It’s the eve of COP29, the global climate change conference in Baku, Azerbaijan. In this episode, with thanks to the Australian Museum, we rebroadcast the 2024 Talbot Oration, delivered by Cynthia Houniuhi. You'll hear how a small group of committed Pacific law students transformed their classroom project into a global movement for climate justice, demonstrating the power of determined advocacy to shape international law and policy.
It’s the eve of COP29, the global climate change conference in Baku, Azerbaijan. In this episode, with thanks to the Australian Museum, we rebroadcast the 2024 Talbot Oration, delivered by Cynthia Houniuhi. You'll hear how a small group of committed Pacific law students transformed their classroom project into a global movement for climate justice, demonstrating the power of determined advocacy to shape international law and policy.
Cynthia Houniuhi has emerged as one of the Pacific's most compelling voices on climate justice. Growing up on the remote Reef Islands in the Solomons, Cynthia developed a profound connection to land and sea that would shape her future activism. She serves as president of Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, an organisation that began with just 27 law students at the University of South Pacific and has grown into a globally recognised advocacy group with members from every Pacific nation.
Her personal awakening to the climate crisis came through witnessing the gradual disappearance of Fanalei Island in South Malaita, where rising seas forced residents to abandon their homes. This led her to study law, specialising in environmental issues, and ultimately to help launch a groundbreaking campaign in 2019 seeking an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice – the ICJ or the “World Court” – on nations’ climate protection obligations.
The campaign has achieved remarkable success. The United Nations General Assembly endorsed the initiative on 29 March 2023, with approximately 130 member states signing on to a resolution calling for the ICJ to consolidate and clarify the legal obligations of States to protect the climate system and to outline the legal consequences for causing harm to member states. The ICJ is expected to deliver its first-ever opinion on climate change responsibilities in the coming months.
Devpolicy Talks is the podcast of the Australian National University’s Development Policy Centre. Our producers are Robin Davies, Amita Monterola, Jackie Hanafie and Finn Clarke.
Robin Davies:
Welcome to Devpolicy Talks, the podcast of the Development Policy Centre. We’re part of the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University, on Ngunnawal and Ngambri country in Canberra.
I'm Robin Davies.
This year we re-launched our podcast after a more than two-year hiatus.
In this new season we’re bringing you a mix of interviews, event recordings and in-depth documentary features relating to the topics we research at the centre – namely Australia’s overseas aid, development in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific, and regional and global development issues.
It’s the eve of COP29, the global climate change conference in Baku, Azerbaijan. In today’s episode, you'll hear how a small group of committed Pacific law students transformed their classroom project into a global movement for climate justice, demonstrating the power of determined advocacy to shape international law and policy.
With thanks to the Australian Museum, we are rebroadcasting a powerful address by Solomon Islands climate activist Cynthia Houniuhi, which was delivered as the 2024 Talbot Oration on 5 June, World Environment Day. The annual oration is named for the distinguished marine scientist and former Director of the Australian Museum, Professor Frank Talbot, and it has become one of Australia's premier platforms for environmental discourse.
Cynthia has emerged as one of the Pacific's most compelling voices on climate justice and was named in the advocates category in Time Magazine's “100 Next” list in 2023, with a tribute by Mary Robinson. She serves as president of Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, an organisation that began with just 27 law students at the University of South Pacific and has grown into a globally recognised advocacy group with members from every Pacific nation.
Growing up on the remote Reef Islands in the Solomons, Cynthia developed a profound connection to land and sea that would shape her future activism. As the daughter of two travelling nurses, she learned traditional knowledge from community elders – from identifying edible plants to fishing techniques, all while developing a deep appreciation for the delicate balance between people and their environment.
Her personal awakening to the climate crisis came through witnessing the gradual disappearance of Fanalei Island in South Malaita, where rising seas forced residents to abandon their homes. This experience led her to study law, specialising in environmental issues, and ultimately to help launch a groundbreaking campaign in 2019 seeking an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice – the ICJ – on nations’ climate protection obligations, not only under the Paris Agreement but under international law generally.
The campaign has achieved remarkable success, with a record number of nations supporting the drive for legal clarity on climate obligations. The United Nations General Assembly endorsed the initiative on 29 March 2023, with approximately 130 member states signing on to a resolution calling for the ICJ to consolidate and clarify the legal obligations of States to protect the climate system and to outline the legal consequences for causing harm, through act or omission, to member states (particularly vulnerable states such as the Pacific islands). The ICJ is expected to deliver its first-ever opinion on climate change responsibilities in the coming months.
