International Court of Justice ICJ Organization Functions Authority Operation and Jurisdiction
Organization Functions Authority Operation and Jurisdiction of International Court of Justice, ICJ FAQs
Meaning of ICJ: The International Court of Justice, also known as ICJ, is the judicial ruling body of the United Nations and was established in February 1946 in accordance with the Statute of the International Court of Justice. The site is in the Peace Palace in The Hague, the Netherlands, also known as "The Hague International Tribunal". The main function of the International Court of Justice is to arbitrate cases submitted by various countries, or to provide advisory judicial advice at the request of the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council. It can also hear cases of alleged violation of international law.
1. What is International Court of Justice?
Introduction to ICJ: The International Court of Justice is located in the Peace
Palace in The Hague, the Netherlands. It began operations in 1946 and has a
dual function. It can resolve legal disputes submitted by countries in
accordance with international law and issue advisory opinions on legal issues
submitted by properly authorized international organizations and agencies.
Also
known as the "World Court" and "The Hague Court" are the
main judicial organs of the United Nations.
The court is located in The Hague,
but the court ’s trial may be conducted elsewhere according to the needs of the
case.
All UN member states are participating countries in the Statute of the
International Court of Justice.
Non-United Nations Member States may also
participate as statute participants after being recommended by the UN Security
Council and having obtained the approval of the General Assembly.
The official
languages of the International Court of Justice are French and English.
The United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council
elected the judges of the International Court of Justice on February 6, 1946.
The court held its first meeting on April 3 and was formally established in The
Hague. Work in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, the Statute
of the International Court of Justice and the Rules of the International Court
of Justice (effective from July 1, 1978).
The Statute of the International
Court of Justice is an integral part of the Charter of the United Nations, and
all United Nations Member States are of course participants in the Statute.
Non-United Nations Member States may also be participants in the Statute after
being recommended by the Security Council and approved by the General Assembly.
Since its establishment, the International Court of Justice
has issued 121 judgments.
The disputes challenged in ICJ involved:
- Land borders
- Maritime delimitation
- Territorial sovereignty
- The prohibition of the use of force
- International humanitarian law
- The prohibition of interference in other countries' internal affairs
- Diplomatic relations
- Hostage incidents
- Asylum rights
- Issues of nationality, guardianship, right of passage and economic rights have been issued.
- 27 consultation opinions have been issued.
The International Court of Justice is composed of 15 judges.
The term of the judges is nine years. They are elected by the UN General
Assembly and the Security Council.
2. What is the International Court of Justice Organization?
Organization of ICJ: The International Court of Justice is composed of 15 judges
of different nationalities elected by the United Nations General Assembly and
the United Nations Security Council, including one president for each court.
The 15 judges must all come from different countries (the five permanent
members of the Security Council, the United States, Britain, China, France and
Russia must each occupy a quota).
Judges should be able to represent the world’s major cultures and major legal systems as much as possible, and no two of
them should be of the same nationality.
The judge does not represent any
country. Their term of office is 9 years, replacing one third every 3 years.
The elected judge shall have the qualification to hold the highest judicial
office in the country or the recognized authority of international law.
Dean's term of office is 3 years. Both the judge and the
president can be re-elected and enjoy diplomatic privileges, diplomatic
immunity and related facilities during their tenure.
The judges are nominated
by domestic groups composed of arbitrators of the permanent arbitration courts
or groups appointed by governments specifically for the election of the
International Court of Justice, and elected by the UN General Assembly and the
UN Security Council.
Judges are appointed for a term of 9 years and are
eligible for re-election. A third of the judges are elected every three years.
All decisions must be made after the majority of the judges present agree.
The International Court of Justice elected Slovak Judge Peter
Tomka and Mexican Judge Bernardo Sepúlveda-Amor as President and Vice President
of the International Court of Justice on February 6, 2012 For a three-year
term.
