Pacific Campaign on Climate Change and Human Rights
Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate ChangeIn March 2019, an idea was hatched in a classroom in Vanuatu to createa youth movement to address the serious impact of climate change in
the Pacific. Twenty-seven University of South Pacific (usp) law students
from eight Pacific Island countries decided to join together to begin a campaign to persuade the leaders of the Pacific Island Forum1 to take the issueof climate change and human rights to the International Court of Justice(icj). This movement was named Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate
Change (pisfcc).
It now has members in every Pacific island country and from all levelsof education, from primary and secondary schools to postgraduate university students.
Its core campaign remains convincing the governments of the world
to seek an Advisory Opinion from the icj answering a question that willdevelop new international law integrating legal obligations around environmental treaties and basic human rights.
It is also committed to educating and activating all Pacific island youth
to become aware and take action to help prevent and fight against climatechange.
Four years later, on 29 March 2023, the United Nations General
Assembly adopted the so-called icj Climate Resolution.2 This article discusses how the campaign unfolded and continues to reach people in the
Pacific Island countries.
Mission
Since climate change now threatens to destroy Pacific homeland and cultures, pisfcc choose to use the passion and knowledge of its members tofight against climate change at every level - from the grassroots of our communities to the highest levels of national and international government.

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Climate action for the Pacific is non-negotiable and we see
naming and shaming as not progressive in this critical decade.
Instead, our focus is on advocating for forward looking global
solutions to accelerate climate action. One way of achieving
this is to take climate change to the world’s highest court - theInternational Court of Justice.
Pisfcc believes that,3although not legally binding, the icj opinion will provide activists with a tool to lobby states for meaningful climate action. A
progressive opinion would empower them to confront climate
risks that have fallen on “deaf ears” in the Global North, including loss and damage, North-South reparations, and climate
migration.

Climate Change and Human Rights
It is widely recognized that the climate crisis is going to have a significant effect on human rights. Climate change has been shown to exacerbate pre-existing inequalities and human rights challenges such as poverty, well-being,
wealth inequality, gender relations, and many others.
As one of the most potent threats to the human rights of the people in
the Pacific, they must address the climate crisis through the “human rights
lens” to allow for more robust climate justice solutions.
The climate change and human rights nexus is therefore prominently
featured in the Advisory Opinion push.
The Campaign
The campaign aims to refer the world’s biggest problem to the world’s highest court (International Court of Justice) by seeking an Advisory Opinion
from the court on the issue of climate change and human rights.
Pisfcc focuses on ensuring the protection of the rights of current
and future generations from the adverse effects of climate change, and an
Advisory Opinion will assist in serving as a legal catalyst for action whileclarifying international law on the subject.
To this end, pisfcc wants Pacific Island Forum Leaders to urgently
commence the process of seeking an advisory opinion.

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Background: Past Proposals
In 2011 President Johnson Toribiong announced that the Republic of
Palau would ask the United Nations General Assembly (unga) to seek an
icj advisory opinion on climate change and human rights. He said that it
was “time [that] we determine what the international rule of law means in
the context of climate change.” The Marshall Islands and Bangladesh havealso, at various points in time, expressed interest in pursuing an icj advisory
opinion on climate change.
These initiatives remained embryonic, for a variety of contextual reasons. However, in the last decade, the context has dramatically changed,with the consequences of climate wreaking havoc all around the world andgiving a renewed impetus for bold action now. It is also critical that Vanuatu’s
current proposal gives voice to the “grassroots” of youth activism in places
already experiencing extreme climate vulnerability, themselves supported
by a global coalition comprising over a thousand civil society organizations
from the four corners of the world.
In September 2021 the Republic of Vanuatu announced it would seek
an advisory opinion from the icj to “set out with clarity the obligations ofStates under international law to protect the rights of present and future
generations against the adverse effects of climate change.”4
Vanuatu successfully led a coalition of one hundred thirty-two nationsin adopting by consensus a unga Resolution calling for a non-binding
Advisory Opinion from the icj to gain clarity on how existing internationallaws could be applied to strengthen action on climate change, protect people and the environment and save the Paris Agreement.5
Vanuatu is leading a core group of nations which drafted a question6
to ask the icj. Vanuatu was joined by Antigua & Barbuda, Costa Rica,
Sierra Leone, Angola, Germany, Mozambique, Liechtenstein, Samoa,
Federated States of Micronesia, Bangladesh, Morocco, Singapore, Uganda,
New Zealand, Vietnam, Romania and Portugal in seeking the icj Advisory
Opinion.
Substantial progress has already been made towards this goal:• In March 2022, Caribbean Countries at the 33rd Inter-Sessional
Meeting of caricom Heads of Government indicated their support for Vanuatu’s proposal;7

