International Court rules in favor of Pacific Island states

The International Court of Justice has ruled in favour of Papua New Guinea and other Pacific Island countries, stating that these countries have legal obligations to prevent and address the harmful impacts of climate change.

The court, in its Advisory Opinion, found that the countries have binding legal obligations under international law and customary international law to prevent and address the harmful impacts of climate change.

The decision follows a request from the United Nations General Assembly for an Advisory Opinion regarding the climate change obligation of states. The initiative for this Advisory Opinion was championed at the United Nations by Vanuatu, inspired by a youth-led campaign calling for climate justice and legal accountability. This youth-driven movement underscored the urgency of international legal action in response to the worsening climate crisis.

According to the Minister for Justice and Attorney General Pila Niningi, PNG was among other countries that made an oral submission to the World Court, advocating for stronger legal accountability in the face of rising global emissions. The case was heard in December 2024.

“In our submission, we rallied with Vanuatu and other countries for this outcome. We are pleased with the outcome,” Minister Niningi said.

Minister Niningi led PNG’s representation which included PNG Ambassador to the United Nations Fred Sarufa, Secretary for the Department of Justice and Attorney General (DJAG) Dr Eric Kwa, Public Solicitor Leslie Mamu, and then Acting Solicitor General E'ava Geita. The team also comprised DJAG lawyers, Office of the Public Solicitor, and the Climate Change and Development Authority.

The World Court made the following key findings:

• States must take action under both international treaties (e.g., UNFCCC, Paris Agreement, UNCLOS) and customary international law to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and protect the climate system;

• Due diligence standards are high: States must adopt and enforce robust legal, regulatory, and policy activities to prevent environmental harm. Small Island Developing States were specifically recognized as especially vulnerable and legal protection from climate-related harm;

• States that breach their obligations, through acts or omissions, can be held responsible under international law for resulting harm to other States, peoples, and future generations;

• The Court recognized climate change as a human rights issue, affirming the interdependence between environmental protection and rights to life, health, water, housing, and a clean and sustainable environment.

The Court's Opinion carries significant legal and political weight, and will;

• Strengthen the legal basis for SIDS and vulnerable nations to demand meaningful climate action and support;

• Serve as an authoritative guide for interpreting and applying international climate treaties, especially in the context of litigation and policy-making;

• Provide a legal foundation for holding major emitters accountable where their emissions cause significant harm;

• Reinforce Papua New Guinea's efforts to pursue international cooperation, climate financing, and technical assistance as a matter of legal entitlement, not charity;

• Support integration of international climate and human rights standards into national laws, policies, and enforcement frameworks.

“This is a moment of immense pride for Papua New Guinea. Our voice was heard at the world's highest court,” Minister Niningi said. “The ruling confirms that climate justice is not just a political goal, it is a legal imperative.”

“I encourage all relevant agencies to use this decision to strengthen our domestic laws, advocate internationally, and protect our people and ecosystems for generations to come.

“Papua New Guinea reaffirms its commitment to working in solidarity with other small island nations and the international community to achieve effective, equitable, and legally grounded climate action,” Niningi added.

MSG LAUDS ADVISORY OPINION IN LANDMARK CASE

STATES HAVE LEGAL OBLIGATIONS TO PROTECT CLIMATE: WORLD COURT

The HAGUE, NETHERLANDS (24 July 2025): The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat has welcomed the historic ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that countries have legal obligations to protect the climate, saying it is a climate justice victory for Melanesia, the Pacific and planet Earth.

Acting Director General, Ilan Kiloe, speaking to world media right after the delivery of the Advisory Opinion, said the wisdom of MSG Leaders in tasking the MSG Secretariat to participate in the ICJAO proceedings was not made in vain, "yet yielded positive results that continue to make MSG a relevant and influential player in regional and global affairs".

He said it is also a huge win for the power of our youth to make an impact, referring to the Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change (PISFCC)’s initial move that initially led to Vanuatu’s ICJ initiative.

The ICJ has ruled that climate change treaties and customary international law have binding obligations for States to ensure the protection of the climate system and other parts of the environment from greenhouse gases. These treaties include the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol, the Charter of the United Nations, and the Paris Agreement, among others.