The main organs of the International Court of Justice are the
Summary Procedure Chamber, the Budget and Administration Committee, the
Relations Committee, the Library Committee, the Revision of the Statute
Committee of the International Court of Justice, and the International Maritime
Court.
3. What are the main functions of International Court of Justice?
The International Court of Justice is a civil court that only accepts disputes between sovereign states. It has no criminal jurisdiction and cannot try individuals, such as war criminals.
According to the relevant regulations, the International Court of Justice can make a ruling only if the parties concerned unanimously agree to submit a legal dispute to the International Court of Justice. Resolve legal disputes submitted to it by countries, and provide advice on legal issues submitted by UN agencies.
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, located in
Hamburg, Germany, is an independent judiciary established under the United
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, designed to adjudicate disputes
arising from the interpretation or implementation of the Convention.
The jurisdiction
of the court includes all disputes submitted to the court in accordance with
the Convention and its Implementation Agreement, as well as all matters
specified in any other agreement conferring jurisdiction on the court.
4. What is the Main Authority of International Court of Justice?
Main Authority of ICJ: The International Court of Justice has two powers, namely,
jurisdiction for litigation and advisory jurisdiction.
What is the Litigation Jurisdiction of International Court of Justice?
ICJ Jurisdiction: Refers to the jurisdiction of the lawsuit submitted to the
court. As far as the jurisdiction of litigation is concerned, only countries
can refer cases of disputes between them to the International Court of Justice
for determination.
It does not accept litigation from non-states, even an
intergovernmental international organization, nor does it accept individual
litigation.
There are three types of countries litigating to the International
Court of Justice: the first type is a Member State of the United Nations.
The
second type is a Member State that is not a member of the United Nations, but
it is a party to the Statute of the International Court of Justice. Then, after
a dispute with another country, a country is willing to refer the dispute
between them to the International Court of Justice in accordance with the
provisions of the Charter of the United Nations. The court also has
jurisdiction over this.
What is the Advisory Jurisdiction of International Court of Justice?
ICJ Advisory Jurisdiction: Advisory jurisdiction and litigation jurisdiction are
different.
In the jurisdiction of litigation, as soon as the court makes a
judgment, the judgment is binding on the law of the State Party concerned, and
the State Party in dispute is obliged to accept the filed judgment unless it
has a valid reason to request the court to approve the review. But whether it
is reviewed or not, as long as it accepts the court s jurisdiction, the court
’s judgment must be enforced, and the judgment of the International Court of
Justice is final.
If the country ’s failure to fulfill the judgment jeopardizes
world peace and security, then the UN Security Council has the right to intervene
. The advisory jurisdiction obviously does not have such legal binding force.
5. What are the Court Operations of International Court of Justice?
Court Operations of ICJ:
Committees
During the reporting period, the two committees established
by the Court to facilitate its administrative work held several meetings; as of
July 31, 2010, the composition of these committees was as follows:
(A) Budget and Administrative Committee:
- President Owada (Chairman)
- Vice President Tomka and Judge Keith, Sepúlveda-Amor Bennouna
- Yusuf
- Greenwood
(B) Library Committee:
- Judge Birgenthal (Chairman) and Judges Simma
- Abraham
- Bennouna
- Cancado Trindade
The Rules Committee is a permanent body established by the
Court in 1979 and is composed of Judges Hasunai (Chairman) and Abraham, Keith,
Skotnikov, Cancado Trindade, and Greenwood.
Registry
The Court is the only major organ of the United Nations with
its own administrative department (see Article 98 of the Charter).
The Registry
is the permanent administrative organ of the court.
The Statute and the Rules
(especially Articles 22 to 29 of the Rules) define the duties of the Office.
Since the court is both a judicial institution and an international
institution, the Registry’s role is to provide judicial support while
operating as an international secretariat.
The organization of the Registry is
prescribed by the court based on the recommendations made by the Registrar, and
the duties of the Registry are determined by instructions drafted by the
Registrar and approved by the Court.
