17 Nov 2022

Pacific COP27 news in brief for November 17

1:52 pm on 17 November 2022

Vanuatu appeals to world leaders to vote in favour of an ICJ resolution

The Vanuatu President has made an impassioned appeal to world leaders to vote in favour of an International Court of Justice (ICJ) climate resolution at the United Nations General Assembly, to place human rights at the centre of climate change decision-making.

Nikenike Vurobaravu, President of the Republic of Vanuatu, addresses the general debate of the General Assembly’s seventy-seventh session.

Nikenike Vurobaravu Photo: UN Photo/Cia Pak

Speaking at COP27, Nikenike Vurobaravu said the time has come for the ICJ to recognise that the impacts of climate change undermine basic human rights.

Vanuatu, alongside a global coalition of more than 85 nations, has called for a legal review of international law from the ICJ, to help countries affected by climate change make better climate decisions.

To make this happen, Vanuatu needs the majority of countries at the UN General Assembly to instruct the ICJ to do the review.

The vote is expected to take place in a few weeks.

Canada funds an FSM climate finance advisor

The Federated States of Micronesia is getting a climate finance advisor.

The advisor will be funded by the Government of Canada, through the Climate Finance Access Network.

This was announced in a fringe event of COP27.

Eugene Amor, Secretary of the Micronesian Department of Finance & Administration, said this solution will help them to mobilise more climate funds to implement their updated Nationally Determined Contribution and Climate Adaptation priorities.

President of the Feederated States of Micronesia David Panuelo said every Pacific Island country has correctly identified climate change as the Blue Pacific Continent's most significant security risk, which is existential.

PNG signs deal with Dubai at COP27

Papua New Guinea has inked its Blue Carbon deal with Dubai as the COP27 in Egypt offers recommendations for more than 100 countries.

The Post-Courier reports the deal with the carbon credit organisation is to design and develop a framework and strategy to regulate carbon markets for PNG.

The move follows a series of government bans and moratoriums imposed on carbon projects in the Melanesian nation.

Blue Carbon will carry out research activities and develop initiatives for the development of carbon emission reduction projects in the forestry sector in PNG.

Holding global leaders accountable to climate commitments and pledges a challenge says Pacific advisor

A Pacific regional finance advisor says keeping global leaders accountable on their climate commitments and pledges at COP conferences is challenging.

Pacific Islands Forum's Karlos Moresi said while Pacific leaders push for climate finance and access, accountability is a real issue.

There's been considerations at the next COP to 'name and shame' countries who have failed to deliver on their promises from previous conferences, but Moresi said there's already measurements in place to ensure world leaders are liable.

"A global stocktake is a holistic approach to if you like account all the elements that are related to climate change and that includes the emissions, the efforts towards mitigation, how much has been invested, who's been accessing the financing, all those elements are taken in the global stocktake," he said.