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From the UN General Assembly on May 20.

UN backs historic World Court climate crisis ruling

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Vanuatu’s long-running campaign to hold major emitters legally accountable for climate change received a major boost this week after the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly backed a landmark climate resolution linked to last year’s historic International Court of Justice ruling.
The resolution, adopted by a vote of 141–8, endorses the ICJ’s 2025 advisory opinion stating that countries have a legal obligation under international law to protect the climate system and prevent significant environmental harm. The ruling was originally initiated by Vanuatu and other Pacific island nations threatened by rising sea levels and extreme weather.
“The world’s highest court has spoken,” said the UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “Today, the General Assembly has answered.”
Not everyone applauded these remarks.
The United States, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Israel, Belarus, Yemen and Liberia voted against the resolution, while several major fossil fuel producers, including India and Qatar, abstained.
Tammy Bruce, the deputy US ambassador to the UN, called the climate resolution ‘highly problematic’, writes The Guardian.
As previously reported by We Don’t Have Time, ICJ advisory opinions are not legally binding, but they carry substantial political and legal weight and could shape future climate litigation and international negotiations. In its 2025 opinion, the court concluded that states may breach international law if they fail to take sufficient action on climate change.
The latest UN vote is widely seen as a diplomatic victory for Vanuatu, which has spent years building international support for stronger legal accountability on climate change despite pressure from major fossil fuel-producing nations.
In a post on X, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the resolution ”a powerful affirmation of international law, climate justice, science and the responsibility of states to protect people from the escalating climate crisis.”
Climate advocates say the resolution could strengthen future legal efforts to hold governments and fossil fuel companies accountable for climate damages and emissions.
📺 Watch the UN General Assemby Meeting.


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