The "Instructions for the Registry" was drafted in October
1946. The organizational chart of the Registry is attached to the back of this
report.
Officials of the Registry shall be appointed by the court on
the basis of the Registrar’s recommendation; General Service staff shall be
appointed by the Registrar after obtaining approval from the President. The
short-term staff shall be appointed by the Registrar. Working conditions are
stipulated in the Staff Regulations adopted by the court (see Article 28 of the
Rules).
In general, officials of the Registry enjoy the same privileges and
immunities as officials of the same level of diplomatic missions in The Hague.
Their status, remuneration and pension rights are the same as those of the
Secretariat of the same category or grade.
In the past 20 years, despite the adoption of new
technologies by the Registry, its workload has increased substantially as the
number of cases filed with the Court has increased significantly.
Taking into account the 7 professional posts and two General
Service posts newly established in the 2010-2011 biennium budget, and the
converted 4 biennial translator posts, there are 114 posts in the Registry in
2012 (one year Formerly 105 posts).
There are 58 posts in the Professional category and
above (of which 50 are permanent posts and 8 are biennial posts), 56 General
Service posts (53 of which are permanent posts and 3 are Two-year post).
In accordance with the opinions expressed by the General
Assembly, the Registry has established a performance appraisal system for its
staff from January 1, 2004.
The performance appraisal system will be revised
soon.
The Registry is preparing to issue a new “Registrar Staff
Regulations” in accordance with the Staff Regulations that entered into force
in the Secretariat in July 2009.
In addition, because the United Nations has
adopted a new internal justice system, the United Nations Administrative
Tribunal has been replaced by the United Nations Appeals Tribunal.
Since the International
Court of Justice had recognized the United Nations Administrative Tribunal in
1998, the International Court of Justice is considering a new exchange of
letters between the President and the Secretary Temporary recognition of the
new appellate court as the appellate body.
i. Who are The Registrar and Deputy Registrar in International Court of Justice?
ICJ Registrar and deputy Registrar: The Registrar is the normal channel for official documents to
communicate with the court, and is especially responsible for handling all
official documents, notices and document transmissions required by the Statute
or Rules.
The Registrar shall, among other things, perform the following tasks:
(a) keep a summary of the case, register and number them in the order in which
the Registrar receives the filed lawsuit or request for advice.
(b) in person
or by the Deputy Registrar Delegates attend meetings of the courts and chambers
and prepare the records of these meetings.
(c) Arrange for the provision or
verification of translation and interpretation into the official languages of
the court (French and English) as required by the court.
(d) Sign the court’s
All judgments, advisory opinions and orders, and minutes of meetings.
(e)
Responsible for the administration of the Registry and the work of departments
and divisions, including the management of accounts and finances in accordance
with United Nations financial procedures.
(f) Assist in maintaining the Court
’s external relations, especially Relations with other United Nations organs,
other international organizations and countries, as well as the responsibility
for providing information about court activities and court publications.
(g)
custody of court seals, court files, and other files entrusted to the court
(including the file).
The Deputy Registrar assists the Registrar in his work, and
performs his duties when the Registrar is not in the era.
Since 1998, the
Deputy Registrar has been granted broader administrative responsibilities,
including direct supervision of archives and the Information Technology
Division.
According to the letter exchange mentioned in paragraph 49
above and General Assembly resolution 90 (I), the Registrar and the Deputy
Registrar when acting as Registrar shall enjoy the same privileges and
immunities as the head of the diplomatic corps in The Hague. They shall enjoy all the
privileges, immunities and conveniences obtained by diplomatic missions when
traveling to a third country.
ii. What are the Various practice divisions and units of the Registry?
Department of Legal Affairs The Department of Legal Affairs
has 8 posts in the Professional category and 1 post in the General Service
category.
