Island Nations Ask UN Tribunal To Spell Out Large Countries' Obligations To Protect Oceans

The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea held a series of public hearings that started September 11, 2023 following a request submitted by the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change (COSIS) to clarify large countries' obligations to protect the oceans—and the world's smallest island states—from the impact of pollution and climate change. COSIS is calling for a legally binding framework to protect its member states from the effects of climate change and is aiming to raise these issues at upcoming UN climate change and other conferences. Established in 2021 during COP 26 in Glasgow, COSIS currently has eight members: Antigua and Barbuda, Niue, Palau, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.