States also have an obligation under customary international law to prevent significant harm to the environment by acting with due diligence.

Under international human rights law, states have an obligation to ensure “the effective enjoyment of human rights by taking necessary measures to protect the climate system”.

The ICJ has further ruled that a breach of any obligations by a State, constitutes an internationally wrongful act entailing the responsibility of that State.

ADG Kiloe said, “I am so proud of the 27 USP students from Emalus whose brilliant idea has not only reached the corridors of the world’s highest court, but has now become a fully-fledged ICJ Advisory Opinion, a significant push and providing more ammunition in our fight to be heard at international climate change talks”.

The ruling he added, is not an end but the beginning of a journey to ensure that our future generations are protected and sustained from the devastation of the impacts of climate change.

“It certainly has been a long and tardious journey, history has been made yet again, and this ruling has given us hope for the future as we continue to grapple with the realities of sea-level rise, earthquakes and frequency of cyclones on the home front,” ADG Kiloe said. 

The MSG will continue to engage in the process as mandated by Leaders in the recent MSG Summit in Suva in supporting Vanuatu and MSG Member states in the next phases of the process including at the UN & COP negotiations.

#TeamMSG 🇫🇯🇳🇨🇵🇬🇸🇧🇻🇺

#BluePacific

#climatejustice

#ICJAO

D-DAY AT THE ICJ – A DEFINING MOMENT FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE

2PORT VILA, VANUATU (23 July 2025): It is D-Day at the International Court of Justice where it will soon deliver a landmark ruling in the historic Advisory Opinion proceedings, on the obligation of States under International Law in respect to Climate Change.

This, at a crucial time when climate change has not only been declared by our Leaders as the single most existential threat facing the #BluePacific, but climate devastation is now even more frequent with floods, earthquakes, and cyclones among many more.

The Opinion will not only reshape expectations for both governments and businesses worldwide but clarify the scope of state responsibilities under international law, with potential knock-on effects for corporate liability, due diligence, and climate-related litigation.

Initiated by a group of students' assignment question at USP Vanuatu's Emalus campus, Vanuatu led a global coalition two years ago, to adopt a UN Resolution, requesting ICJ to clarify State obligations and legal consequences related to climate change. 

The move by these students eventually led to Vanuatu's ICJ initiative and gave rise to the formation of the Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change (PISFCC). The MSG Secretariat was delighted to have PISFCC part of its delegation and accord it the privilege to address the Court through the MSG platform, to further amplify the Pacific's call for climate justice during the hearing in December 2024.

President of the PISFCC, Ms. Houniuhi captivated the Court with her powerful testimony of how the initiative started, and what the ICJ proceedings mean for the future generations, further reinforcing MSG’s submission on the impact of climate change on youth and children.

At the 51st Pacific Islands Leaders meeting in Suva, Fiji in 2022, Pacific Leaders welcomed progress on Vanuatu’s initiative and noted that while non-binding, an ICJAO “may change the course of current negotiations and boost commitments,” and call on the UNGA to adopt a resolution requesting such an opinion.

In late 2023 at subregional level, MSG Leaders during the Leaders’ Summit in Port Vila, Vanuatu, mandated the MSG Secretariat, through the Political, Security & Legal Affairs programme, to take part in the proceedings. 

The MSG’s submission focused on climate change and its nefarious impact on customs and traditions, adding value to the national submissions by MSG members and representing the collective interests of the Melanesian sub-region.

Last month in Suva, Fiji, MSG Leaders endorsed the Secretariat’s ongoing participation in the ICJ process, particularly in the implementation of the Advisory Opinion. 

Our team at the ICJ includes the Acting Director General, Ilan Kiloe and Acting Programme Manager, Political, Security & Legal Affairs, Brittien Yosef.

To follow the case today, please click on:

https://webtv.un.org/en

#TeamMSG 🇫🇯🇳🇨🇵🇬🇸🇧🇻🇺

#climatejustice

#ICJAO

Photo Courtesy: ICJ File

Elvina Poki Ogil: Salary System for Locals Must Change in Papua New Guinea

Elvina Poki Ogil is a corporate lawyer, a podcast host and someone who doesn’t shy away from hard truths, whether it’s colonial legacy or structural inequality in Papua New Guinea.