Under the direct supervision of the Registrar, it is responsible for
handling all legal affairs in the Registry, in particular to assist the courts
in performing their judicial functions.
The registry also serves as the
secretariat of the various drafting committees that draft the court ruling, as
well as the secretariat of the rules committee.
The registry conducts research
on international law issues as required and reviews judicial and procedural precedents.
It also prepares research reports and notes for courts and registrars as required.
The Registry also writes all letters in pending cases and more generally
diplomatic letters on the application of the Statute or Rules of the Court for
the Registrar to issue.
This Registry is responsible for monitoring the
implementation of the headquarters agreements concluded with the host country.
The Registry is also responsible for the preparation of court minutes. Finally,
the Ministry provides advice on all legal issues related to the employment
conditions of Registry staff.
Department of Language Affairs
The Department of Language Affairs currently has 17 posts in
the Professional category and 1 post in the General Service category.
It is
responsible for document translation between the two official languages of
the Court and provides language support to judges.
The court uses its two
official languages equally in all stages of its activities.
The translated
documents include:
- The pleadings and other letters of the case of the State party
- Verbatim records of hearings
- Drafts of court judgments, advisory opinions and orders, and various working documents
- Judges’ notes, opinions, and statements attached to the judgments
- Minutes of meetings of its and its affiliates, including minutes of budget and administrative committees and other committees.
- Internal reports, notes, research reports, memoranda, and instructions; presidents and judges’ speeches to external agencies, and reports and Letters, etc.
The registry also provides interpretation services for private and public
meetings of the court and, as required, meetings between the president and
judges and agents of the parties and other official visitors.
Since the Ministry established 12 new posts in 2000, the
number of external translators has been greatly reduced.
However, due to the
increased workload of the courts, the need for temporary help from conferences
began to increase.
However, the Department makes the best use of translation at
home (less costly than requiring freelance translators to work in the Registry)
and remote translation (by other language departments within the United Nations
system).
The court uses external interpreters for hearings and comments. However, in order to reduce expenses and to have greater flexibility when the
court timetable changes, and to ensure that the Registry’s various tasks are
more effective.
The cooperative relationship has decided to provide interpreter
training to some translators who are willing to receive interpreter training.
An English-French translator already has the necessary conditions for
professional interpretation.
News Department in ICJ Ministry
There are 3 posts in the Professional category and 1 post in
the General Service category, which play an important role in the Court’s
external relations.
The ministry’s responsibilities include:
- Answering inquiries for court information
- Preparing all documents containing general court information (especially the court ’s annual report to the General Assembly, the Yearbook and various manuals for the general public)
- Encouraging
- Assist the media to report on the work of the court (especially through the preparation of press releases and the development of new communication aids, especially audiovisual means).
The ministry also held
briefings to introduce the courts to relevant audiences (diplomatic personnel,
lawyers, students and others), and was also responsible for updating the
court's website.
The ministry's responsibilities also include internal
communication.
The Ministry of Information is also responsible for
organizing the court’s open court and all other formal events, especially a
large number of visits, including VIP visits. In this case, it assumes the
duties of the concierge.
iii. What are the Various technical divisions in International Court of justice?
Administration and personnel department
The Division of Administration and Personnel currently has
two posts in the Professional category and 12 posts in the General Service
category, responsible for various responsibilities in administration and staff
management, including planning and conducting staff recruitment, appointment,
promotion, training and separation.
In terms of staff management, the Division
ensures compliance with the Registry Staff Regulations and the United Nations
Staff Regulations and Rules as determined by the Court.
As part of the
recruitment process, the Division prepares vacancy announcements, reviews
applications, arranges interviews to select candidates, and draws up contracts
for candidates to handle the appointment of new staff.
The Division also
manages staff entitlements and benefits, handles related personnel actions, and
liaises with the Office of Human Resources Management and the United Nations
Joint Staff Pension Fund.