Cynthia’s oration weaves together personal experience, cultural knowledge and legal expertise to make a compelling case for urgent climate action. Rather than focusing on blame, she advocates for a forward-looking approach to addressing the crisis, while ensuring that the voices of those most affected – Pacific island nations – are heard in global discussions.
Cynthia Houniuhi:
I acknowledge the land of the Gadigal people upon which we stand today and pay respects to the elders past and present. I extend that respect to all Aboriginal and First Nations people here with us today. I also pay respect to my Pasifika ancestors on whose shoulders I stand on, and whose stories I carry. Talofa.
When I was first approached to do the Talbot oration by Dr Newell, I immediately said, "Yes, of course, I'd love to." I've always valued such opportunities given to myself and or any of our team members from the Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change to share our story about our campaign. We have seen that the more people hear about our story, the more people are able to support it.
After agreeing to it, I did further research into the Talbot oration and saw that the orations done before me were by some of the brilliant minds out there. I've read about their work, and it has paved the way for young people like me to build on. It's an honour to be invited to be among several brilliant minds that have taken this stage. However, I did not feel worthy of such honour and invitation. I am but a tiny individual. I still have a lot to learn. What could I possibly teach or tell an audience?
Taking a few steps back and really looking into this opportunity and what it meant, reminded me of what a typical community from the Pacific islands is all about. It is not about individual but about your contribution to your community. This is about the voice I represent and the stories I carry at any given platform. These are voices that are not often heard and not often given a seat at the table that is meant for them. So here I am. I'm honoured and grateful to be given this invitation to tell my story, our story and our journey towards achieving the future we want for ourselves and for our children.
Before I start at the beginning of our campaign journey, I'd like you to note that for us, the Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change, the work we do and advocacy we carry is greatly shaped and influenced by our Pacific culture values and our understanding of our different communities. For myself, our campaign can be explained in how a typical Malaitan community in Solomon Islands deals with certain issues. For instance, in a typical Malaitan community in Solomon Islands, we have chiefs and elders, and when there are issues of conflict or questions about certain customs of the community, it is often the chiefs that we look towards for clarification. Whatever advice or wisdom that the chief says is final and very influential in the community to keep the peace and harmony.
This campaign is the same understanding, but we are looking into institutions that are not ours and haven't always walked in our favour, but we believe in them. In our eyes, the International Court of Justice, or the world's highest court is the body that's the equivalent of our chief. And we are members of the world community, and we are bringing questions regarding our customs to the world's chief to weigh in on the discussion of the greatest challenge of our time, at a time when we are all not on the same page, especially regarding this climate crisis. Let's hear what the world's highest court has to say.
To begin with our journey, I'd like to start with my story, to give you an insight into some of the individual motivations behind the campaign for our team members. I was born to two nurses who traveled around many islands of Solomon Islands for their work. When I was born, we moved to one of the most remote islands in our country, called Reef Islands. It is so remote that access to the island was and is still a huge issue. I remember if we were lucky on Sundays for a treat, we'd eat ice or any sort of processed foods. Much of what we ate came from our garden.
Growing up in Reef Islands, I was taught by the aunties and grandmas about the different types of plants available for us to eat, what fruits and plants were edible and which ones were not. I was taught by the uncles, grandpas and my brothers and their friends about how to fish and how to set up traps for the wild birds. Most of all, I was taught about the value that the land adds to our lives, and especially the value we add to the land by looking after it and being aware of our own limits.
I was always out in the ocean after class, diving for clamshells, fishing for my lunch or playing with other children. My school was on a little island by itself from the mainland, and to attend classes, we'd have to go in groups in the morning when it was low tide and walk across the saltwater with our uniforms pulled up to avoid getting soaked. Often when we'd reached the island, we'd use coconut leaves to dry ourselves by dragging a single frond against our skin to catch the water.
These experiences gave me a deep appreciation for my environment and to look after it, as our ancestors have done before us, and as my community members have taught me. My people live off the land and understood firsthand the negative impacts of not adding value to the land. There is also a spiritual connection between ourselves and the land and ocean. I grew up listening to my grandma explain in custom stories about how our people came to be and how our relationship with the sharks and the eagles in stories she taught me where our traditional attires come from, and how our cultural dances portray how our ancestors interact harmoniously with nature.
