From winning a landmark ICJ advisory opinion to hosting the next global conference on transitioning away from fossil fuels, Pacific nations are leading the world, and this panel traces that journey to Tuvalu 2027 and beyond toward negotiation of a Fossil Fuel Treaty. In recent years, the Pacific has gone from the world's most climate-vulnerable region to the architect of its most consequential multilateral climate policy wins. From delivering the International Court of Justice's unanimous 2025 Advisory Opinion, confirming that states carry binding legal duties to cut emissions and can be held responsible for climate harm, to spearheading the proposal to negotiate a Fossil Fuel Treaty, to the recent announcement that the Second Conference on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels will be hosted by Tuvalu and Ireland, in the Pacific in 2027. This session brings that arc together international law, global initiatives, and powerful diplomacy through the voices of the Pacific leaders, legal advocates, and youth campaigners who built it. Panellists will discuss what the ICJ opinion means for the future of fossil fuel production, how the recent UNGA resolution turns legal duty into political mandate, what to expect as Tuvalu prepares to host the world, and the pathway toward a Fossil Fuel Treaty negotiating mandate.

Venue

Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion

Speakers

Hon. Ralph Regenvanu, Minister, Vanuatu, Hon. Maina Talia, Tuvalu Minister for Home Affairs, Climate Change, and Environment, Johanna Gusman, Senior Pacific Advisor, Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative, Brianna Fruean, Council of Elders, Pacific Climate Warriors