TRANSCRIPT
- A European court delivers a landmark judgment on a Swiss climate change case.
- Foreign Minister Penny Wong says recognising a Palestinian state is key to long-term peace in the Middle East.
- And World Netball bans transgender players from international competition.
The European Court of Human Rights has delivered a landmark judgement, stating that Switzerland's government has violated the human rights of its citizens by failing to adequately address the climate crisis.
The international court ruled in favour of a lawsuit brought by an association of over 2,500 elderly Swiss women who argued that the government's climate inaction undermined their health and quality of life.
Court President Siofra O'Leary says the Swiss government violated the human rights of the women by failing to put in place sufficient policies to tackle climate change.
"The court holds that under Article 8, states have a duty to adopt and to effectively apply and practice regulations and measures capable of mitigating the existing and potentially irreversible future effects of climate change."
The Swiss verdict, which cannot be appealed, sets an important legal precedent for the courts in all 46 Council of Europe member states.
Meanwhile, the court threw out two other similar cases, with one brought by six Portuguese young people against 32 European governments, and another by a former French mayor against the French government.
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Foreign Minister Penny Wong says the recognition of a Palestinian state is an important step towards a two-state solution to the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Foreign Minister's comments come as the president of the United Nations Security Council referred the Palestinian Authority's application for the State of Palestine to become a full member of the UN to its membership committee.
A Palestinian state is currently recognised by 139 of the UN's 193 member states, which does not include Australia, the UK or the US.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said his government will not recognise any Palestinian state, claiming any country that does so would be offering a reward for terrorism.
Minister Wong disagrees with Mr Netanyahu, claiming a two-state solution is the only hope for long-term peace and security for Israel.
"There are always those who claim recognition is rewarding an enemy. This is wrong because Israel’s own security depends on a two-state solution. Recognising a Palestinian state – one that can only exist side by side with a secure Israel – doesn’t just offer the Palestinian people an opportunity to realise their aspirations, it also strengthens the forces for peace and it undermines extremism."
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China's foreign ministry has accused Australia and its AUKUS allies of inflaming tensions after the announcement that Japan may lend its assistance to the defence pact.
Japanese representatives are in AUKUS negotiations in Washington ahead of a likely announcement at a summit between US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida beginning today (Wed 10th).
While Japan will be excluded from the nuclear powered submarine deal, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the country will be welcomed into the so-called 'pillar two' of the agreement to develop advanced military capabilities.
The spokeswoman for China's foreign ministry, Mao Ning, warns it only serves to heighten tensions.
"It will intensify the arms race in the Asia-Pacific region and undermine regional peace and stability. China is gravely concerned about this."
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In sport,
World Netball has banned transgender players from international competition with immediate effect under a new participation and inclusion policy.
The global governing body of what has traditionally been a women's sport says it has undergone a lengthy consultation before issuing the policy.
The decision follows similar moves from global governing bodies for cricket, cycling, athletics, swimming and chess which have all tightened their participation rules for transgender athletes in elite women's competitions over the past couple of years.
LGBTIQ+ advocacy groups say the exclusionary policies are discriminatory and that not enough research has been done into the impact of transition on athletic performance.
World Netball will review the policy on an annual basis.
