On 15-16 February 2024, the Ministry of Climate Resilience, the Environment and Renewable Energy of Grenada hosted a "Writeshop" on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory Opinion on climate change at the Radisson Beach Resort, Grenada, in partnership with the Republic of Vanuatu and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS). The ICJ Advisory Opinion resolution (Res 77/276) on the obligations of States in respect of climate change was adopted by consensus in March 2023 at the UN General Assembly in New York.
The Writeshop was attended by capital delegates from eleven CARICOM states, legal experts and scientists from the University of the West Indies, medical and international law experts (from the region and around the world) and a Caribbean youth delegation. The purpose of the Writeshop was to enhance the awareness and understanding of the legal question posed under the ICJ Advisory Opinion and to encourage Caribbean states to participate, and collaborate, in this historic proceedings.
Present at the meeting were UWI experts including International Panel of Climate Change lead authors Professor Michael Taylor and Professor Michelle Mycoo (who attended virtually); and legal experts Professor David Berry of the Cavehill Faculty of Law and Dr Jan Yves Remy, Director of the Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy and Services (SRC), . These UWI experts were able to contribute to the effort of a number of countries from CARICOM in submitting and filing written statements to the ICJ on 22 March 2024.
