Historic climate case win to protect small island states at ITLOS

Nine small island states have won a landmark case at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), compelling all signatories of a United Nations marine treaty to intensify efforts to protect oceans from climate change. The tribunal ruled that the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea's mandate to prevent marine pollution includes greenhouse gas emissions. The decision, hailed as a "tremendous legal victory" by the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law (COSIS), underscores the obligation of states to mitigate emissions impacting ocean health. (Al Jazeera)