This side event, jointly hosted in Washington DC and Belem during the 30th United Nations Climate Conference (COP30), will discuss the evolution of the climate-health governance nexus under public international law, focusing specifically on the Global Goal of Adaptation (GGA) and its indicators to be considered at COP30. This event will offer discussion on potential legal arguments for why the World Health Organization should or should not serve as "custodian" of the health-related GGA indicators, and offer next steps for advancing this role upon adoption of the indicators in Belem. Supported by the recent developments in the public international law space, this session will offer pathways for operationalizing the GGA through the 79th World Health Assembly, and identify mechanisms that might help to mobilize resources to advance reporting of climate-health adaptation metrics under the WHO Global Plan of Action on Climate Change and Health.

Speakers:

• Matthew Carvalho, Adjunct Research Fellow (Global Governance and Diplomacy), Sunway Centre for Planetary Health, Sunway University
• Antoinette Nestor, Director of Studies in Land Economy, Girton College, University of Cambridge
• Marina Romanello, Executive Director, Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change
• Elena Villalobos Prats, Technical Officer, Climate Change and Health, World Health Organization

Hosted by: Georgetown University, the Youth Negotiators Academy, the American Society of International Law, Girton College at the University of Cambridge, and the Climate Governance Commission