I first came to notice the environment that was sustaining my people was disintegrating during one of the trips that we took to my father's island in South Malaita province. There is an island there called Fanelei Island, and it is located at the port we call Port Adam. Whenever we reach Port Adam, the first scene that would greet us is this beautiful island with white sandy beaches, coconut trees and children playing soccer on the sand. Whenever I saw Fanelei when I traveled, it would bring a smile to my face, and immediately I would feel recharged knowing that I was home, especially after throwing up the whole trip. Yes, I do get seasick.
During one of the trips to my dad's island before we reach home, the sight that greeted me was an image that I often see whenever I close my eyes and think of Fanelei. I saw that the Fanelei I used to love seeing was no more. There were fewer houses than before. There were no children on the beach playing. It looked deserted, and some of the houses were standing right in the waters. I was young, but very curious about the cause. So, I asked my father, and he pointed to the houses and said that the sea level has come into the village, making it difficult for some of the homes to be safe for families, especially during storms. And so, the people have had to move to the mainland, abandoning some of the houses.
This interaction was a moment I remembered clearly as the start of my climate justice journey. My curiosity, my love and concern for my people and the eagerness to learn pushed me onto this journey. I asked questions from my grandpas, uncles and aunties about what it was like before and what they have observed that is different now. I learned and saw for myself the realities of climate change, and the further I investigated, I learned about how my people contribute almost nothing to this human-induced crisis. It made me frustrated. It made me feel small. What did we do to deserve this? Does the world care? Does the world know about Fanelei, about our islands? What can we do? Will it take losing all our islands before the world listens to our stories?
Till today, slowly, the once beautiful island that some of my relatives and family call home is being eaten away day by day by the sea. I often wonder if my children and their children will know of this island that is home to our sea people, or will I have to show pictures of it to them? This was now about climate justice for me.
Fast forward to 2016, I chose to study law from the options I had. I remembered I always appreciated law for its ability to govern, regulate and to achieve justice, and so I remember making the decision that I would like to specialise in environmental law one day. My motivation was I wanted a degree to be relevant to an issue close to home.
In 2017, I commenced my undergraduate studies at the University of the South Pacific. In 2019, my third year of law school, we were given a chance to choose our electives. I remember one of the options was international environmental law, and I registered immediately. It was in that class that our campaign was born. I remember, through our conversation with other classmates, we all took this unit with the same motivation. I remember my best friend from Tonga, a young mother, said that she wanted to take this unit because of the environmental challenges in Tonga. I remember my friend Tolu, now a lecturer at the University of the South Pacific, wanted a better future for his children and was concerned that climate change was going to take that away from them. We all came from different Pacific islands, but with the same goal: what do we as students privileged enough to be able to study at the regional university add to the fight that our people on the ground back home are doing?
While we are in class, some of our people are building sea walls, youths doing awareness, and our leaders showing great climate leadership on the international level. The law school is in Vanuatu and the main campus is in Fiji. All the students are spread out in these two campuses. When we chose the international environmental law unit, the focus for the majority of us was to understand what the climate change regimes are on the international level so that we could better utilise them to bring about the urgent need and change that we need.
We were also blessed to have a brilliant and supportive lecturer who took us for international environmental law. It was not just the unit for him. He was genuine about the cause and really wanted us, the students, to understand that learning about law doesn't need to be dull and abstract, but rather is a tool that, with hard work and knowledge, gives one the power to push for change in the world. It was not easy for him to teach a course when the scientific evidence predicts a daunting future for his students' homes.
In class, we learned that the 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report on 1.5-degree warming confirms that unless drastic action is taken globally to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Pacific island countries like mine will cease to exist. That was very difficult to learn.
The more we learned about climate change regimes on the international level, such as the Paris Agreement, we saw that there is an impasse in the climate change regime, and the dire consequences being climate action moving at a slow pace. We saw the rate at which the global community was moving towards climate solutions is not proportionate to the pace at which the adverse effects of climate change are hitting our islands. Our communities at the front line of the adverse effects of this climate crisis do not have the luxury to wait for the world to take the climate crisis seriously.
We also learned in class about the nexus between climate change and human rights. The human rights of people living in frontline communities like mine are already being violated today. The rights to life, housing, food and health are infringed by climate change. Vulnerable groups, such as women, children, Indigenous populations, the elderly, people living in poverty, and other marginalised demographics are facing the brunt of this crisis that they contribute almost nothing to. And yet, global society continues to implement sustainable solutions at no more than a glacial pace. Something had to change.
