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Although we have tried to use plain English content on the site, you may come across specialist terms and acronyms. Find out what they mean in our glossary of terms.
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The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the UN, and its Statute is an integral part of the UN Charter and its Rules.
The principal function of the Court is to decide, in accordance with international law, cases that are submitted to it by states. If a State agrees to participate in a proceeding, it is obligated to comply with the Court’s decision. The Court also gives advisory opinions to the General Assembly and the Security Council on legal questions, and advisory opinions to other organs of the UN and specialised agencies that are authorised by the General Assembly to request them.
The 15 judges of the ICJ are elected by the General Assembly and the Security Council, voting independently and concurrently. Sir Kenneth Keith of New Zealand was elected to serve a ten-year term on the Court in 2005.
