regarding climate change is a sweeping victory for all those who are fighting to protect a safe climate and planet for all humanity, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk said.   “This Opinion by the world’s highest court is an authoritative, clear and indisputable affirmation of the far-ranging impacts of climate change and the broad extent of obligations of States, under human rights law and beyond, to act urgently to stem the damage,” the High Commissioner said. “It is also a testament to the power of the inspiring Pacific Islands students’ movement, and many other activists, whose initiative led Vanuatu and other Pacific Island States to start the process at the UN General Assembly to request this Opinion.”   The Opinion, which was issued on Wednesday, makes clear that human rights law and obligations apply in the context of climate change, and must be taken into full account by States. This includes the human right to life, as well as to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, which is foundational for the effective enjoyment of all human rights, according to the Court.   According to the decision, States have a duty “to use all means at their disposal to prevent activities carried out within their jurisdiction or control from causing significant harm to the climate system and other parts of the environment”.   The “failure of a State to take appropriate action to protect the climate system from greenhouse gas emissions - including through fossil fuel production, fossil fuel consumption, the granting of fossil fuel exploration licences or the provision of fossil fuel subsidies - may constitute an internationally wrongful act which is attributable to that State”, the ICJ added. The legal consequences may require States to cease harmful activities, provide assurances and guarantees of non-repetition, including through effective regulation of the private sector, and provide reparations for climate harms, the court said.   “The emphasis by the Court on international human rights law sends a powerful message,” Türk said. In its analysis, the Court referenced the work of the UN Human Rights Office and other human rights mechanisms, at international and regional levels.   “Importantly, this landmark legal position affirms the central role of human rights law in addressing the devastating consequences of the climate crisis. It acknowledges the existential character of that crisis and finds that climate harms - despite all their complexities - are actionable under familiar principles of international law. The Court has provided a roadmap for people and Governments to seek the transformative change and accountability we need in the fight against climate change, now and in the future.   “States now urgently need to take meaningful action through legislation, policy change, resource mobilisation and international cooperation, to stop the climate crisis from worsening and open paths towards due reparations for those affected,” the High Commissioner added.   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/03/un-experts-urge-states-support-general-assembly-resolution-operationalising http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/07/turk-hails-landmark-icj-ruling-affirming-states-human-rights-obligations http://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/news/institute-responds-to-international-court-of-justice-advisory-opinion/ http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/02/global-governments-must-use-new-un-general-assembly-resolution-to-turn-icjs-advisory-opinion-on-climate-change-into-robust-action http://www.hrw.org/news/2026/03/16/governments-should-support-vanuatus-un-climate-resolution http://www.coe.int/en/web/commissioner/-/climate-action-and-accountability-for-survival http://theelders.org/news/climate-and-rule-law-why-states-must-step-now http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/un-resolution-advancing-icj-climate-ruling-by-ralph-regenvanu-2026-05/   http://www.ciel.org/news/icj-climate-opinion-ends-fossil-fuel-impunity/ http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/press_releases/?14459466/ICJ-advisory-opinion-climate-change http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/07/global-international-court-of-justices-landmark-opinion-bolsters-fight-for-climate-justice-and-accountability/ http://blog.ucs.org/delta-merner/five-reasons-why-the-icj-climate-advisory-opinion-matters/ http://www.clientearth.org/latest/press-office/press-releases/world-s-highest-court-confirms-countries-must-act-to-avert-climate-catastrophe-in-a-once-in-a-generation-legal-decision/ http://earth.org/landmark-moment-for-climate-justice-reactions-pour-in-after-icj-delivers-historic-opinion-on-states-climate-change-obligations/   May 2026   Final text of UN climate resolution released ahead of 20 May vote - Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change   The final text of the United Nations General Assembly resolution responding to the International Court of Justice's 2025 climate Advisory Opinion has been released, marking a pivotal step in the global effort to translate legal consensus into coordinated political action. The resolution is expected to come to a vote on 20 May 2026.   The resolution's objectives are clear. It seeks to give effect to the ICJ's Advisory Opinion by establishing coordinated global follow-up, reaffirming that international law — including human rights law, the law of the sea, and customary international law — applies to State conduct on climate change.   