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In June 2022, the Organisation of African, Caribbean and PacificStates at the 114th session of the Council of Ministers endorsed
Vanuatu’s proposal;
In July 2022, the 51st Meeting of Pacific Island Forum Leaders calledon the unga for a resolution requesting the icj to provide an advisory opinion on the obligations of states under international law
to protect the rights of present and future generations against theadverse impacts of climate change.8•

The icj Climate Resolution was adopted by consensus on 29 March2023 during the 77th session of the unga requesting the icj to provide anadvisory opinion on the obligations of States under international law to protect the rights of present and future generations against the adverse effects
of climate change. 9
Solomon Yeo, campaign director of pisfcc remarked on this UN
resolution:10
Young people across the world will recall the day when wewere able to get the world’s highest court, the international courtof justice, to bring its voice to the climate justice fight.
The icj announced in April 2023 the dates for UN member-states tosubmit written statements and comments to contribute positively to the release of a powerful advisory opinion on climate change.
What Legal Question Should Be Asked on Climate Change?
The question proposed by Palau in 2011 was: “What are the obligations
under international law of a State for ensuring that activities under its jurisdiction or control that emit greenhouse gases do not cause, or substantiallycontribute to, serious damage to another State or States?” That question is
explained and justified in the report “Climate Change and the International
Court of Justice.”11
Pisfcc advocates a different approach. While the question ultimately
presented to the unga by the Republic of Vanuatu is currently the subjectof extensive negotiation, pisfcc believes that a better question would seek
the Court’s opinion upon all aspects of international law relevant to climate change with a focus on customary international law, the protectionof human rights, and intergenerational equity. To illustrate, such a question
might ask:

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What are the obligations of States under international law
to protect the rights of present and future generations against
the adverse effects of climate change?
Endorsements
Pisfcc secured great support from eminent experts and professionals
who believe in the icj Advisory Opinion (icjao) being a strong motivatorin accelerating climate action globally. These are pisfcc’s Friends of theInitiative.
ICJAO Campaign
In 2019, the pisfcc’s proposal was tabled by the Vanuatu government
at the Pacific Island Forum meeting. There, the eighteen member-states of
the Pacific Island Forum noted positively the proposal for a unga resolution
seeking an Advisory Opinion from the icj on climate change and humanrights.
Pisfcc organized chapters in Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Fiji, and Tonga
and launched there a campaign it called icjao Campaign. The activities included art competitions, peaceful protests, outreach programs with someschools at different levels. It joined other non-governmental organizations(ngos) and civil society organizations (csos) with similar initiatives, and somuch more. For the last three years, it managed to engage youths of different ages from as young as kindergarteners to university students.
Since its establishment, it has always been understood that the icjao
Campaign was unique, which meant that it would be unfamiliar territory
not just for established csos, but especially for the general public. The priority for the pisfcc Chapters then was to facilitate activities that would firstly,
engage and empower Pacific youth, and secondly, spread public awarenessthrough these youth engagement activities.
The most common of these activities were beach clean ups in the
Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, and Tonga Chapters of pisfcc. Beach clean
ups were an obvious approach as it was an activity that many were familiar
with and it was easy enough to coordinate eager youth members throughthe various chapter group chats. Pisfcc Chapters would supply the chapter members with the essentials such as tools and food. Upon repetition ofthese clean ups, the pisfcc Chapters would go a step further and use these
activities to simultaneously collect data as well on the types of litter thatwould be found on the shores of their beaches. This data would be shared

