US Blocks Vanuatu UN Climate Reparations Resolution

The United States has launched a diplomatic campaign to block a United Nations draft resolution sponsored by the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, which calls for stronger global action on climate change, including reparations for damages caused by countries that fail to meet their obligations. The effort, detailed in a State Department cable sent to U.S. embassies worldwide on Tuesday, instructs diplomats to urge other nations to pressure Vanuatu to withdraw the proposal before informal consultations began at U.N. headquarters in New York on Friday.

The resolution, circulated among the 193 member states of the U.N. General Assembly, builds on a non-binding advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice last July. That opinion stated that nations could breach international law by not taking steps to combat climate change and that affected countries might seek reparations for resulting harms. All U.N. members, including major emitters such as the United States and China, are parties to the court. Vanuatu, like many low-lying island states vulnerable to rising sea levels and extreme weather, spearheaded the draft to translate the court's findings into actionable steps.