Legal Blog
The WYCJ Legal blog publishes contributions on the climate crisis and its impacts on youth's rights and the environment.
We try to enhance collaboration between actors—lawyers, academics, and non-governmental organisations—related to climate action, the intergenerational equity principle, or WYCJ’s campaign.
The WYCJ Legal blog aims to create momentum around WYCJ’s initiative by producing legal content referring to the implementation of a rights-based approach to the climate crisis and the utilization of international legal mechanisms to clarify and develop international environmental law.
This is the international section of the blog, where pieces are originally written and submitted in English. If you would like to write a piece in Spanish, please go to WYCJ Blog Jurídico for more information!
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in the blog post are those of the author and do not represent the views of WYCJ.
Submission to Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change
By the Legal Taskforce
23/5/23
WYCJ submitted a memorandum in response to the Call for inputs by the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change.
Youth for Ecocide Law Collaborate with World’s Youth for Climate Justice and discuss important issues
By Maëlle Blacharz.
Laila Martins from Youth for Ecocide Law (Y4EL) raises important issues that are integral to both youth campaigns.
World’s Youth for Climate Justice collaborates with Youth for Ecocide Law and discusses important issues
By Laila Martins (Y4EL)
23/5/23
WYCJ’s Maëlle Blacharz and Aditi Shetye talk about the importance of youth participation and mobilisation.
Climate change in the Inter-American Court: from the causalist perspective of transboundary environmental damage to the multi-causality of climate change.
By Harold Miñarro Escalona.
In December 2022, Colombia and Chile asked the Inter-American Court of Human Rights for an advisory opinion on States' obligations under the American Convention on Human Rights in the face of the climate emergency.
El cambio climático en la Corte Interamericana: de la perspectiva causalista del dañoambiental transfronterizo a la multicausalidad del cambio climático.
By Harold Miñarro Escalona.
En diciembre 2022, Colombia y Chile solicitaron a la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos una opinión consultiva sobre las obligaciones de los Estados de conformidad con la Convención Americana sobre Derechos Humanos frente a la emergencia climática.
Ask the Expert: Analyzing the UNGA Resolution Asking the ICJ for Advisory Opinion on Climate Changeand Supporting the Campaign of WY4CJ
By M. Hafijul Islam Khan and Moumita Das Gupta.
This blog discusses final draft of the United Nations General Assembly Resolution by asking the International Court of Justice for Advisory Opinion on Climate Change.
Ask the Expert: Vanuatu’s Proposed Request For an Advisory Opinion from the World Court
By Aleksandra Balyasnikova-Smith.
In November 2022 Vanuatu, on behalf of a group of States, put forward a draft Resolution containing a request for an advisory opinion to be sought from the International Court of Justice.
How the UNGA’s landmark Resolution Recognising Clean, Healthy, Sustainable Environment as Human Right will bolster Climate Action?
On 28 July 2022, by a recorded vote of 161 in favor and zero against, with eight abstentions, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) passed a resolution recognizing the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment as a human right. The UNGA called upon States, international organizations, businesses, and other stakeholders to “scale up efforts” to ensure a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment for all.
Editors for the Legal Blog
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Erika Vite, Editor
Erika is currently studying Law at Universidad Panamericana in Mexico. Throughout her academic journey, she has shown a strong interest in International Human Rights Law, actively participating in academic competitions, seminars, and conferences, as well as interning at various NGOs.
Email: erika@wy4cj.org
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Linn Pfitzner, Editor
Linn has an interdisciplinary background in international law and politics and holds an LL.M. in Global Environment and Climate Change Law from the University of Edinburgh. They have experience developing climate policy in the public sector, having worked at the European Parliament and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). Linn’s research interests include operationalising intergenerational fairness in climate policy-making and finding equitable legal solutions for addressing non-economic loss and damage.
Email: linn@wy4cj.org
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Maria-Christina Achilleoude, Editor
Maria-Christina Achilleoude has completed both a Bachelor of Laws and a Master of Laws at the London School of Economics & Political Science. She also holds a Master of Arts from the Courtauld Institute of Art (London) where she specialised in Global Conceptualism. Her interests lie in more-than-human rights, environmental law, public international law and critical theory. Her current research explores the potential of advancing more-than-human right approaches to articulate an ecocentric conception of climate justice and the limitations of these approaches in environmental and climate justice litigations.
Email: maria-christina@wy4cj.org
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Eleonora Raus, Editor
Eleonora Raus has completed a Bachelor of Laws at University College London and a Master of Laws at the London School of Economics & Political Science. Her interests lie in human rights, environmental law and public international law. Currently she works as a paralegal at a law firm specialising in medical negligence and personal injury litigation, and has recently received a Lincoln's Inn scholarship to pursue the Bar in England.
Email: eleonora@wy4cj.org
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Robin Happel, Editor
Robin is a freelance writer and has previously served as a Global Goals Ambassador for Climate Action for the UN Association and Expert Reviewer for the AR6 in addition to volunteering with WYCJ. She is originally from east Tennessee, and is passionate about supporting a just transition for frontline and fenceline communities.
Email: robin@wy4cj.org
How to submit a blog post?
WYCJ is inviting youth from around the world to contribute to the Legal Blog:
Share your voices!
We welcome contributions on all topics relating to climate justice and in line with the mission of the legal blog. Posts may be strictly informative (e.g. provide an analysis of important cases to inform the general public) and/or provide a forum for academic debate by introducing original and novel ideas, perspectives, and interpretations on climate justice from a legal point of view. For more information on how to write and submit a blog post, please read the Legal Blog Post Guide, which you can find below.
If you are interested in writing a blog post, please submit a topic proposal or a first draft of your post to any of the editors of the editorial board of the WYCJ Legal Blog above.
It should be noted that publication is not guaranteed, and a decision to publish may be subject to revisions.