UN General Assembly adopts resolution backing ICJ climate ruling

On 20 May 2026 the United Nations General Assembly voted 141‑8, with 28 abstentions, to adopt a resolution that endorses the International Court of Justice’s July 2025 advisory opinion on climate change. The resolution, introduced by the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, affirms that states have a legal duty to curb fossil‑fuel use, meet the 1.5 °C temperature target and, if they violate these obligations, may be required to provide full reparations. It calls for a national climate‑action plan, phasing out fossil‑fuel subsidies and accelerating the transition to renewable energy. The United States, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran, Israel, Yemen, Belarus and others voted against the text; dozens of countries abstained. The draft originally contained language on creating an International Register of Damage, but that provision was removed after negotiations. UN Secretary‑General António Guterres hailed the vote as a powerful affirmation of international law, climate justice and scientific responsibility, while Vanuatu ambassador Odo Tevi stressed the real‑world harms already affecting island communities.