OAS Unites Behind Historic ICJ Climate Advisory Opinion
On August 6, the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) adopted a landmark declaration by consensus, welcoming the historic advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on states’ obligations regarding climate change.
Sir Ronald Sanders, Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the OAS, drafted and negotiated the text. In doing so, he won the backing of 23 of the 32 active Member States, including all 14 CARICOM countries.
Despite the opposition of the United States delegation, the support of an overwhelming majority of the OAS member states underscores the deep concern about the effects of Climate Change that permeates the hemisphere.
In a footnote to the declaration, which was shared before its adoption, the US delegation stated that “this declaration includes a wide range of statements from the advisory opinion that are inconsistent with U.S. positions, including with respect to climate change and human rights.”
Ambassador Sanders said, “This divergence of positions does not stop vulnerable states from welcoming the ICJ Advisory Opinion, which upholds our rights in international law, nor does it stop us from seeking to narrow the differences with the U.S”.
The Declaration heralds the ICJ’s Advisory Opinion of 23 July 2025 as “a landmark clarification of international law,” affirming that “greenhouse gas emissions constitute a shared global challenge. Their adverse effects—including loss of life, destruction of infrastructure, migration, and threats to food and water security—transcend borders and demand an urgent and cooperative response to facilitate a transition towards the progressive reduction of fossil fuels.”
Reflecting on this achievement, Ambassador Sanders remarked that Antigua and Barbuda was honoured to lead the hemispheric effort to welcome the ICJ Advisory Opinion, describing it as “another vital step on our collective journey to halt greenhouse-gas emissions that imperil small states in particular—and all nations of the world.”
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