The International Court of Justice, which has its seat in The Hague,
is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations
On 22 May 2025, a delegation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice visited the ICJ, meeting with the President, the Vice-President, several Judges, and the Deputy-Registrar of the Court. The aim of the visit was to foster institutional collaboration and to exchange best practices.
On 19 May 2025, Lithuania filed in the Registry of the Court an Application instituting proceedings against Belarus with regard to a dispute which, according to the Application, concerns alleged breaches by Belarus of its obligations under the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, in relation to the large-scale smuggling of irregular migrants from Belarus into Lithuania.
On 19 May 2025, the Court delivered its Judgment on the merits in the case concerning Land and Maritime Delimitation and Sovereignty over Islands (Gabon/Equatorial Guinea).
On 16 May 2025, France filed in the Registry of the Court an Application instituting proceedings against Iran with regard to a dispute which, according to the Application, concerns “serious and repeated breaches by Iran of its obligations under the [Vienna] Convention [on Consular Relations of 24 April 1963] in the context of the arrest, detention and trial of several French nationals in Iran”.
The Court will deliver its Judgment on the merits in the case concerning Land and Maritime Delimitation and Sovereignty over Islands (Gabon/Equatorial Guinea) on Monday 19 May 2025 at 3 p.m. (The Hague).
On 8 May 2025, the President of the Court, HE Mr Iwasawa Yuji, addressed the International Law Commission at its 76th session.
The Court today delivered its Order on the request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by Sudan in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in Sudan (Sudan v. United Arab Emirates).
The public hearings on the request for an advisory opinion on the Obligations of Israel in relation to the Presence and Activities of the United Nations, Other International Organizations and Third States in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory have concluded. The Court will now begin its deliberation. Its advisory opinion will be delivered at a public sitting, the date of which will be announced in due course.
On 1 May 2025, the Court rendered its Order on Guyana’s Request for the indication of provisional measures in the case concerning the Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899 (Guyana v. Venezuela).
The Court will deliver its Order on the request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by Sudan in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in Sudan (Sudan v. United Arab Emirates) on Monday 5 May 2025 at 3 p.m. (The Hague).
On 24 April 2025, Serbia filed a declaration of intervention under Article 63 of the Statute of the Court in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in Sudan (Sudan v. United Arab Emirates).
The schedule for the public hearings to be held next week on the request for an advisory opinion on the Obligations of Israel in relation to the Presence and Activities of the United Nations, Other International Organizations and Third States in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory has been revised.
On 17 April 2025, Iran filed an Application instituting proceedings against Canada, Sweden, Ukraine and the United Kingdom constituting an appeal against a decision by the ICAO Council.
By an Order dated 14 April 2025, the Court has extended the time-limit for the filing of the Counter-Memorial of Israel to 12 January 2026 in the case concerning the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel).
The public hearings on the Request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by Sudan in the case concerning the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in Sudan (Sudan v. United Arab Emirates) have concluded. The Court will now begin its deliberation. The Court’s decision will be delivered at a public sitting, the date of which will be announced in due course.
The Court will hold public hearings in the advisory proceedings on the Obligations of Israel in relation to the Presence and Activities of the United Nations, Other International Organizations and Third States in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory from Monday 28 April to Friday 2 May 2025 at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the seat of the Court.
On 1 April 2025, Nicaragua informed the Court that it had decided to withdraw its Application for permission to intervene submitted in the case concerning the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel).
On 1 April 2025, the International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration held an information session for diplomatic representatives at the Peace Palace in The Hague. During the briefing, the President of the ICJ, HE Judge Iwasawa Yuji, and the Registrar, HE Mr Philippe Gautier, informed diplomatic representatives about the work of the Court.
The Court will hold public hearings at its seat, the Peace Palace in The Hague, on the request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by Sudan in the case concerning the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in Sudan (Sudan v. United Arab Emirates) on Thursday 10 April 2025.
On Thursday 20 March 2025, HE Mr David van Weel, Minister of Justice and Security of the Netherlands, paid a courtesy visit to the Court. Mr van Weel was welcomed by the President, the Registrar, and the Deputy-Registrar. During the visit, President Iwasawa expressed his appreciation for the invaluable assistance provided by the Netherlands as the Court’s host country.
It is with great sadness that the International Court of Justice learned of the passing of Mr Pemmaraju Sreenivasa Rao, a former Judge ad hoc of the Court, on 17 March 2025 in Hyderabad, India.
45 written statements have been filed in the Registry of the Court by States and international organizations in the advisory proceedings on the Obligations of Israel in relation to the Presence and Activities of the United Nations, Other International Organizations and Third States in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The public hearings in the case will open on Monday 28 April 2025.
On 6 March 2025, Guyana filed in the Registry of the Court a Request for the indication of provisional measures in the case concerning the Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899 (Guyana v. Venezuela).
By an Order of 27 February 2025, the Court extended to 28 July 2025 and to 28 May 2026, respectively, the time-limits for the filing of the Reply of Equatorial Guinea and the Rejoinder of France in the case concerning the Request relating to the Return of Property Confiscated in Criminal Proceedings (Equatorial Guinea v. France).
On 5 March 2025, Sudan filed an Application instituting proceedings against the United Arab Emirates before the Court with regard to a dispute concerning alleged violations by the UAE of its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in relation to the Masalit group in Sudan, most notably in West Darfur, and has requested the Court to indicate provisional measures.
On 3 March 2025, HE Judge Iwasawa Yuji was elected President of the International Court of Justice by his peers, until 5 February 2027.
The International Court of Justice has authorized the African Union, at its request, to participate in the advisory proceedings on the Obligations of Israel in relation to the Presence and Activities of the United Nations, Other International Organizations and Third States in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The International Court of Justice has authorized the League of Arab States, at its request, to participate in the advisory proceedings on the Obligations of Israel in relation to the Presence and Activities of the United Nations, Other International Organizations and Third States in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
