Santa Marta, Colombia, 28 April 2026 — Today the High-Level Segment of the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels, co-hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands at the coal port city of Santa Marta, had began with the participation of over 55 states. At the Opening Plenary remarks, countries highlighted frustration with existing multilateral frameworks based on consensus and influenced by interests of the fossil fuel industry, and reinforced the urgent need for stronger international cooperation, and the necessity of negotiating a new global mechanism to manage a just, orderly, equitable and rapid phaseout of fossil fuels. Many countries also emphasised the recent ICJ Advisory Opinion, which found that fossil fuel production, consumption, exploration licences, and subsidies may constitute internationally wrongful acts.

Key quotes from Opening Plenary:

Irene Vélez Torres, Minister of Environment of Colombia and co-host of the Santa Marta Conference: “We need a multilateralism without de facto vetoes, open to incidental participation by peoples and capable of translating agreements into implementation. Today we are living through a fracture of the global order as we know it. But today we are not called upon by fear or commercial intimidation; our hope today lies in the capacity for collective action among those who are here. We are governments of more than 50 countries. We account for one third of global oil consumption and also one third of global gross domestic product. Let us not be distracted by those who have not arrived or those who have not yet arrived. Because those of us who are gathered here represent an undeniable collective power.”

Maina Talia, Minister for Home Affairs, Climate Change, and Environment, Tuvalu: “For years, international climate negotiations have circled around fossil fuels without directly confronting the core issues. At COP30 in Belem, we recognised efforts to include a roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels, but it fell short - exposing deep divisions between countries. Today here in Santa Marta, committed countries are gathered to identify possibilities that can enable the solutions. Tuvalu commend the work of organisations and institutions, including the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative, whom have been the engine supporting countries to make this process fit for purpose. The context, scene setting, and outcomes of the first conference here in Santa Marta would lay a science-led coordination process, and produce practical pathways on concrete transition solutions. A leadership responsibility that Tuvalu is committed to see continue to 2027. The transition from Santa Marta to Tuvalu should prioritise continuity and channel momentum into concrete progress.”

Chipiliro Brian Mpinganjira, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources, Republic of Malawi: “We all know how fossil fuels have never negatively impacted and continue to obviously affect the climate, the economies and the world itself. Malawi stands ready to listen to action plans, join forces and work with the coalition of the willing to help the Fossil Fuel Treaty become a reality and to free ourselves from perennial disasters, economic pressures and untold burdens. As a result of climate change and man made crisis have shown us that we cannot and should not rely on fossil fuels. This is the time to make that difficult yet permanent and corrective decisions. This is a season for pulling in one direction towards cleaner, greener solutions. This is a time for action. The Fossil Fuel Treaty which is being loaded with well-thought out ideas and research-based suggestions on governance, financing and scaling up transition away from fossil fuels, amongst others will be complementary to not against other interventions.”

Juan Carlos Monterrey, Special Representative for Climate Change, Ministry of Environment of Panama, Vice-President, COP30 & COP31 Bureau | UN Climate Change: “For thirty-four years, we have negotiated the symptoms of the climate crisis and bulletproofed its cause. Thirty-four years of pledges. And where are we now? Emissions doubled. Oceans warmer than at any point in human history. A generation that has stopped believing us. War in the Middle East is pushing millions into lives they cannot afford. Economies built on fossil fuels are unraveling in real time. Fossil fuels are not just dirty. They are unreliable. They are dangerous. And they must end. That is why President Mulino and Minister Navarro sent us to Santa Marta. To launch the process to end it. We must pave the way for a legal instrument that names what it phases out and how we finance it. The treaty will take time. We know this. But the end of new fossil infrastructure, and a commitment for fossil-free zones of life — those we can decide here, this week.”

Ralph Regenvanu, Minister for Climate Change and Environment, Vanuatu: “We are very grateful that this space has been created for those countries most dedicated to addressing the most urgent problem of our times, those countries who will become frontrunners in doing what is not only legally required, but scientifically imperative. Several of our leaders from Pacific Small Island Developing States collectively affirmed our shared vision for a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific and clearly articulated our demand for a global mechanism to manage a just, orderly, equitable and rapid phaseout of coal, oil, and gas. We all know that this convening arose out of our collective frustration by the continuing failure of the UNFCCC process to address the root cause of the problem, which is the production of fossil fuels, even as we try to reduce emissions. This First Conference therefore responds to a clear gap in the international climate governance framework which is the absence of a binding international framework governing fossil fuel production and phase-out.”

Steven Victor, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and the Environment, Republic of Palau: ”This gathering of committed coalition to transition away from and phase out of fossil fuel is absolutely needed now more than ever. While the UNFCCC remains our primary forum, discussions within it are deadlocked on fossil fuel production, and this paralysis has allowed major emitters to delay meaningful action. This conference is our opportunity to change that through the development of a new pathway that foster and reinforce cooperation to address systemic barriers and unlock opportunities to free ourselves from fossil fuel dependency. To build on the momentum of the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels, Palau supports Tuvalu’s proposal to host the Second Conference. Palau stands ready to work with everyone on concrete proposals to accelerate action. Early movers will help design the approach of this important global transition. Santa Marta is our chance to close governance gaps and shape a future where no country is left to transition alone.”

Yuvelis Morales, Miembro de la Alianza Colombia Libre de Fracking y Premio Goldman 2026, Keynote Opening Speaker: “For the first time, the world is coming together to build the world we deserve. I also urge you to ensure that this conference results in a legally binding instrument that guarantees communities and territories a just, local, and community-led energy transition. That is why I urge you to make this instrument a reality in the form of a Fossil Fuel Treaty.”

Amarilys Llanos, member of la Alianza Colombia Libre de Fracking, spoke on behalf of the Social Movement sector: “Given the failure of the COP and the insufficiency of multilateralism, we cannot allow Colombia to leave this conference without a definite and clear action toward that regulatory framework which establishes the governance needed to phase out fossil fuels. This must be achieved through a binding international agreement, such as the Fossil Fuel Treaty, that at least contains a viable plan for phasing out subsidies for the production of fossil fuels, within a financial structure that in no way leads to a higher level of debt for countries—especially those in the Global South—and that provides a fair portion of alternatives for countries and territories that are highly dependent on fossil fuels.”

Ahead of the High-Level Segment the highest ambition coalition pushing for an equitable global fossil fuel phase out met for the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the 18 Countries Participating in the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative, and called on the Santa Marta to formally recognise the urgent need to negotiate a new international instrument on fossil fuels as a key outcome of the Conference. The meeting was chaired by Minister Irene Vélez Torres, and was attended by Ministers and heads of delegations from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Pacific, including 10 official observer states. The growing coalition is formed by frontline states, Small Island Developing States, least developed countries, fossil fuel-dependent importer economies and Global South fossil fuel producers.

The idea of the Santa Marta conference originated from conversations among the growing group of countries engaged in the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative. At a Ministerial meeting in December 2024, these countries agreed to “initiate a series of dedicated conferences” to overcome the political deadlock the transition away from fossil fuels has faced in consensus-based, universal climate negotiations for decades; and to advance an ongoing process parallel and complementary to the UNFCCC, including seeking negotiations on a binding international treaty on fossil fuels. In June 2025, Colombia offered to host the first one, and now Tuvalu is announcing to host the second conference in the Pacific region.