UNFOLD ZERO Newsletter
Posted: 3rd March 2022
● United Nations and the Ukraine conflict ●
and
● March 4 event: Taking Climate Change to the World Court ●
“Climate change does not pause for armed conflict”
Dear Peter Gloyns,
On February 24, we circulated a statement from the World Future Council condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, calling on the use of UN mechanisms to address the situation without military force (especially those outlined in Articles 33-41 of the UN Charter), calling for criminal responibility for this crime against peace, highlighting that there are grievances on all sides that need to be addressed but not by armed conflict and warning that this invasion could elevate nuclear threats.
Since then, the UN General Assembly and UN Human Rights Council have opened special sessions to address the situation, Ukraine has lodged proceedings against Russia in the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor, Karim A.A. Khan QC, has opened an investigation over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Russia/Ukraine conflict.
It is to be hoped that these, and other non-military measures to address the situation, convince Russia to cease the invasion, and that they convince all parties to the conflict to negotiate a sustainable peace, consistent with international law.
The nuclear threats made by President Putin (and echoed by Belarus President Lukashenko) are of special concern. Russia, the USA and NATO should immediately step back from the nuclear brink by affirmimg that they will not initiate nuclear war, i.e. by adopting no-first-use policies. We encourage you to endorse the Open Letter From Nuclear Threats to Human Security, which includes this call, if you have not already endorsed.
Climate change does not pause for armed conflict
The Russian invasian of Ukraine has drained political attention and civil society from the existential threat to humanity of climate change. This is understandable as people’s lives are on the line right now in Ukraine. But it is also unfortunate. Climate change continues to get worse.
We therefore encourage you to take a short break from peace and anti-war actions on Friday March 4 to join the next webinar in the series on taking climate change to the International Court of Justice.
Time for legal action
“Humanity has a brief and rapidly closing window to avoid a hotter, deadly future”, says the U.N. Climate Report released earlier this week (Feb 28, 2022).
Business as usual is not good enough. It’s time for the International Court of Justice to establish a firm legal responsibility of the global community to prevent a climate disaster and to protect the human rights of current and future generations.
“Humanity has a brief and rapidly closing window to avoid a hotter, deadly future”, says the U.N. Climate Report released earlier this week (Feb 28, 2022).
Business as usual is not good enough. It’s time for the International Court of Justice to establish a firm legal responsibility of the global community to prevent a climate disaster and to protect the human rights of current and future generations.