Greenpeace MENA Welcomes UN General Assembly Backing of Landmark ICJ Climate Opinion on States’ Legal Obligations

A victory for climate justice for frontline communities

BEIRUT, LEBANON, May 21, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The United Nations General Assembly voted by overwhelming majority to adopt a landmark resolution led by Vanuatu and 12 other countries, aimed at advancing the implementation of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion on climate change and state responsibility, issued in July 2025.


Commenting on the UN General Assembly’s endorsement of the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion on climate change, Ghiwa Nakat, Executive Director of Greenpeace MENA, said:

“The UN General Assembly’s overwhelming support for the ICJ’s historic climate opinion marks a turning point. Climate inaction is no longer just an environmental or political failure; it is increasingly becoming a matter of accountability under international law.

For the Middle East and North Africa, where communities are already facing worsening heatwaves, water scarcity, pollution, and economic vulnerability, this vote sends a clear message: climate justice can no longer remain a promise in speeches.”
Nakat added:
Governments must stop expanding fossil fuels and accelerate a rapid, just, and equitable transition toward renewable, people-centered energy systems and more resilient societies. Financing this transition will require stronger measures to ensure the biggest polluters pay for their climate damages, alongside the fulfilment of international climate finance obligations by wealthy developed countries. The era of treating climate commitments as optional is coming to an end.”
The resolution passed with 141 votes in favour, 8 against and 28 abstentions. The outcome formally reaffirms the Court’s findings and calls on governments to align their policies with their legal obligations to limit global warming to 1.5°C - including by delivering deep, rapid and sustained emissions cuts, regulating fossil fuel companies, and protecting the right to a healthy environment. The resolution also requests the UN Secretary-General submit a report in 2027 on how to advance compliance with all obligations in relation to the Court’s findings - ensuring that pressure and scrutiny on governments will be sustained to deliver their legal obligations.

Hiam Mardini
Greenpeace MENA
hmardini@greenpeace.org
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