NNHRR Conference: Legal Advisory Opinions Shaping Climate Action and Human Rights
NNHRR Working Group on Human Rights & the Climate Crisis
The Netherlands Network for Human Rights Research (NNHRR) Working Group on Human Rights & the Climate Crisis organises their annual conference, with the theme “Legal Advisory Opinions Shaping Climate Action and Human Rights”. This conference takes place on 6 November 2025 at Leiden University College The Hague.
On 23 July 2025, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an historic Advisory Opinion confirming that States have binding legal obligations under international law, including customary law and human rights law, to protect the climate system from anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. The Court emphasized that the adverse effects of climate change threaten core human rights, including the right to life, health, housing, food, water, and the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. This much anticipated Opinion was the result of years of advocacy started by the Pacific Island State of Vanuatu, which is already experiencing the existential harm of the climate crisis. This initiative has triggered other requests for similar Advisory Opinions
The NNHRR Annual Conference will be an ideal opportunity to share your reflections. Please check for more information the Call for Papers via the button below:
Programme overview
Wednesday 5 November
- 17.00-19.00: Film Screening "YUMI - The Whole World"
Thursday 6 November
- 09.30-11.00: Opening Plenary
- 11.00-11.20: Coffee break
- 11.20-13.00: Parallel Session 1: Healthy Environment
- 11.20-13.00: Parallel Session 2: Climate Litigation: Techniques and Approaches
- 13.00-14.00: Lunch
- 14.00-15.40: Parallel Session 3: The Advisory Opinions in Context
- 14.00-15.40: Parallel Session 4: Reparations and Future Generations
- 14.00-15.40: Parallel Session 5: Cross-Fertilization Between Opinions of the IACtHR and the ICJ
- 15.40-16.00: Coffee break16.00-17.00: Closing Plenary
- 17.00-18.00: Drinks
A detailed programme can be found on the conference website and via the button below:
Organisation
For more information, see the website of the Netherlands Network for Human Rights Research (NNHRR), the Working Group Human Rights & the Climate Crisis and the conference website.
The conference is organized by Julie Fraser, Anneloes Kuiper, Otto Spijkers and Patricio Trincado Vera, and will take place at Leiden University College (Anna van Buerenplein 301, The Hague, Netherlands).
For enquiries, please contact Otto Spijkers: o.spijkers@luc.leidenuniv.nl.
Co-sponsors of the conference are the Utrecht Centre for Water, Oceans and Sustainability Law (UCWOSL), Netherlands Institute of Human Rights (SIM) and Utrecht Centre for Accountability and Liability Law (UCALL).