General Assembly backs historic World Court climate crisis ruling

Key points

• The Secretary-General said it makes clear Member States’ responsibility to protect their own people from what is an “escalating climate crisis”.
• The resolution drawn up by Vanuatu - a Pacific island nation on the frontline of the climate crisis, and several other countries - was adopted after intense discussion including multiple proposed amendments with 141 votes in favour, eight against and 28 abstentions.
• Tweet URL Those voting against were Belarus, Iran, Israel, Liberia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the US and Yemen.
• When the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN’s principal judicial body, ruled in July 2025 that States have an obligation to protect the environment from greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the decision was hailed as a breakthrough.
• The UN chief described it simply as “a victory for our planet”.