Although we acknowledge the historical contribution of major carbon emitters, especially from developed countries to the climate crisis, we believe that a forward-looking approach is most helpful as opposed to naming and shaming. Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNDP, remarks, "While the United Nations and national governments acknowledge that climate change and the responses to it can impact human rights, there is less agreement on the corresponding obligations of government and private actors to address this problem. An authoritative clarification of the depth of obligations is needed."
For us in the Pacific, the realities really reflect that the climate crisis is also a human rights crisis. People I spoke to through our work are living in fear for their future and as well as their children's future. Would they be forced to move from their islands if the saltwater keeps coming in? Where will they go?
In class, we continued to learn about various ways that those around the world are working towards climate justice. We learned about advisory opinions from Inter-American courts, and we learned about other legal pathways that people have pursued. Closer to the end of the unit, our professor challenged us to research the most progressive and ambitious climate change action that Pacific island leaders could initiate in international legal processes, and once we had chosen it, to lobby it to our leaders to take it forward.
As a class, we researched many different legal pathways. However, the one that resonated well with us was the legal pathway of seeking an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice, the ICJ. Firstly, because we were inspired by a similar and successful attempt by the island nation of Palau in 2012 and secondly, it was the most ambitious pathway for anyone, let alone a group of Pacific island students. After all we've learned, we believe we needed ambitious climate action and a pathway that could accelerate climate action to reflect the urgency of the matter for our people.
We were convinced that the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion was the most appealing option, after assessment of the global impact such authority can potentially have to the efforts of combating the climate crisis. Once we all agreed on the legal pathway, we then had to decide on who among the class were willing to take this on. I remember 27 students put up their hands and volunteered. It was not for special credit. It was a choice the students had to make on their own. I was one of them.
I remember feeling hesitant at the start. The journey looked scary, especially the outside world. I come from a small island. I questioned if the world out there would listen to us. How can 27 law students from the Pacific islands convince the majority of the United Nations General Assembly to request an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice? My motivation was thinking about my people. I was reminded of why I took law in the first place, why I had to leave my beloved ones behind to pursue an education. That was enough for me to push away the fear and be part of this initiative.
This was the birth of Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change as a group. This group was born specifically to action our chosen legal pathway. We started getting organised. Online group chats were created, and our first activity as a group was to write letters to all our Pacific island leaders who are members of the Pacific Islands Forum with our proposal. They were meeting in Tuvalu later that year, in August of 2019, and that was the intended destination for our proposal to be endorsed.
Our proposal was we wanted our Pacific island leaders to urgently commence the process of seeking an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the issue of climate change. Around March 2019, we started drafting letters. Meanwhile, we also launched an online petition and started campaigning. The most difficult task was convincing our own peers about the campaign. I remember hustling my friends for loose coins to afford a banner, which cost about 50 Australian dollars, to get people to know about our campaign. We didn't have the resources or the experience to be activists or campaigners, but we were very ambitious and very determined, equipped with our experiences, knowledge and our hope.
Once we were happy with the finalised version of the letter, we had to navigate signing of the letters. We eventually got everyone to sign the letter, and we sent them off. Accompanying the letter was our briefing document, outlining in detail our proposal, what we wanted, the reason why, the legal question we proposed our leaders ask the International Court of Justice, the benefits of the advisory opinion and links to academic resources supporting an advisory opinion pathway.
While the letters were being sent out, our team in Vanuatu campus hosted an event called "Storian Lemu" where students lectured the public. We invited people to learn about our campaign. These were some of the initial activities that we did to bring attention to our campaign.
From all the letters we sent out to all the Pacific leaders, including Australia and New Zealand, we received an overwhelmingly compelling positive response from one Pacific island nation, the Republic of Vanuatu. The Vanuatu government have always been brilliant visionaries regarding climate leadership. From there, we discussed and agreed that our members based in Vanuatu law school should approach the Vanuatu government to build on their response. So, a team representing the group went and met with the Vanuatu Minister for Foreign Affairs at that time, Honourable Minister Ralph Regenvanu. We pitched the idea to the minister, and he informed us that he will take this up to the government and update us on any progress.
We were hopeful and always believed, having seen our Pacific leaders showing great climate leadership on the global stage, that they would welcome this initiative. Several weeks later, the Vanuatu government approved to take our proposal to the Pacific Islands Leaders Forum in Tuvalu in August 2019.
At the Pacific Islands Forum meeting, in the final communique, the Pacific leaders noted our proposal. We were hoping for an endorsement, but in the final text, the leaders noted the proposal "to request a United Nations General Assembly Resolution seeking an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice". We were not satisfied with the outcome and were determined to continue campaigning.
