South Centre Informal Note, 28 April 2026

The First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels: Reclaiming Multilateralism for a Just Transition

Informal Note, 28 April 2026

By Daniel Uribe Terán

The First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels, co-hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands, serves as a necessary platform for reclaiming multilateralism for a just transition. This paper analyses how the conference addresses the ‘judicialization’ of climate obligations following landmark 2025 advisory opinions from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR). It highlights critical barriers facing developing countries, specifically the ‘regulatory chill’ caused by Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms and the ‘debt-fossil fuel trap’ that binds extractive economies to external risks. It also recognises that integrating the ‘People’s Summit’ outcomes into the official Conference could promote a reparative financial model and strengthen the principle of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC). Ultimately, Santa Marta should provide a blueprint for systemic reform, ensuring that global decarbonisation respects resource sovereignty and human dignity while moving toward a coordinated, legally backed effort for collective survival.

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SC Side-Event – 61st Human Rights Council, 10 March 2026

Sovereignty and self-determination over natural resources in times of conflicts, climate change and (neo)colonialism

Side-Event to the 61st Session of the Human Rights Council

Co-organized by the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development (Special Procedures, United Nations Human Rights Council) and South Centre

10 March 2026, 12-1pm
Concordia 1, Building A, Palais des Nations, Geneva

As we navigate the 61st session of the Human Rights Council, the South Centre and the Special Rapporteur on the right to development are convening a critical discussion on the intersection of resource sovereignty, conflict, and (neo)colonialism.

In an era defined by climate instability and geopolitical shifts, the right to self-determination over natural resources has never been more relevant. We are honoured to host a distinguished panel of ambassadors and experts to explore these challenges.

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