The effects of climate change have reached a point where they threaten the existence of the historic "Peace Palace," which serves as the main headquarters of the International Court of Justice, located in The Hague, Netherlands.

The Netherlands has informed the court that without sufficient measures to combat global warming, the "Peace Palace" is threatened due to rising water levels.

According to Dutch News, René Leefber, the legal advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the historic palace, which serves as the headquarters of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, is at risk of becoming an island due to the rising water levels around it.

The court is holding hearings for two weeks after the United Nations General Assembly voted last year to request an advisory opinion from its highest court regarding countries' obligations related to climate change.

Lefeber joked that the 110-year-old building is high enough above sea level to ensure that the fifteen judges will have their "feet dry" for the rest of the proceedings. But he warned that future hearings might be held in the Peace Palace after its surroundings become an island if sufficient efforts are not made to stop the rise in temperatures.

In the same context, there was a push for an opinion from the small island nation of Vanuatu, which urged the court last Monday to hold the world's polluters legally accountable.

Ralph Regenvanu, Vanuatu's climate change envoy to the court, said, "Today, we find ourselves on the front lines of a crisis we did not create, a crisis that threatens our very existence."

The historic case will witness record participation from 99 countries, including the largest carbon-emitting nations and institutions. And although the court's opinion is not binding, it is likely to influence litigation worldwide in a year that is set to be the hottest on record.

The Peace Palace is a historic administrative building in The Hague, Netherlands, often referred to as the headquarters of international law because it houses the International Court of Justice, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, The Hague Academy of International Law, and the comprehensive Peace Palace Library.

In addition to hosting special events in international politics and international law, the historic palace was officially opened on August 28, 1913.