In 2020, due to the global pandemic and the regional political and economic turmoil, the campaign lost its place in the priority list of our leaders. Nevertheless, the PISFCC, alongside CSOs in the Pacific, kept the campaign alive via a series of exciting and innovative initiatives such as digital content and countless awareness-raising webinar events globally.
We also took the idea globally. Like-minded youths around the world had heard about the campaign and came together under this campaign. We formed an umbrella group called World's Youth for Climate Justice to mobilise and engage young people from other countries, such as from Europe, Asia, Latin America, Caribbean islands and Africa. Youths from the Pacific and from around the world came together through Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change and the World's Youth for Climate Justice to campaign to take the world's biggest problem to the world's highest court. This was all happening during the pandemic.
The dry spell ended when in September 2021 the government of Vanuatu announced that they will campaign for the ICJ AO initiative with this timeline set for 2022. This brought new momentum to the campaign.
While the Vanuatu government worked on the political front, the PISFCC, our group, worked around the CSO front. The civil society movement, born among students, grew exponentially in early 2022 with the formation of the Alliance for Climate Justice Advisory Opinion. The Alliance represents more than 1500 separate organisations, from numerous grassroots associations to large international organisations. We came together to support the efforts of the Vanuatu government.
We often refer to our campaign as the ICJAO campaign, or the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion campaign. The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the UN, also known as the World Court. The ICJ's role is to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by states and to give advisory opinions on legal questions.
An advisory opinion of the ICJ is different to a decision in a contentious case. Advisory opinions are provided by the ICJ in response to a legal question that may be sent to it by the United Nations General Assembly, UN Security Council or a UN specialised agency. These opinions are advisory. In other words, unlike the court's judgment, they are not officially binding. Nevertheless, the court's advisory opinions do carry its authority and prestige and are highly persuasive in determining the obligations of international law in other international and national fora.
An ambitious advisory opinion on climate change and human rights from the International Court of Justice can contribute to global progress towards climate justice and intergenerational equity. It can do this in several ways, but to name four:
Firstly, putting human rights at the centre of climate change discussion at all levels, addressing the crisis when dealing with mitigation, adaptation and loss and damage. In short, it can ensure countries have a rights-based approach when taking climate action.
Secondly, emphasis of human rights during UNFCCC COPs and during the implementation efforts of the Paris Agreement.
Thirdly, the best available science is endorsed by the ICJ and scientific consensus on climate change and attribution science is reached.
Lastly, civil society and people can utilise this authoritative and sacred advice to hold their governments accountable to their duties to protect the citizens.
We believe that an advisory opinion on climate change from the ICJ will not just summarise states' existing obligations with regards to human rights and climate change, but that it can also deliver a progressive interpretation of those obligations and encourage more rapid progress towards international intergenerational equity and climate justice.
The PISFCC proposal was to request an advisory opinion via the United Nations General Assembly. To successfully refer the request to the court via the United Nations General Assembly, there needs to be a simple majority vote in favour. The UN has 193 states, and that would mean 97 states voting yes when the question is tabled before the UNGA in their annual session, usually convening every September.
Our campaign was strategically to push for that simple majority so that when the Vanuatu government tables the draft resolution, it will pass through the UNGA. We saw that 18 votes were already in our region in the Pacific Islands Forum, and that was our first destination.
Two concepts have always remained at the core of our campaign, and that is human rights and intergenerational equity. In our proposal that we sent with our letters, we wanted the court to give an advisory opinion on the question of "What are states' obligations under international law to protect the rights of the present and future generations from the adverse impacts of climate change?"
Our campaign was divided into phases. The first phase was getting the United Nations General Assembly to vote. The second phase is submissions before the ICJ and the third phase that we anticipate is post advisory opinion. Now, even though it started out as a Pacific Youth Initiative four years ago, in a classroom, today, it is international, and it requires global efforts to ensure its success.
After four years of campaigning, working alongside governments, particularly the government of Vanuatu and Alliance members on various campaign activities to assist efforts of the Vanuatu government in building the numbers needed to pass the UNGA vote, our biggest milestone collectively happened on the 29th of March 2023. On that day, the United Nations General Assembly historically unanimously adopted a resolution to request an advisory opinion from the ICJ, supported by 130 plus countries.
The result was beyond our wildest dream. It was more than the simple majority that we campaigned for. This sends a clear message that the world needs the highest court to weigh in on the greatest challenge of our century.