The Department of Administration and Personnel is also
responsible for procurement, inventory management, and liaises with the
Carnegie Foundation, the owner of the Peace Palace, to handle matters related
to buildings.
The Division has certain security responsibilities and also
oversees the work of the General Assistant Division.
The General Assistant
Division is headed by a coordinator and provides services such as delivery,
transportation, and reception to judges and registry staff.
Finance Division
There are 1 post in the Professional category and 2 posts in
the General Service category, responsible for financial matters.
The duties of
the Division include, inter alia: preparing a draft budget, ensuring that the
budget is properly implemented, keeping financial accounting books, conducting
financial reports, managing payments and salary payments to suppliers, and
handling work related to the salary of court judges and Registry staff (Such as
various allowances and expense reimbursement).
The Finance Division is also
responsible for paying pensions for retired judges of the courts, handling
treasury and banking matters, and maintaining contact with the taxation
authorities of the host country.
Publishing Division
The Publishing Division has three posts in the professional
category, responsible for the preparation of the manuscript, proofreading,
proof correction, valuation and selection of printing companies for the
following official publications of the court:
(a) Collection of judgments,
advisory opinions and orders
(b) Oral debate and documents
(c) Decrees and
documents on the organization of courts
(d) Bibliography
(e) Yearbook
The
Division is also responsible for issuing various other publications in
accordance with the instructions of the court or the Registrar.
In addition,
due to the outsourcing of printing operations for court publications, the
Division is also responsible for the preparation, signing and execution of
contracts with printers, including the handling of all bills.
Documents Division and Court Library
The Documents Division has two posts in the Professional
category and four posts in the General Service category, whose main tasks are
to obtain, preserve, classify and provide major international law works and a
large number of journals and other related documents.
The Division compiles a
catalogue of documents for judges in cases submitted to the court and compiles
other catalogues as required.
The Division also provides translators with the
necessary reference materials. Through its partnership with the United Nations
System Electronic Information Procurement Group (UNSEIAC), the Division
provides more and more databases and online resources, as well as a rich
collection of useful electronic documents for the court.
The Division has
purchased integrated software to manage the documents it collects and the
Division’s business operations. It will soon launch an online catalog for all
judges and Registry staff in the court.
The Division works closely with the
Carnegie Foundation and the Peace Palace Library.
The Division is also responsible for keeping the files of the
Nuremberg International Military Tribunal (including paper documents, audio
recordings, films and some items). Plans to protect and digitize these archives
are being implemented.
Information Technology Division
The Information Technology Division has 2 posts in the
Professional category and 4 posts in the General Service category, responsible
for the efficient operation and continuous development of information
technology in the Court.
The Division is responsible for the management and
operation of the court’s local area network and all other computers and
technical equipment, as well as the implementation of new software and hardware
projects to assist and train computer users to master all aspects of
information technology.
Finally, the Division is responsible for the technical
development and management of the Court ’s website, and is currently studying a
project to modernize the Registry’s telephone facilities in order to achieve
significant cost reductions in this regard.
Archives, Indexing and Distribution Division
There are 1 post in the Professional category and 5 posts in
the General Service category, which are responsible for indexing and sorting
all letters and documents sent and received by the Court, which are
subsequently retrieved upon request.
The duties of the Division include, inter
alia, maintaining an up-to-date index of correspondence and all archived
official documents and other documents. Also, they are responsible for checking and
distributing and filing all internal documents, some of which must be kept
strictly confidential.
The Division already has a computerized system for
managing internal and external documents.
The Division is also responsible for distributing the Court
’s official publications to Member States of the United Nations and many
agencies and individuals.
Judge's secretary
The 15 secretaries of the judge are led by a coordinator and
take on various duties.
Generally speaking, the secretaries are responsible for
the writing, amendments and opinions of judges and ad hoc judges and the typing
of all correspondence, assisting judges to manage their work logs, preparing
relevant documents for meetings, and receiving visitors and answering
inquiries.
