Queen Mary academic advises the Republic of Marshall Islands on international and environmental law
Professor Malgosia Fitzmaurice advised the Republic of Marshall Islands in their submission for the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion on the obligations of States in respect of climate change.
Malgosia Fitzmaurice, Professor of Public International Law at Queen Mary University of London, was invited to advise because of her extensive research and publications in the field of international and environmental law. She worked on this with Dr Agnes Rydberg, a former LLM and PhD Student at Queen Mary.
The advisory opinion was requested by the United Nations General Assembly on 29 March 2023, to establish state obligations under international law to prevent adverse harm to the environment and slow climate change, and what consequences states face if they do not adhere to these obligations.
The Republic of Marshall Islands have made a submission to the ICJ, as part of the Advisory Opinion. The Republic of Marshall Islands is particularly at risk to the effects of climate change, including coastal erosion and inundation, which could make it uninhabitable.
In 2023, Professor Fitzmaurice and Dr Rydberg co-wrote an article addressing the possible role of Advisory Opinions in climate change.