We speak as churches of the Blue Pacific, part of the Pasifika Household of God. In the Tuākoi ‘Lei Declaration, Pacific churches named the truth of this hour: “We are no longer the ‘canary in the coal mine’ and time is running out for all of us.” Our cry for justice is not only for ourselves, but for God’s precious biodiversity—of which we are a part.

For decades, Pacific peoples and churches have made a moral appeal to the world: protect life, uphold dignity, and act justly toward those least responsible and most harmed. The ICJ Advisory Opinion now brings authoritative legal clarity: States’ obligations are engaged across international law—including the UN Charter, the climate treaties, UNCLOS, the customary duty to prevent significant harm (with a stringent due diligence standard), the duty to cooperate, and international human rights law—and these obligations are owed to the international community as a whole.

The Court further clarified that the general rules of State responsibility apply in full—including cessation, assurances and guarantees of non-repetition, and full reparation where legal conditions are met. This is why the follow-up resolution matters: it is not symbolic. It is a practical pathway to move the multilateral system from rhetoric to measurable implementation—“from legal clarity to real-world action.”

The PCC supports the resolution’s recognition of the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, with collective and intergenerational dimensions, and as a precondition for other human rights and peoples’ self-determination. We also affirm its clear acknowledgment that the States most gravely harmed—especially SIDS and LDCs—have contributed least, and that vulnerability is shaped by historical and ongoing patterns of inequity, including colonialism, especially for Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

In the operative directions, we particularly support the call for States and relevant intergovernmental organisations to comply fully with their obligations as clarified by the Court, including by:
- keeping 1.5°C within reach through ambitious NDCs aligned with due diligence and equity;
- adopting measures to ensure a rapid, just and quantified phase-out of fossil fuel production and use, and phasing out enabling finance (subsidies, insurance, export credits and other supportive flows);
- protecting and restoring sinks and reservoirs, including forests, wetlands and ocean ecosystems;
- ensuring the full, meaningful and equal participation of women, Indigenous Peoples, youth and other rightsholders;
- safeguarding continuity of statehood and legal certainty for maritime baselines and zones amid sea-level rise;
- upholding dignity in climate mobility, including non-refoulement and protection pathways for climate-related cross-border displacement.

We also welcome the draft’s accountability provisions: cessation of wrongful acts without delay, reparation where conditions are met, and the proposed International Register of Damage, including modalities for coherence with existing loss and damage mechanisms while recognising these do not displace the rules of State responsibility, and consideration of an accompanying international mechanism for climate reparation consistent with the Court’s guidance.

The Pacific Churches’ Tuākoi ‘Lei Declaration calls us to be “a good neighbour… within creation,” and to embody “neighbourly love, compassion and hope… to turn the tide for climate and ecological justice.” It also reminds us that “a global ecological conversion is long overdue in this time of ecocide.”

Our Pasifika Household of God is described as “a sacred and eco-communal space… a mat on which all can sit and no one is left behind… seeking not only survival but hope for flourishing.”

We are strengthened by the World Council of Churches’ The Living Planet, which affirms: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,” and calls the churches to metanoia expressed in practical life. It is also unambiguous that “use of existing fossil fuel sources must be phased out without further delay,” and that subsidies to fossil fuel industries must be ended.

We honour the legacy of the late Pope Francis, who warned that “the abandonment of fossil fuels… is not progressing at the necessary speed.” (Vatican)

We also welcome the continuing witness of Pope Leo XIV, who has insisted that “Creation is crying out in floods, droughts, storms and relentless heat,” and that we must be honest: “What is failing is the political will of some.” (Vatican News)

In his message to COP30, Pope Leo XIV’s words were clear and pastorally direct: “If you want to cultivate peace, care for creation.” (Vatican)

Rev. James Shri Bhagwan, General Secretary of the Pacific Conference of Churches, said: “The ICJ has made plain what Pacific communities have long lived: climate harm is a human rights and justice issue—and it engages legal responsibility. This resolution is the bridge from moral appeal to legal clarity, and now to faithful action.”

Ms. Frances Namoumou, PCC Ecumenical Animator for Ecological Stewardship and Climate Justice and Vice Moderator of the WCC Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development, said: “Tuākoi ‘Lei calls us to be good neighbours within creation. The law has now spoken with clarity; the UN must help translate that clarity into cr—so that no one is left behind on God’s ocean continent.”

The PCC respectfully urges all UN Member States to engage constructively in the informal consultations and to support adoption of a strong and ambitious resolution—including by voting in favour should a vote be called and considering co-sponsorship. We further urge States to resist efents—particularly those that give effect to the ICJ Advisory Opinion through cooperation, due diligence, a rapid and equitable transition away from fossil fuels, and credible pathways for loss, damage and repair.

“This is, in the language of Tuākoi ‘Lei, a “Go and do likewise” moment—where the General Assembly must translate legal clarity into cooperation and concrete action, so that international law serves life and multilateralism proves worthy of trust.”

Rev. James Shri Bhagwan
General Secretary
Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC)

27th February, 2026