Enforcement of the INTERNATIONAL COURT of JUSTICE’s decisions | Enforcement of the UNO decisions | | INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS | | The birth of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is linked to two mains events: the end of a world conflict (World War II) and the emergence of an international organization with universal prospects: the United Nations Organization (UNO). Within the Committee entitled to write the UN Charter, States were divided about the necessity to create a new court. The Permanent International Court of Justice (PICJ) already existed, and had represented a great evolution in the field of international relations. But the PICJ didn’t correspond to the New World Order that States wanted to fund. So the ICJ was created, and today States’ confidence gives this organ a real legitimacy.

The ICJ is the main judicial organ of the UN. Indeed, the ICJ maintains close relationships with the UN. Its statute is integral part of the UN Charter. It is composed of fifteen independent judges ensuring a geographical representation combined to a representation of the different legal systems.

The Court is based at The Hague (Netherland), normally in plenary assembly. Ad hoc judges can be designated by the parties whose state is not represented in the Court’s composition.

The Court exercises two functions: it gives advisory opinions and judgments.

On one hand, the advisory opinions are only consultative in character. They are ruled by the article 96 §1 of the UN Charter (“the General Assembly or the Security Council may request the International Court of Justice to give an advisory opinion on any legal question”). This article provides that advisory opinions can be formulated by the General Assembly and the Security Council on every legal question. The other organs of the Organization and the other institutions can also seek such opinions under two conditions: they must have an authorization of the General Assembly and the question must