US pressures Vanuatu at UN over ICJ’s landmark climate change ruling
Al Jazeera
February 14, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
The United States is exerting pressure on other nations to劝阻Vanuatu from advancing a draft UN resolution that supports the International Court of Justice (ICJ)'s landmark ruling on climate change. The ICJ had ruled that countries have a legal obligation to act on the existential threat of climate change, following Vanuatu's successful campaign in the UN General Assembly with the support of 132 countries. However, a US State Department cable obtained by Al Jazeera reveals that the Trump administration strongly objects to this resolution, accusing it of being based on speculative climate models and aiming to assign blame for baseless claims.
The cable, circulated to all US embassies and consulates, urges Vanuatu to withdraw the resolution immediately. It argues that the ICJ's advisory opinion should not be used as a basis for creating new legal obligations or avenues for litigation. The US administration has consistently opposed international climate action, withdrawing from key UN climate bodies and promoting fossil fuel production.
Vanuatu's UN Ambassador Odo Tevi remains committed to securing a vote on the resolution by March. He emphasizes that the ICJ ruling provides clarity that can strengthen global climate action and multilateral cooperation. The draft resolution has been endorsed by several countries, including Barbados, Burkina Faso, Colombia, Jamaica, Kenya, Micronesia, and others, many of which are already grappling with severe climate impacts like intense storms.
Critics argue that the US opposition reflects its broader efforts to undermine international efforts to combat climate change. Louis Charbonneau of Human Rights Watch supports Vanuatu's resolution, calling on governments to uphold their obligations to protect human rights by addressing environmental degradation. The resolution is seen as a crucial step in holding nations accountable for their contributions to climate change, aligning legal obligations with scientific consensus.
This clash at the UN highlights the broader global debate over multilateralism versus
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Originally published on Al Jazeera on 2/14/2026