The Trump administration has called on other countries to press Vanuatu, a small Pacific island nation, to withdraw a United Nations draft resolution that seeks strong action on climate change, including reparations for damage caused by nations failing to act. A State Department cable sent to all US embassies this week said the US “strongly objects” to the proposal, warning it “could pose a major threat to U.S. industry.”
The draft resolution, sponsored by Vanuatu, follows a landmark advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) last July, which said countries could violate international law if they fail to protect the planet from climate change, and that harmed nations could be entitled to reparations. The resolution calls for translating the ICJ’s findings into “concrete multinational action,” including national climate plans to limit warming to 1.5°C, phasing out fossil fuel subsidies, and providing “full and prompt reparation for damage.” It would also establish an International Register of Damage.
The US cable, obtained by the Associated Press, said President Trump has “delivered a very clear message” that the UN and many nations have “gone wildly off track, exaggerating climate change into the world’s greatest threat.” It urged other countries to ask Vanuatu to withdraw the draft before informal consultations began on Friday. The US claims that other G7 nations, as well as China, Saudi Arabia and Russia, share concerns about “aspects” of the draft.
Vanuatu’s UN Ambassador Odo Tevi said his country wants a vote on the resolution by the end of March, stressing it would ensure the ICJ ruling “strengthens global climate action and multilateral cooperation.” Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have urged support for the resolution, with Amnesty’s Candy Ofime noting it “attempts to turn the ICJ’s interpretation of key legal standards into a practical roadmap for state accountability,” likely triggering pushback from high-emitting countries wary of financial liability.
The move is the latest by the Trump administration to distance the US from climate efforts, following the revocation of a key scientific finding on greenhouse gas emissions and the announcement of plans to withdraw from the UN climate treaty. General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, but the ICJ has stated that taking action on climate change is an international obligation.