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among the local cso networks to assist in their respective activities that
required such information.
In the attempt to utilize as many forms of media as possible, the pisfcc Chapters would often speak as guests on local radio shows. These radio
talk shows were held in the local language which meant that a wider demographic would be reached. The chapter members would reach out to theirrespective radio stations and request that they be allowed to speak on their
youth segment. During this segment, chapter members would break down
the campaign to details and provide listeners with ways to join the initiative which again garnered more support locally from csos and government
ministries alike.
Pisfcc Chapters would also host outreach programs to schools in theirrespective countries. These programs would usually consist of general climate change advocacy for the younger demographic, and a bit more indepth presentations on the icjao Campaign for the older youths and students as they would range from ages 16 and upwards to the university level.
Pisfcc’s Fiji Chapter participated and partnered with several othercsos from all around the Pacific during the Pacific Solidarity Festival on theoccasion of the Pacific Islands Forum (pif) Leader’s Summit of 2022 thatcreated momentum toward the onboarding of all pif member-countries toendorsing the icjao Campaign. This festival brought together csos, friends

PISFCC joined a gathering of Vanuatu CSOs in 2019 in a push to amplify grassroots initiatives.

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131of the initiative, and members of the public to bring to life a spectacular flotilla event, public speeches, cultural dance, solidarity protests, and so muchmore. This was the culmination of ambitious planning and coordination
among like-minded individuals who were brought together by their sharedcommitments to protecting their blue Pacific, and their demand to take theworld’s biggest problem, to the world’s highest court.

PISFCC Solomon Islands chapter members support the filming of the music video for “The Islands are
calling”.

Pacific CSOs during the Pacific Solidarity Festival in 2022 pushing for the PIF Leaders Summit toendorse the ICJAO Campaign.

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PISFCC joined Vanuatu CSOs gathering for the promotion of the Pacific Solidarity Festival that was
promoted region-wide in 2022.

The flotilla event from the Pacific Solidarity Festival in 2022 calling for the endorsement of the ICJAOCampaign.

Art Competition12
While the coronavirus (covid-19) global pandemic has had an impact
on pisfcc’s work, it moved online and promoted a virtual youth art competition called the “Reimagining Pacific Futures, where Pacific youth aged 5-29
take action through their art revolving around the theme “climate change
and human rights.””13

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The “Reimagining Pacific Futures” (rpf) was launched on 30 April 2020and ended on 17 July 2020. The event was opened to young people fromthe ages of 5-29 of the eighteen member-states of the pif. There were twocategories in the event, Art (painting, drawing, placard, literary etc.) andDigital (Audio and Film).
The event was hosted on a website and the promotion of the event was
mostly done on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. With the translation helpof Vanuatu Climate Action Network, the rpf was also promoted in French
as well to encourage our Francophone brothers and sisters especially in New
Caledonia, Vanuatu and Tahiti to participate. The event was supported by
pisfcc partners who shared and promoted the event through their respective networks.
There were three independent judges of high stature in the Pacific. Theirassessment of the Artwork focuses on creative expression of the themes,
originality of the idea and consistency in representing children and youth
rights.
Deciding the winners to the event was very difficult as all artwork were
exceptional in their own way. In their best judgment emerged nine inspiring
children and youth. To highlight a few,
“Just Because” by Helava Muliaina
Scooping first in the children category is Ms. Helava Muliaina from
Samoa with her powerful poetry ‘just because’, Heleva speaks true toher pacific voice of the reality of how undervalued a Pacific woman living and fighting at the front lines of the climate crisis is.
“Human Natures” by Justiqa Osonis
The second prize getter in the children’s category hails from theFederated States of Micronesia. Ms. Justiqa has painted an image thatprovokes a strong sense of contemplation in people about their actions towards the environment. Her “Human Natures” painting, depicts that harmony or chaos depends on how well we take care of ourenvironment.
“Freedom for our Rights to Save our World” by Iona Margaret Janet
Baura