Chief Medical Officer
Since 2009, the Registry has hired a chief medical officer
for a quarter of the time, and the salary is paid by the funds granted to
temporary staff.
The chief medical officer is responsible for emergency and
regular medical examinations, conducts the first medical examination of the new
staff, and provides advice to the Registry on health and hygiene issues,
workbench ergonomics, and working conditions.
In addition, the chief medical
officer also organizes publicity, screening, prevention and vaccination.
Staff Committee
The Registry Staff Committee was established in 1979 and must
comply with the provisions of Article 9 of the Registry Staff Regulations.
The
constitution of the committee was revised in 1991. During the reporting period,
the Committee, with the support of the Registrar, re-elected officers,
supplemented its founding documents and restored the Staff Brief.
During the
same period, the Committee resumed its role of promoting dialogue and listening
to the concerns expressed by the Registry, and was committed to a constructive
partnership with Registry management.
Seat of court
The court is located in The Hague, but if the court deems it
appropriate, it may hold court and perform its duties elsewhere (Article 22,
paragraph 1, of the Statute; Article 55 of the Rules)
The court uses the premises of the Peace Palace in The Hague.
On February 21, 1946, the United Nations and the Carnegie Foundation, which is
responsible for the management of the Peace Palace, reached an agreement that
determined the conditions for the court to use these premises and provided for
annual payments to the Carnegie Foundation.
In accordance with the
supplementary agreements approved by the General Assembly in 1951 and 1958 and
subsequent amendments, the amount of contributions has increased.
In 2010, the
United Nations paid an annual payment of 1,224,093 euros to the Carnegie
Foundation.
Peace Palace Museum
In 1999, the Secretary-General of the United Nations unveiled
the museum that the International Court of Justice opened in the South Building
of the Peace Palace.
The museum is operated by the Carnegie Foundation and the
theme of the show is "Justice for Peace".
Plans are currently being
made to allow the public to visit the historical exhibits exhibited in the
museum: these exhibits will be moved to a new building called the "Visitor
Center".
The Carnegie Foundation will build and manage the building in
front of the Peace Palace from 2011 to 2012.
The new visitor center will be
able to receive thousands of visitors every year.
6. What is the Jurisdiction of Internationl Court of Justice?
ICJ Jurisdiction:
Litigation
On July 31, 2009, the 192 Member States of the United Nations
were all parties to the Statute of the Court.
A total of 66 countries have made declarations in accordance
with Article 36, paragraphs 2 and 5, of the Statute, recognizing that the court’s jurisdiction is mandatory (many of which have reservations).
These countries are:
Australia
Austria
Barbados
Belgium
Botswana
Bulgaria
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Costa Rica
Côte d’ Ivoire
Cyprus
Democratic Republic of Congo
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Haiti
Honduras
Hungary
India
Japan
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Madagascar
Malawi
Malta
Mauritius
Mexico
Netherlands
New Zealand
Niaragua
Nigeria
Norway
Pakistan
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Senegal
Slovakia
Somalia
Spain
Sudan
Suriname
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Togo
Uganda
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Uruguay
These countries are:
Australia
Austria
Barbados
Belgium
Botswana
Bulgaria
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Costa Rica
Côte d’ Ivoire
Cyprus
Democratic Republic of Congo
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Haiti
Honduras
Hungary
India
Japan
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Madagascar
Malawi
Malta
Mauritius
Mexico
Netherlands
New Zealand
Niaragua
Nigeria
Norway
Pakistan
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Senegal
Slovakia
Somalia
Spain
Sudan
Suriname
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Togo
Uganda
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Uruguay
There are about 300 currently in force multilateral and
bilateral conventions that provide courts with jurisdiction.
Advisory Matters
In addition to the United Nations agencies (the General
Assembly and the Security Council, as well as the Economic and Social Council,
the Trusteeship Council, and the General Assembly’s Interim Committee with the
power to request the Court’s advisory opinion on “any legal issues”).