She grew up in Mt Hagen in Western Highlands, and although she now calls Sydney home, her connection to her family and community remains strong.

She uses her platform to speak out about inequality, and one issue that remains firmly on her radar is a dual wage system when it comes to multinational corporations in PNG.

This is where a local employee with the same – if not higher – qualifications as a non-Papua New Guinean is paid significantly less, and it’s something Elvina saw when she returned to her homeland to work for several years.

“I was fortunate enough to work for a multinational, but I think that gave me the greatest exposure to understanding how inherited systems operate sometimes as an impediment to the development and the progress of people in Papua New Guinea, particularly women,” she said.

“There was a significant difference in remuneration, which did not appear to be fair, equitable and reflective of what qualifications those particular Papua New Guineans had.”

Elvina said she worked with a senior Papua New Guinean who was highly qualified in his field, and he was paid 10 times less than an “expat” who reported to him.

This is an inequality the PNG government needs to address, and until then, families won’t be able to progress economically, Elvina said.

“I also knew that I spoke from the benefit of and the privilege of someone who could see it from the outside and could say something about it with a lot less fear of perhaps any repercussions that would come to me.

“But I spoke about it extensively because I couldn't abide it.”

Elvina said these systems are so strongly entrenched in PNG that it is going to take “perhaps a generation before we start seeing some change”.

“And I think it's too long to wait for that to happen.

“I think we should be talking about this over and over. I know conversations have been had on the floor of Parliament, but I think these things require legislative change to hold these large corporations to account as to how they pay the people in the countries that they operate, such as Papua New Guinea.”

🔊: https://www.abc.net.au/pacific/programs/stories-from-the-pacific/stories-from-the-pacific/105514580

trade link existed between Kandep in Enga province, Mendi and Poroma before

A trade link existed between Kandep in Enga province, Mendi and Poroma before the European contact. The trade route was to trade suringi salt ( a traditional salt made from lakes in suringi) and Kutubu tree oil . Even after the arrival of the white man the trade continued into the late 70s.

People from Kutubu brought tree oil to Poroma and Poromo people traded with Mendi, Ialibu and Nipa people where the oil reached Mendi, Mt Hagen, Tari and Kandep. The oil was an expensive trading commodity used for body decoration during singsings and marriages. The Kandep people traded their salt with the Mendi people and reached other centers utilizing the same trading route. 

This was the biggest trading route in the Highlands where salt and oil played a very important role far and wide across Southern Highlands, Hela, Western Highlands, Enga , Jiwaka and went as far as Simbu. 

These pictures were taken by David Robert Eastburn in the early 70s. We will appreciate if someone can identify them.

#history

A JOURNEY OF LOVE AND ENDURANCE IN LAST PAPUA

#EntertainmentFeature

- The Story Behind Wame Blood’s new single “Puki"

By JOEL K. ANDREW

Some places in Papua New Guinea offer a true glimpse of paradise with untouched tropical forests, breathtaking landscapes, and people who live in harmony with nature, untouched by the rush of modern civilization. These communities, deeply rooted in tradition, communicate not with technology, but with the natural world around them.

One such place is Sembirigi, a remote and pristine frontier in the southernmost part of the Last Papuan region, located within the Erave Local Level Government of Southern Highlands Province.

In places where voices can’t reach, legs can’t travel, and hands can’t grasp, music becomes the bridge. It connects distant worlds and shines a spotlight on hidden communities.

Our brand new single, “PUKI,” is more than just a song. It is a musical journey and tribute to the adventure we took into the heart of Sembirigi. It captures the raw beauty of Sembirigi, the challenges we faced, and the love we received along the way.

This song is a reflection of our walk through one of the most remote terrains in PNG and a celebration of the spirit, culture, and people who welcomed us with open arms.

“Puki” in the Sembirigi vernacular means “Lewa” or love in Tok Pisin, and this song was born from a deeply personal and transformative journey through the rugged terrains of Southern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea.

The inspiration for the song came from the warm-hearted people of Sembirigi who showed immense love and hospitality during one of the most physically and emotionally challenging experiences of my life. Their kindness left an unforgettable mark on me and became the soul of this musical piece.

