International Court of Justice (ICJ)

The ICJ, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations

The Court, whose seat is in The Hague, consists of 15 judges, elected by an absolute majority of votes in the General Assembly and in the Security Council, from among the jurists and the high-level judges enjoying the highest moral consideration.

The judges, who are eligible for re-election, are elected for a nine-year term of office. The Court is renewed by thirds every three years. The term of the French judge, Ronny Abraham, will end on 6 February 2027. The election to fill his seat and that of four other members of the Court will be held in November 2026. Since 3 March 2025, the Court has been presided by the Japanese judge, Yuji Iwasawa.

The jurisdiction of the Court

The jurisdiction of the Court is twofold.

Under its contentious jurisdiction, the Court settles, in accordance with international law, disputes of a legal nature that are submitted by States. These disputes concern the interpretation of a treaty, any question of international law, the existence of any fact which, if established, would constitute a breach of an international obligation, and the nature or extent of the reparation to be made for the breach of an international obligation.

States must give their consent to the jurisdiction of the Court and may do this in several ways. They may declare that they recognize the compulsory jurisdiction of the Court (74 States to date).

The Court may also be referred to under what is called “arbitration clauses” in more than 300 bilateral or multilateral agreements or through a special compromise between parties.

Article 94 of the Charter of the United Nations provides that each Member of the United Nations undertakes to comply with the decision of the International Court of Justice in any case to which it is a party. If any party to a case fails to perform the obligations incumbent upon it under a judgment rendered by the Court, the other party may have recourse to the United Nations Security Council, which may make recommendations or decide upon measures to be taken to give effect to the judgment.

Under its advisory jurisdiction, the Court gives advisory opinions on legal questions, when requested to do so by the United Nations organs and specialized institutions. This jurisdiction is provided for by Article 96 of the Charter of the United Nations.

More than 150 judgments and advisory opinions since 1946

Since its first session held on 18 April 1946, the Court has rendered more than 100 judgments on questions including land and sea delimitations, territorial sovereignty, the use of force, international humanitarian law, interference in domestic affairs of States and diplomatic relations.

The Court has also given dozens of opinions concerning, for example, legal consequences arising from policies and practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, on the legal effects of the separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965, on the accordance with international law of the unilateral declaration of independence in respect of Kosovo, on reparation for injuries suffered in the service of the United Nations, on the territorial status of the Western Sahara and South-West Africa (Namibia) and on the legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons.