Nairobi, whose very name in Maa means “the place of cool waters,” is built on wetlands that have cushioned communities for generations.
Wetlands are the filtration system of our ecosystems, regulating and purifying water, supporting livelihoods, and helping us adapt to climate change.
This week Zimbabwe hosts delegates of the 172 countries party to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP15) in Victoria Falls. We stand at a historic juncture for biodiversity, restoration, and justice. This celebration of wetlands comes in the wake of an unprecedented and unanimous ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, established in 1945 to settle legal disputes between states and issues advisory opinions on legal questions referred by UN bodies. Unlike criminal courts, the ICJ doesn’t prosecute individuals but it holds governments accountable under international law.
The ICJ’s landmark advisory opinion on climate change was sparked by youth activism, specifically by a group of law students from the University of the South Pacific in Vanuatu. Back in 2019, these students formed the Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change movement (PISFCC), which later joined forces with World’s Youth for Climate Justice. Their campaign urged Vanuatu’s government to request an advisory opinion from the ICJ through the UN General Assembly, a request that was ultimately adopted by consensus in 2023. While the formal request came from a sovereign state, the origin, energy, and moral force behind it came from young people demanding accountability and justice. Sound familiar? This is, after all, about their future!