This song reflects a journey I undertook alongside Sembirigi’s finest son and Managing Director for MRDC Mr. Augustine Mano, long before there was a road connection to his remote village, Pawabi. We set off early one morning, driving as far as the Waro turnoff, then continuing the rest of the way on foot.

As we prepared to begin the climb, Augustine looked at us and said, “This is not a road. It’s a test.” We quickly realized he meant every word.

Though Mt. Sumale is not one of the tallest mountains by global standards, the trail was brutally steep, muddy, and unforgiving, and a vertical challenge that pushed our limits. We trudged through thick clay, slipping and sliding with every step, our boots weighed down with sticky earth.

Despite the physical strain, what stood out most was the warmth and generosity of the local villagers. Each village we passed welcomed us with food and comfort. A local delicacy we encountered frequently was muruk (cassowary) meat, served with pride by those who had little but gave abundantly.

Halfway through the trek, heavy rain set in, relentless, cold, and punishing. The trail quickly turned into a flowing river of mud. Our hands clung to tree roots, our bodies exhausted and soaked, and yet we pushed forward.

When we reached the Waro River, swollen from days of rain, it roared like a wild beast, impossible to cross safely. By then, Augustine could no longer walk. Our guides ran ahead to Pawabi and returned with a makeshift platform to carry him the remaining distance. One by one, we were assisted through the dangerous path into the village.

As night fell, we arrived in Pawabi to a heartwarming scene. The village lit up with cheers, laughter, and songs of celebration. The people embraced us, as if welcoming home family long lost.

The journey to Pawabi has since become my personal metaphor for life's struggles. It reminded me that love can exist even in the harshest conditions. The kindness we received wasn’t just physical support but was emotional with spiritual healing.

“Puki” is not just a love song, it's a tribute to the people of Sembirigi, a thank-you for their selfless hospitality, and a reminder that being loved, or choosing to love can bring immense relief even in the hardest of times.

MSG, "THE POWERHOUSE OF THE SUBREGION"

SUVA, FIJI (18 July 2025): The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) could be the powerhouse of the region as a platform to advance issues of national interest for Melanesia.

This was agreed at a recent discussion between the MSG Secretariat led by the Acting Director General, Ilan Kiloe, and Fiji’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led by Permanent Secretary, Dr Raijeli Taga.

PS Dr Taga said the MSG, being resource-rich in terms of population, land mass and natural resources can be very effective “if all of MSG’s constituent body meetings in arts & culture, trade, environment, sports and security, among others, are coordinated well.

“It (MSG) is already a powerhouse but we need to better plan and coordinate properly if we are to see issues from these meetings advanced into the PIFS system and elevated to a level where instructions can be made and actions taken,” she said.

Dr Taga stated, “there is a lot of responsibility on us to advance these initiatives further and use MSG to our advantage”.

“In doing so we can provide the opportunities for the other groups in the region and we must proceed to implement some of the outcomes by the Leaders.

“Fiji’s intent is not to go with the flow but to grow the MSG,” she added.

Acting Director General of the MSG Secretariat, Ilan Kiloe, firstly congratulated Fiji’s chairmanship, adding that he fully concurred with the directions which the Chair is ready to take. 

“Indeed, MSG is a strength in the Pacific and we must ensure that what we are doing fits into the ambitions of the wider Pacific,” ADG Kiloe said.  

He suggested that the MSG look at areas which it is able to influence and advance for instance climate change, since the MSG participated at the ICJ, amplifying the Pacific’s call for climate justice during the ICJAO proceedings on Climate Change.

ADG Kiloe said another area the MSG could take the lead on is Security, considering that Melanesia’s instability is dominated by ethnic conflicts and tribal wars, hence the need for a specifically designed strategy just for Melanesia.

The MSG Security Strategy, following the green light from Leaders last month, is expected to be endorsed at the upcoming MSG Police Minister’s Meeting this September.

The MSG Secretariat will also identify issues to update the Chair, prior to the upcoming Pacific Island Forum Leaders Meeting in Honiara.

Caption: Fiji's Permanent Secretary Foreign Affairs, Dr Raijeli Taga & Acting Director General of the MSG Secretariat, Ilan Kiloe, with members of their respective teams.