It calls for implementation pathways consistent with the Court's findings, supports continued attention to the rights of present and future generations, and anchors climate cooperation in the legal obligations States already owe one another and to the planet. We call on all states to co-sponsor the resolution and vote yes on 20 May.   http://www.pisfcc.org/news/final-text-of-un-climate-resolution-released-ahead-of-20-may-vote http://www.pisfcc.org/s/Final-UNGA-Resolution-ICJ-AO-CC-30426.pdf http://www.unep.org/championsofearth/index.php/laureates/2025/pacific-island-students-fighting-climate-change   * ICJ Summary: Obligation of States in respect of climate change (7pp): http://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/187/187-20250723-pre-01-00-en.pdf   * ICJ complete advisory: Obligation of States in respect of climate change (140pp): http://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/187/187-20250723-adv-01-00-en.pdf   http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/07/1165475 http://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1t/k1tey5ro2w http://www.icj-cij.org/case/187/press-releases   24 Apr. 2026   The First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels aims to advance collective efforts to phase out fossil fuels. The conference will identify legal, economic, and social pathways to phase out fossil fuels.   The Governments of Colombia and the Netherlands announced their intent to co-host the conference after the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 30) negotiations did not result in an agreement on phasing out fossil fuels. In response, the governments proposed continuing the momentum for an equitable roadmap for the global phaseout of fossil fuels.   The conference will advance international cooperation on transitioning away from fossil fuel extraction in line with the ‘Belem Declaration on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels’.   The conference takes place from 28-29 April, bringing together countries, subnational actors, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, scientists, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other stakeholders. Over 60 countries are taking part in the Conference.   The event will serve as “the first implementation-focused global Conference, intended to support practical action by those already prepared to move forward.”   The event will not conclude with a negotiated outcome, but will “generate shared understanding and actionable guidance that can help accelerate a just, orderly, and equitable transition away from fossil fuels.”   Apr. 2026   A new economic power could spark a global retreat from fossil fuels, by Mark Hertsgaard and Kyle Pope for Covering Climate Now.   The Iran war is also a climate war. Beyond its terrible human costs, the war’s disruptions of oil, gas, fertilizer and other shipments is another reminder of the risks inherent in basing the world economy on fossil fuels.   The climate system with ever expanding greenhouse gas emissions is already “very close” to a point of no return, scientists say, after which runaway global warming could not be stopped. Nevertheless, those committed to fossil fuels around the world continue doing their utmost to stave off a desperately needed course correction.   Now, a little noticed ray of hope may be peeking over the horizon.   At the UN Cop30 climate summit last November, Saudi Arabia led a group of petrostates in vetoing calls to develop a “roadmap” to phase out fossil fuels globally; indeed, the words “fossil fuels” were not even mentioned in the final text agreed at Cop30. But the 85 countries on the losing end of that veto may soon turn the tables.   Many of those governments will gather in Colombia on 28-29 April for a conference to begin a global transition away from oil, gas and coal. Critically, the First International Conference on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels will not be governed by UN rules, which require consensus, but by majority rule, thus preventing a handful of countries from sabotaging progress as petrostates did at Cop30.   What’s more, the underlying terrain of this conference will no longer be principally politics, but economics, the market forces that shape the world economy.   The conference is co-sponsored by Colombia and the Netherlands, with organizers confirming that they have invited countries that endorsed the roadmap proposal at Cop30, as well as leaders of sub-national governments.   The conference aims to begin drawing up the roadmap blocked at Cop30. Energy and environment ministers of governments comprising a “coalition of the willing” will share plans to transition their economies away from oil, gas and coal without leaving workers and communities behind. Joining them will be climate activists, leaders of Indigenous peoples, trade union representatives and other civil society voices, sharing ideas and experiences on how to make the abstract goal of phasing out fossil fuels a practical reality.   The goal of the conference is to agree on “actionable solutions” that follow-up meetings can refine so governments around the world can implement them.   One area of focus will be how to phase out the $7tn a year governments spend subsidizing fossil fuels – but to do so without punishing communities, workers and tax bases that rely on such subsidies.   At least 85 countries at Cop30 backed developing a roadmap to phase out fossil fuels. Included among them were the global north states Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Spain – the world’s third, sixth, seventh and 12th biggest economies. Brazil and Mexico, the world’s 10th and 13th biggest economies, also backed the measure.   