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Ms. Baura. She explained that her art calls for continuous climate solidarity for the sake of the future generations.
“Nature, Water and Human Rights” by Junior Patrick Kauhu Makau
Patrick’s film on “Nature, Water and Human Rights” was indeed asentimental portrayal of the harsh reality of the water crisis in his country (Solomon Islands) and his Island (Ong Tong Java) were currently
facing. As a passionate young filmmaker and photographer who wishes
to use his gift in film-making and photography to advocate for change
for his people and country in the light of the global climate crisis thisvideo has been a remarkable achievement in raising this very awareness.
Youth Consultation14
Pisfcc consulted youth throughout the Pacific to create a Pacific Youth
Climate Declaration that would carry youth voices in the Pacific amplified
by non-state actors, governments, academia in national, regional and international forums.
The Islands are CallingThis is a creative production by pisfcc. It is a song that seeks to raise thevoice of the youth calling for action against the climate crisis while showing
the wonders of Pacific life, heritage, art, nature, culture and tradition which
are all sadly under threat by the climate crisis.15
The song was composed by Camilla Anibirisi Batalibasi, a native daughter of Solomon Islands, Heinz Dee Koromako from Malaita and Tipokia in
Solomon Islands, and William Kadi who is also from Solomon Islands with
Melanesian and Polynesian roots.
A video of the song was shot in two places in the Solomon Islands.
The first location of the Climate Change Music Video was shot in Talakali
Village, along the Langa Langa Lagoon, Malaita Province. This place is wellknown for its skilled boat builders over the past years. Another special
feature about this place is the history of man-made artificial islands built
over the years here but now due to the adverse impacts of climate change,these people are forced to migrate to the mainland because their islands are
sinking.

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The second location was on the island of Telina situated in the Marovolagoon, Western Province of the Solomon Islands. This place holds great
importance because of its richness in biodiversity and marine life making
it a spectacular tourist destination. But due to climate change, this richness
and abundance of marine life is dying, affecting the livelihoods of people ofthe Western Province. One special scene that was shot here showcases the
youthful warrior dancer’s resilience towards this catastrophic climate event.
The music video of the The Islands are Calling can be viewed atwww.pisfcc.org/islands-are-calling and on YouTube (www.youtube.com/
watch?v=C32yxdqUuN8&t=362s).
Community events
An informal discussion on updates, next steps, and calls to action in
the Pacific-led initiative to seek an advisory opinion from the icj on climatechange and human rights was held on 1 August 2023 in Suva, Fiji.
In August 2023, the pisfcc team, together with friends from Greenpeace,
hosted an Open Boat event on the Rainbow Warrior. The event welcomed
local schools and communities and took them through a discussion on climate justice and the campaign for an #icjao4Climate.
The Open Boat event allowed for pisfcc to discuss the legal arguments
and question-breakdown presented in the Youth Climate Justice Handbook.
Fellow csos, academics, government officials, and friends of the initiative allattended to receive updates of the campaign, and to learn more about theplans of the cso front on pushing for a more progressive and strong advisory opinion through their workings with government.
While the Rainbow Warrior was docked in the Suva Harbour, pisfcc
hosted a tent that acted as a one-stop-shop of information for all the visitors
to the vessel. This tent included a display of previous pieces of art collected
over the years of campaign. The on-the-ground campaigners walked the visitors through this gallery of sorts and broke down the elements used in theseart pieces and requested that the visitors provide their own interpretations
as well. Another feature of the tent was the Climate-Clock display and theNot Just Celsius Scale 16 which were imagery pieces used by the campaigners
to delve into concepts of climate justice and intergenerational equity.

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Handbook
Following the historic adoption of the unga Resolution asking the icj
to issue an Advisory Opinion on climate change and human rights, pisfcc
launched the Youth Climate Justice Handbook.
The Handbook aims to be the single most authoritative legal documentthat would guide the youth and civil society campaign in the second phaseof the campaign. It also aims to contribute to the preparations of states andintergovernmental organizations in their submissions before the icj.
The Handbook is a tool aimed to assist states in making submissions
before the icj. It seeks to highlight and echo youth and civil society voices
on human rights and intergenerational equity. It is a compilation of threedocuments, Summary for Policymakers, Legal Memorandum and Status
Report on the Principles of International and Human Rights Law Relevant
to Climate Change.
The Summary succinctly explains core material designed to assist policymakers’ decisions regarding whether, and how, their governments should
contribute to the icj climate advisory proceedings.
The Memorandum presents the Youth and Civil Society Alliance responses to the questions contained in unga Resolution 77/276, supported
by legal argument drawing upon established principles of international law,treaty provisions, judgments of international and national courts and tribunals, and the work of esteemed legal scholars.
The Status Report presents a detailed discussion of the Court’s advisory
function, and a detailed and neutral analysis of the existing principles ofinternational law relevant to the request. It includes an assessment of theadvisory proceedings before the icj, including the Court’s jurisdiction andprocedure, and key legal principles relevant to the request for an advisory
opinion, including principles of international environmental law and international human rights law.

