Since 2 December 2024, the ICJ has heard the various submissions of nations and international organisations on the legal obligations of States in respect of climate change. The public hearing will conclude on Friday, 13 December 2024, at the Peace Palace, after which the Court will publicise its advisory opinion.[i]
Today, the delegation of Seychelles will deliver its statement on the advisory opinion on the obligations of States in respect of climate change at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, The Netherlands.
Seychelles participation in the advisory proceedings allows the country to continue voicing its call for action in this field and contribute to forge the climate change discussion from the legal perspective before the ICJ, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. The two questions submitted to the Court by the UN General Assembly seek (A) clarification on the obligations of States to ensure the protection of the climate system and other parts of the environment from greenhouse gases, and (B) to determine what are the legal consequences for States that cause significant harm to the climate system and other parts of the environment.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Flavien Joubert, Minister of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment, who leads the delegation of Seychelles, will expound on the special circumstance of Seychelles and other similar small island developing states when it comes to climate change. He will urge the Court to confirm that it is a State’s responsibility to protect human rights from harm due to climate change, within and outside its territory and that States held responsible are obliged to make full reparation.
Minister Joubert will be joined in presenting the case for Seychelles, by Mr. Antony Derjacques, an experienced lawyer and the Minister for Transport, the Attorney General Mr. Vinsent Perera and two international lawyers from Sygna Partners, a Paris-based legal firm, who has helped to draft the legal arguments and assisted in the filing of the written Statements and Comments to other written statements within the time-limits fixed by the Court.
The Attorney General Vinsent Perera will further address the international press to brief on the position of Seychelles as part of these proceedings.
The statement of Seychelles can be followed on the link provided below, starting from 14.45hours (Seychelles time): THE HAGUE – The International Court of Justice (ICJ) holds public hearings in the advisory proceedings on Climate Change – Mexico; Micronesia (Federated States of); Myanmar; Namibia and Japan | UN Web TV.