International Court of Justice
- Created by: xmeganbakerx
- Created on: 25-02-19 14:46
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- ICJ
- Function
- Based in The Hague, the court adjudicates on disputes between member states of the UN and to make judgements on issues brought to it by UN organisations and specialist agencies.
- Founded in 1945 as the main arbitration organ of the UN.
- How does the ICJ provide the opportunity for nation states to resolve their differences through international arbitration?
- Non-compliance by a state with an ICJ judgement means that the other party may approach the UNSC to enforce the judgement.
- ICJ rulings carry significant moral weight and so nation states won't want to be in defiance of the court.
- How is the ICJ flawed?
- It can't initiate cases itself
- If states ignore judgements or rulings by the ICJ, it's very unlikely the UNSC will take coercive action.
- When has ICJ been effective?
- 1992: Border dispute between Honduras and El Salvador was resolved.
- It possesses great moral authority and on many occasions states have agreed to accept its rulings.
- 1986: Border clash between Burkina Faso and Mali was resolved
- 2002: Border dispute between Nigeria and Cameroon was resolved.
- When has ICJ been ineffective?
- ICJ lacks coercive power and so its judgements and opinions require cooperation of states if they're to be enforced.
- 1980: Iran refused to acknowledge ICJ sovereignty when the US accused it of breaking international law by seizing the American embassy in Tehran in 1979.
- 1984: ICJ declared the the Reagan administration had acted illegally by mining Nicaraguan harbours to topple the Sandinista government. US refused to accept the judgement, arguing its actions were a justified response to Nicaraguan threats to its neighbours.
- 2004: Israel rejected ICJ's opinion that the wall it was building to separate Israel from the Palestinian territories was illegal.
- Function
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