Prime Minister, Hon. Gaston Browne, in his role as co-chair of the Commission of Small States on Climate Change and International Law (COSIS), commenced oral arguments before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in Hamburg, Germany.
This historic move represents the initial step by COSIS in their mission to hold major polluters accountable.
COSIS seeks ITLOS’s advisory opinion on whether carbon dioxide emissions constitute ocean pollution and the responsibility of states to mitigate it.
Browne and his Pacific counterpart established COSIS in 2021 to use international law to combat climate-altering pollution, especially vital for small island nations facing existential threats due to unchecked climate change.