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The Handbook is available at https://pisfcc.org/handbook.
Conclusion
Indeed, the icjao Campaign has come a long way since its humble beginnings in a classroom and despite the success it saw when the resolution was
unanimously adopted, it was not without failures. Following the unanimous
adoption, the second phase of the campaign, which was supporting PacificIsland governments in the written submissions, meant that the new goal
was to bring the campaign back home. The legal-heavy nature of the campaign had always been an obstacle when it came to outreach. Despite theefforts of the chapters with regards to public awareness, the technicalitiesof the campaign and the implications of a strong and ambitious advisory
opinion was a concept that still needed to be reiterated and pushed to thecsos and their initiatives, government officials, and the general public atlarge. The message that needed to be heard is that, should the icj deliver anadvisory opinion that provide great legal clarity on the obligations of states
Endnotes
1 Pacific Island Forum, www.forumsec.org.
2 ICJ Climate Resolution, www.vanuatuicj.com/resolution.
3 Clare Francis, Global South activists seek a human rights framework for the
climate crisis, the interpreter, www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/global-southactivists-seek-human-rights-framework-climate-crisis?fbclid=IwAR13RmyCkmstQ
m9baXphRqipsx7UmYjipt8ah2A9yXm00ukzFbTek0pdqXg.
4 An International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on Climate Change,
Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, page 2, https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6090cc1eec59dc2ed057b027/t/6362cb44ee1b7202d02929
1f/1667418958144/pisfcc+Campaign+Brief+2022.pdf.
5 ParisAgreement,
https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/
the-paris-agreement.
6 See ICJ Resolution, op. cit.
7 Cop26 – Follow-Up
Heads of Government indicated their support for Vanuatu in its pursuit of
an Advisory Opinion from the International Court of Justice on the rights ofpresent and future generations to be protected from Climate Change.
Communiqué: Issued at the Conclusion of 33rd Intersessional Meeting of theConference of Heads of Government of Caricom – 1-2 March 2022
Caribbean Trade Law and Development, https://caribbeantradelaw.
com/2022/03/03/communique-issued-at-the-conclusion-of-33rd-intersessionalmeeting-of-the-conference-of-heads-of-government-of-caricom-1-2-march-2022/.

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8 The forum communiqué has a section entitled “un general assembly
resolution for an advisory opinion on climate change from the international court of justice” on this issue. A paragraph expresses support to the
Vanuatu initiative:
44. Leaders commended Vanuatu on its initiative on a pathway to securea request from the UN General Assembly (unga) for an advisory opinion
from the International Court of Justice (icj) to clarify legal consequencesof climate change, noting the urgency of the climate change threat and theneed for accelerated global climate action and implementation of the Paris
Agreement.
forum communiqué, fifty-first pacific islands forum, suva, fiji 11 –14 july 2022, www.forumsec.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/FINAL-51stPacific-Islands-Forum-Communique-2022.pdf.
9 Vanuatu ICJ Initiative, www.vanuatuicj.com.
10 ‘Beginning of a new era’: Pacific islanders hail UN vote on climate justice, The Guardian, www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/30/
un-vote-on-climate-justice-pacific-island-change-crisis-united-nations-vanuatu.
11 See Douglas A. Kysar, “Climate Change and the International Court ofJustice,” Public Law Research Paper No. 315, Yale Law School, 15 Aug 2013, https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2309943.
12 For more information, see pisfcc successfully completes art competition,
pisfcc, www.pisfcc.org/news/pisfcc-successfully-completes-art-competition.
13 There is a legal solution to climate change: students, www.pisfcc.org/news/
there-is-a-legal-solution-to-climate-change-students.
14 There is a legal solution to climate change: students, ibid.
15 The lyrics of The Islands are Calling are available at https://genius.com/
Camilla-the-islands-are-calling-lyrics.
16 Not Just Celsius Scale, https://scale.notjustcelsius.com/.