Combine the gross national products of those 85 countries and the total is $33.3tn. That’s larger than the $30.6tn GNP of the US, the world’s biggest economy, and considerably larger than the $19.4tn GNP of China, the world’s second-biggest economy.   This gives those 85 countries enormous potential leverage. If those attending the Just Transition conference can outline a credible roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels for the wider group to unite behind, it could send a clear signal to financial markets and government ministries around the world.   “A coalition of that scale signaling its intent to move beyond fossil fuels would send an unmistakable message that the age of oil, gas, and coal is ending, and the smart money is shifting,” Mohamed Adow, director of the non-profit Power Shift Africa, said in an interview.   Money follows money. If a large chunk of the global economy announces that it intends to leave fossil fuels behind – and releases transparent, convincing plans for doing so – private investors and government planners everywhere would have to question whether sinking new money into oil exploration, coal mining, or gas terminals makes financial sense or would instead leave them with virtually worthless stranded assets.   Much the same thing happened after the 2015 Paris agreement. When governments pledged to limit temperature rise to “well below” 2C and to aim for 1.5C, public and private sector leaders began changing course. Fossil fuel expansions were scaled back, renewable energy investments boosted.   Before the Paris agreement, the planet was on track toward a hellish 4C of temperature rise. Five years later, the emissions curve had bent to a 2.7C future – still much too high, but a step in the right direction, and proof that change is possible.   The Just Transition conference underscores a point often missed in the usual narrative on climate change: the overwhelming majority of the world’s people – 80-89% of them – want their governments to take stronger climate action. Scientists have long been clear that phasing out fossil fuels is imperative to limit global warming to an amount our civilization can survive.   * Mark Hertsgaard and Kyle Pope are co-founders of the global journalism collaboration Covering Climate Now   http://transitionawayconference.com/ http://transitionawayconference.com/press-releases http://transitionawayconference.com/contributions http://enb.iisd.org/transition-away-fossil-fuels-1-summary http://genevasolutions.news/climate-environment/a-breath-of-fresh-air-first-conference-to-quit-fossil-fuels-ends-in-optimism http://coveringclimatenow.org/from-us-story/santa-marta-may-be-a-game-changing-moment/ http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/press_releases/?15886841/WWF-Santa-Marta-marks-a-pivotal-milestone-in-implementing-the-fossil-fuel-transition http://climatenetwork.org/2026/04/30/santa-marta-plants-the-seeds-of-a-fossil-free-future-civil-society-will-hold-governments-to-account http://www.ciel.org/news/santa-marta-fossil-fuel-phaseout/ http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/04/santa-marta-conference http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2026/04/fossil-fuel-treaty/ http://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/ior40/0863/2026/en/ http://www.carbonbrief.org/santa-marta-key-outcomes-from-first-summit-on-transitioning-away-from-fossil-fuels/ http://www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/resources/updates/climate-action-from-geneva-to-santa-marta-first-conference-on-transitioning-away-from-fossil-fuels/ http://www.fossilfueltreaty.org/briefing-pack http://www.fossilfueltreaty.org/latest#newsroom   http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/30/colombia-climate-talks-end-fossil-fuel-phaseout http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/07/iran-war-oil-phase-out-fossil-fuels http://theconversation.com/countries-must-back-commitments-to-transition-from-fossil-fuels-with-action-282118 http://tinyurl.com/5art45d3 http://www.iisd.org/events/inside-first-conference-transitioning-away-fossil-fuels http://www.iisd.org/articles/press-release/governments-five-times-more-public-money-fossil-fuels-than-renewables http://iwgia.org/en/news/6136-a-just-future-beyond-fossil-fuels-indigenous-peoples-rights.html http://350.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Out-Report-Pocket-Full-Report.pdf http://unfccc.int/news/un-climate-chief-in-brussels-fossil-fuel-dependency-is-ripping-away-national-security-and http://news.un.org/en/story/2026/03/1167135 http://wmo.int/news/media-centre/earths-climate-swings-increasingly-out-of-balance http://www.unognewsroom.org/story/en/3060/wmo-presser-state-of-the-global-climate-2025-report/9190 http://www.pik-potsdam.de/en/news/latest-news/significant-acceleration-of-global-warming-since-2015 http://www.clientearth.org/latest/news/fossil-fuels-and-energy-security-what-s-the-issue/ Visit the related web page
