Vietnam's role in climate change fight earns international plaudits

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs co-ordinated efforts with the Government of the Republic of Vanuatu to organise a legal and technical writeshop on advisory opinions of the ICJ on climate change from March 16 to March 17 in Ha Long city in the northern border province of Quang Ninh.

Attendees at the event included representatives of Vietnamese agencies, government representatives of countries in the Asia-Pacific region, scholars, and international lawyers.

At the writeshop, delegates discussed key legal aspects of the advisory opinion procedure, the contributions made by Asia-Pacific countries, as well as technical support to countries to help them participate effectively in the advisory opinion procedure the ICJ is currently handling.

Previously, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 77/276 by consensus. Accordingly, the General Assembly asked the ICJ to provide advisory opinions on the responsibilities of countries in the fight against climate change.

Both Vietnam and Vanuatu are two of the 18 countries in the core group promoting this Resolution.

According to ICJ regulations, UN member states have until March 22 to become involved in opinion contribution before the Court officially gives its opinion in 2025.

In his opening speech, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu said that the unique geographical characteristics, with a large coastal area, make the nation especially vulnerable to impacts of climate change, of which Ha Long Bay as a world natural heritage and also the venue for the workshop, is no exception.

Therefore, the country places great importance on co-operation with countries and international organisations in joint efforts to respond to environmental challenges and climate change.

“The General Assembly resolution recognizes that climate change has different impacts on each country, so the burden and responsibility for responding must be shared fairly and equally. Participating in the ICJ's advisory opinion procedure is viewed as a major opportunity for developing countries to join the global effort to respond to climate change, promote the rights of vulnerable countries and shape the development of international environmental law," said the Deputy Minister.

According to Deputy Minister Vu, the conference represents an opportunity for legal experts from regional nations to discuss, seek ideas, and consolidate arguments to both ensure national interests in responding to climate change and answer legal questions being considered by the ICJ, thereby increasing the possibility of an appropriate response and participation by states in the advisory opinion procedure.

Furthermore, the event can create a networking forum to promote co-operation between international legal experts in the region, whilst also strengthening the voice of Asia-Pacific countries in dealing with global problems.

Upon addressing the event, Minister of Justice of Vanuatu Arnold Kiel Loughman said challenges from climate change such as rising sea levels, extreme weather patterns, marine pollution, and declining biodiversity depression are threatening the lives, cultures, and even the existence of many peoples.

Implementing effective measures in the climate change response can therefore be seen as the moral responsibility of the international community, with this being the main goal to achieve, Minister Loughman said.

Representatives from participating countries highly appreciated the efforts of Vietnam and Vanuatu in arranging the event, thus creating an opportunity for legal experts from regional and international countries to frankly and substantively exchange experience and support each other in the process of completing proposed submissions to the ICJ.

According to Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, permanent representative of Vietnam to the UN, about 80 countries have so far given submissions to officially participate in the ICJ's advisory opinion procedure.

"Actively promoting and participating in advisory opinion procedures at the ICJ clearly demonstrates Vietnam's role as a responsible member of the international community, attracting support from developing countries. The process at the ICJ also shows the international community's respect for Vietnam's role and contribution to climate change, including strong commitments recently made at international forums," Ambassador Giang affirmed.