The final question that was asked to the ICJ referred to concepts that we advocated for since 2019 and those are intergenerational equity and human rights. In summary, the final legal question asked the ICJ to consult international law such as human rights law, climate law and environmental law to be considered together and provide a clarification on states' obligations to protect the rights of present and future generations and the consequences of breaching this right.
Since the unanimous adoption in March 2023, the ICJ has since invited countries to make submissions before the court, and written submissions were due on the 22nd of March this year, 2024. A total of 90-plus written submissions were received by the International Court of Justice – the greatest number of submissions to be received by the ICJ.
The next phase is the comments phase, and the deadline for this has been extended from the 24th of June this year to 15 August 2024. States that have made written submissions to the ICJ will get an opportunity to comment on the submissions by other states received by the ICJ. Once the comment phase is done, then the next phase is the oral hearing, and the deadline for this is yet to be confirmed.
For PISFCC, we will continue to support our governments regarding their submissions in various ways we have already done from being part of the drafting team to evidence gathering. This is a unique and historical opportunity to support states to be part of shaping the development of international law, especially from a human rights perspective. Never has the ICJ spoken on the issue of climate change.
We are at an impasse, and for far too long, we have been reliving a cycle of inaction that demands an approach that is both radical while strengthening existing efforts. This advisory proceeding does not seek to replace existing mechanisms such as the UNFCCC frameworks or the Paris Agreement, but rather to strengthen them with legal clarity provided by a strong advisory opinion.
What we, the PISFCC, hope to get out of this is as follows. Firstly, human rights and intergenerational equity – our hope is that the resulting advisory opinion is inclusive of these concepts. By approaching from a human rights perspective, we are literally putting people at the centre of the solution to the climate crisis. Human Rights Law allows us for more ambitious climate action because it provides a more comprehensive perspective of states' obligations.
Secondly, we advocate that there will be strong and robust submissions to be made before the ICJ, and that means a focus on human rights and the rights of future generations. We argue for an understanding of state obligations under international law, and not just the Paris Agreement, reinforcing the scientific consensus that global warming needs to be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius. And lastly, we advocate for ambitious consequences to flow from the breach of obligations that include reparations, compensation, cessation, loss and damage, among others.
Overall, we hope for an advisory opinion that is grounded in climate justice and human rights. The world is not taking climate change seriously. Carbon pollution continues to rise as the window for action slowly closes upon us. Vulnerable communities such as mine, who didn't cause the climate crisis, are already experiencing it. We demand a strong advisory opinion that will uphold climate justice and human rights.
The many milestones of the campaign were possible because many people, including youths around the world, came together to help us realise our goals. We couldn't have done it without the people who believed in our work and supported it, from the $50 banner in university to now being supported to share our story with you at the Talbot oration.
The ICJ AO campaign nears the last few engagements with the ICJ which are the comment phase and the oral submission. PISFCC intends to gain as much support as possible from our people and the public at large. Despite the movement starting in the Pacific, today it is international and requires a global effort to ensure its success. That is why your assistance will continue to drive the campaign.
Those of you in the civil society space are aware of the capability of initiatives which are restricted by funding, and unfortunately, that is also a challenge for us. We call for any support regarding funding, as we have plans that include mobilising the broader public during the oral hearings, to take our voices to the ICJ, creating advocacy tools to help educate people on the stories of the frontline communities, as well as to further progress the demands of CSOs and frontline communities through meaningful engagement with states.
In addition to that, may our journey inspire you to act. Be like the students of the Pacific islands. Reach out to your government through letters. Make the polluters accountable by sharing your voices, sharing your stories, sharing your passion. March with the school students. And if you're an educator, inspire your students to act as our lecturer has done for us. Plant trees, get informed about the cause, join the fight in whatever capacity you have and the space that you are in. Do what you can for the same objective that we are trying to achieve, and that is a sustainable future for the present and our future generations. Nothing is too small or too big. The only thing that matters is your contribution to your community. Everything counts.
May our stories show you how passion, determination, courage, knowledge and hard work can go. We often refer to ourselves as stubborn optimists. Let's all be stubborn optimists. What I fight for is for my people and our children to live in dignity without the fear of climate change denying them that freedom.
The former Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu, Bob Loughman, summed it up perfectly, and I would like to end with that quote: "This is for the world's most vulnerable, for all of humanity and our collective future. This is about what we must save, not what has been lost. This is a campaign to build ambition, not division. This is a campaign to uplift the goals of the Paris Agreement. This is the young generation's call for justice to the world's highest court."
Thank you for listening.