MARSHALL ISLANDS FILES SUIT IN INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
The Marshall Islands filed a civil suit in the International Court of Justice against the world’s nuclear powers in an attempt to spur nuclear disarmament and bring attention to climate change issues faced by island nations. Countries named in the suit include Britain, China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, and the United States. The complaint asks the court to find the countries in violation of disarmament treaties and customary international law, and to establish a disarmament calendar with negotiations beginning one year after the court’s decision. Tony de Brum, the Marshall Island’s Foreign Minister, attended the Lima climate negotiations in December and drew parallels between the nuclear arms race and climate change, saying “They both affect the security and survival of humanity.” For the full story, see http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/28/world/a-former-ground-zero-goes-to-court-against-the-worlds-nuclear-arsenals-.html?ref=earth&_r=0.