The
following organizations are now authorized For legal issues arising within the
court, the court shall issue an advisory opinion:
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization
World Health Organization, WHO
World Bank
International Monetary Fund, IMF
World Meteorological Organization
International Maritime Organization
World Intellectual Property Organization
7. What is the Judge system in International Court of Justice?
ICJ Judge System:
The 15 judges of the International Court of Justice are elected,
and the term of office is nine years. They are eligible for re-election.
The Registry of the International Court of Justice is a
permanent administrative organ that assists the International Court of Justice
in performing its duties.
The judges of the International Court of Justice are elected
by the General Assembly and the Security Council.
In the General Assembly,
countries that are parties to the Statute of the International Court of Justice
but are not members of the United Nations (Switzerland and Nauru) are allowed
to participate in elections; in the Security Council, no veto power can be
exercised in this election.
The two organs vote at the same time but
separately.
"Note: Elections are generally held in New York in the
fall."
Candidates must obtain an absolute majority of votes in these
two agencies to be elected. This usually requires multiple votes.
To ensure the continuity of the composition of the court to a
certain extent, the terms of the 15 judges do not all expire on the same day.
Every three years, a third of the judges of the court are elected.
Judges elected every three years (usually in the fall) took
office on February 6, the following day, the day when the first judges of the
International Court of Justice took office in 1946.
If a judge dies or resigns during his term, special elections
should be held as soon as possible, and the elected judge then completes the
remaining term.
The Statute of the International Court of Justice stipulates
that the Court shall be composed of 15 independent judges, regardless of
nationality, and shall be selected from jurists of noble character who have the
highest qualifications for appointment in the country or recognized as
international law.
870th Anniversary
On April 20, 2016, the International Court of Justice, the
main judicial organ of the United Nations, solemnly celebrated its 70th
anniversary at the Peace Palace in The Hague, The Netherlands.
UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon attended the ceremony and delivered a speech,
affirming that the International Court of Justice has made active efforts and
important contributions to the peaceful settlement of international disputes
over the course of 70 years.
Ban Ki-moon said: "As the main judicial organ of the
United Nations, in the past 70 years, the International Court of Justice has
helped countries resolve disputes through peaceful means and played a central
role in promoting the rule of law in the international community."
Adjudicate, abide by the promises, and resolve disputes peacefully.
Ambassador Liu Jieyi, the rotating chairman of the UN
Security Council for some months is the Permanent Representative of China to the
UN, sent congratulatory messages for the celebration.
Liu Jieyi said in his congratulatory
message that the International Court of Justice plays an indispensable role in
achieving the purpose of maintaining peace and security of the United Nations.
The world today is undergoing rapid and profound changes. The entire
international community is looking forward to the fair justice of the
International Court of Justice and the guarantee of international peace and
security according to law.
Liu Jieyi said that the international community should
continue to promote the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United
Nations, firmly adhere to multilateralism, seek collective solutions to
problems facing each other, promote the exchange of civilizations, strive for
harmony and diversity, and achieve equitable, fair and just, Jointly build a
shared security pattern, seek open and innovative, inclusive and mutually
beneficial development prospects, and build a win-win international
relationship and a community of human destiny.
King William-Alexander of the Netherlands, representatives of
the Dutch government, representatives of international institutions based in
The Hague and some diplomatic envoys in the Netherlands attended the ceremony.
9. What is the Statement of International Court of Justice for not participating in the South China Sea arbitration?
ICJ Statement not to participate in the South China Sea
arbitration:
On July 14, 2016, the International Court of Justice issued a
reminder message on the homepage of its website, stating that the result of the
South China Sea arbitration award was made by a special arbitration tribunal
under the permanent arbitration court. The International Court of Justice, as a
completely different body, did not participate in the case from beginning to
end.