International Court of Justice (ICJ)

APPROXIMATE COMMITTEE SIZE: 15 delegates

The United Nations is the foremost institution in the world for securing and maintaining international peace. It was created to protect nations, groups, and individuals from persecution and human rights abuses, and has undoubtedly made the world a better place. But what happens when states violate the norms of this world order? What happens to those who commit human rights violations and perpetrate war crimes? To these states, the international community has only one message: “We’ll see you in court.” Housed in the Hague for the last seventy-nine years, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has served as the highest tribunal for the prosecution of an array of international offenses. The ICJ will bring together the world’s brightest students of international law to debate historical, contemporary and hypothetical legal disputes, and resolve them in a thoughtful and faithful manner. This committee will function in accordance with international legal precedent and procedure, and will pose a challenge and opportunity for all delegates: come join us in the Netherlands, we can’t wait to see you at NAIMUN LXII!

Note: Technology may be allowed in ICJ at the chair’s discretion.

CHAIR: Jack Gigante

LEARNING OBJECTIVES 

• Develop a better understanding of the process of legal peace enforcement and the institutions of prosecution for the United Nations.

• Learn about and begin to actively use basic principles of international law and its subsidiary schools of thought.

• Consider the evolving landscape of international law and international politics and its effect on historical and contemporary issues.