The European Union congratulates the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on its 60th anniversary.
The EU reaffirms its strong support for the ICJ as the principal judicial organ of the United Nations and acknowledges its contributions to the peaceful settlement of numerous disputes between States. The Court has proven to be a cornerstone of the international legal order today. It has created a corpus of judicial decisions and advisory opinions of the highest quality, which has become an indispensable and reliable means for the determination of the rules of international law.
The EU notes with satisfaction that an increasing number of cases and legal questions has been brought before the ICJ over the last decades. This clearly demonstrates the trust of the international community in the work of the ICJ, the increased reliance on international law and the commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes by judicial means.
While the establishment of specialised international courts, tribunals and other dispute settlement institutions confirm the increasing acceptance of the judicial settlement of disputes, the ICJ remains the principal judicial institution and at the heart of an international order based on the rule of law.
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The EU takes this opportunity to
call upon all States to
refer their disputes that cannot be settled by other peaceful means
to the ICJ, and strongly
urges all States
to comply with the
decisions of the ICJ.
The Acceding Countries Bulgaria and Romania, the Candidate Countries
Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova
align themselves with this declaration."
* Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process
http://www.europa-eu-un.org/articles/en ... 906_en.htm