	Conflict and violence become the leading driver of internal displacements by Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC)   May 2026   Conflict and violence drove a record 32.3 million internal displacements in 2025, surpassing disaster displacements for the first time on record, according to the Global Report on Internal Displacement 2026 published today by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC).   “Never have we recorded such a staggering number of displacements related to conflict,” said IDMC director Tracy Lucas. “As conflicts are intensifying, it is often the same people who are uprooted again and again. Yet the systems meant to protect them are being dismantled.”   The number of internal displacements includes each instance a person is forced to flee within the borders of their own country, often multiple times over the course of the year.   Meanwhile, the number of people living in internal displacement remained near record levels, at 82.2 million, the second-highest figure ever recorded.   Emerging, escalating and entrenched conflicts forced people to move repeatedly within their countries, driving a 60 per cent increase in conflict displacements compared with 2024. As instability deepened throughout the year, Iran, with 10 million internal displacements, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with 9.7 million, together represented two-thirds of conflict displacements.   Disasters also continued to drive large-scale forced movement. Storms, floods and other hazards triggered 29.9 million internal displacements in 2025, a 35 per cent decrease compared with the exceptionally high levels of 2024, but still 13 per cent above the annual average of the past decade.   Countries previously less affected recorded large-scale displacements, while previous hotspots continued to be exposed, pointing to the ever-evolving patterns linked to a changing climate and need to invest in climate adaptation. Wildfires illustrated this shift by becoming an increasingly significant driver of displacement globally, accounting for more than 694,000 displacements in 2025, the hazard’s second-highest figure recorded in the past decade.   While the total number of internally displaced people fell slightly compared with 2024, it remained close to its historic peak. The decline was partly linked to reported returns, many of which took place under fragile conditions.   “Internal displacement of tens of millions is a sign of a global collapse in prevention of conflict and basic protection of civilians,” said Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). “Countless families are returning to destroyed homes and disappearing services - or cannot return at all. From DR Congo and Sudan to Iran and Lebanon, we see millions more displaced on top of the previous record numbers driven out if their homes. We cannot continue like this.”   Internal displacement remained highly concentrated: nearly half of all conflict IDPs (31.4 million) lived in just five countries, with Sudan hosting the largest number for the third consecutive year (9.1 million), followed by Colombia (7.2 m), Syria (6 m), Yemen (4.8 m) and Afghanistan (4.4 m).   In 2025, data availability declined in several contexts due to fewer assessments and reduced coverage, limiting visibility on displacement dynamics and the situation of displaced people.   “Reliable displacement data is critical for understanding where needs and risks are greatest and for ensuring that policies and resources match the scale of the challenge,” Lucas said. “With rising needs and shrinking resources, investing in national data systems and coordination remains essential.”   Global instability deepened in 2025, driving internal displacement to near-record levels worldwide. A total of 62.2 million internal displacements were reported during the year, including a record 32.3 million displacements caused by conflict and violence and 29.9 million caused by disasters.   Disaster displacements declined from the extreme highs of 2024, but risks remain severe. The 29.9 million disaster displacements recorded in 2025 were still 13 per cent above the average of the past decade, underscoring the fluctuating but persistent toll of climate and weather shocks.   Growing data gaps risk hiding the scale and impact of the crises. In 2025, IDMC observed reduced displacement data availability in 15 per cent of monitored countries, three times the share of 2024.   What is needed to reduce the number of IDPs?   Humanitarian aid alone will not suffice to reduce the scale of displacement. To help IDPs put a sustainable end to their situation, governments need to set up policies and take actions that resolve conflicts and build peace, reduce poverty and disaster risk, and enable people to return, resettle, or locally integrate in host communities. Data on displacement and solutions will continue to be key to inform such policies and actions moving forward.   * The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) is the world's leading source of data and analysis on internal displacement. Since its establishment in 1998 as part of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), IDMC has provided high-quality data, analysis and expertise on internal displacement to inform policy and operational decisions that can improve the lives of internally displaced people (IDPs) worldwide and reduce the risk of future displacement.   http://www.internal-displacement.org/news/conflict-and-violence-become-the-leading-driver-of-internal-displacements/ http://www.internal-displacement.org/global-report/grid2026/ http://www.nrc.no/perspectives/2026/does-foreign-aid-really-make-a-difference http://www.nrc.no/feature/2025/a-global-displacement-crisis-as-the-world-abandons-aid http://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/unhcr-middle-east-crisis-ripple-effects-strain-aid-efforts-beyond-region http://www.unhcr.org/news/announcements/acute-food-insecurity-and-malnutrition-remain-alarmingly-high-crises-deepen-un Visit the related web page
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