KOROR, Palau — Dr. Filimon Manoni, Pacific Ocean Commissioner, hailed a recent advisory opinion by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on climate change as a victory for small island states.
The unanimous decision, issued at the request of the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law, which includes Pacific Island nations Niue, Palau, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu, affirms that greenhouse gas emissions pollute the marine environment.
“This Advisory Opinion confirms what we in the Pacific have long asserted,” Manoni said in a statement released Friday.
The ITLOS ruling clarifies that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) applies to greenhouse gas emissions, particularly provisions regarding protecting the marine environment and controlling pollution.
Manoni emphasized the ruling’s alignment with the “Blue Pacific” strategy, which prioritizes ocean conservation and recognizes climate change as the region’s greatest threat.
“This confirms that what threatens us threatens our ocean, its species, and future generations,” Manoni said. “We must enforce measures against climate change.”
He called for robust mitigation efforts alongside measures to minimize human impact on ocean ecosystems. This includes establishing marine protected areas and ensuring communities are central to ocean management decisions.
Manoni pledged to amplify these calls at the upcoming Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States in Antigua and Barbuda.