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UN PhotoTHE HAGUE / ICJ 80 ANNIVERSARY
STORY: THE HAGUE / ICJ 80 ANNIVERSARY
TRT: 4:05
SOURCE: ICJ
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / FRENCH / NATS
DATELINE: 17 APRIL 2026, THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS
1. Various shots, court room
2. SOUNDBITE (French) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“The Court continues to be a guarantor that sovereignty and equality are not mere words on paper. It is also a reminder that even overwhelming strength cannot – and must not – replace legal obligation.”
3. Wide shot, court room
4. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“We must be unequivocal: The Court’s decisions, including provisional measures, are binding on the parties to a case. Respect for those decisions is not optional. It is a Charter obligation.”
5. Wide shot, court room
6. SOUNDBITE (English) António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Today, we face our own moment of crisis – and our own moment of choice. A choice between a future governed by the rule of law – or a future driven by raw power. The choice is clear. It is precisely because the international system is under such strain that adherence to international law matters more than ever. Without that foundation, the risk of chaos will grow, as history has shown.”
7. Wide shot, court room
8.SOUNDBITE (English) Annalena Baerbock, President, General Assembly, United Nations:
“If the UN is to represent all humanity, then all its different entities, including the Courts, must reflect its full reality, including the fact that half of humanity are women and girls, and women's rights are the yardstick for freedom and justice within each society, based on our common foundation, the charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for all.”
9. Wide shot, court room
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Judge Iwasawa Yuji, President, International Court of Justice (ICJ):
“This is, however, not a moment for complacency. It is a moment for vigilance. There are troubling signs of disengagement from international obligations, growing resistance to compliance, and increasing skepticism about the value of multilateralism. In some cases, the rule of law itself has been openly questioned. These trends place great pressure on the system we serve, and remind us that the international rule of law cannot be taken for granted. It must be chosen, reaffirmed and defended. Our continued commitment and collective resolve to uphold it are indispensable.”
11. Wide shot, court room
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Judge Iwasawa Yuji, President, International Court of Justice (ICJ):
“At the heart of its mission lies the principle of equality. All States, large and small, stand before the Court on an equal footing. In this great hall of justice, equality is not mere aspiration, but a reality. In each case, the Court respects the consent of States and ensures procedural fairness. This is what gives the institution its legitimacy and enduring strength.
12. Wide shot, court room
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Judge Iwasawa Yuji, President, International Court of Justice (ICJ):
“The law can show the path that states must choose to follow it. The strengths of the international legal system does not rest primarily on the court. States retain the central role. The rule of law depends on a shared commitment by states to respect agreements and to turn to the law when differences arrive.”
14. Wide shot, court room
Secretary-General António Guterres stressed that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) continues to be “a guarantor that sovereignty and equality are not mere words on paper,” adding that “even overwhelming strength cannot – and must not – replace legal obligation.”
Guterres today (17 Apr) addressed a solemn sitting of the Court to celebrate the 80th anniversary of International Court of Justice inaugural session, in the Hague.
The Secretary-General said that it is easy to forget the world of eighty years ago. Europe, and far beyond, lay in ruins, and The Hague itself was scarred and shaken. And yet, he said, in that dark and difficult moment, world leaders made a defining choice, a choice to reject a future ruled by coercion and violence, and to embrace a future rooted in the United Nations Charter and international law.
Guterres said, “the Court’s decisions, including provisional measures, are binding on the parties to a case, and respect for those decisions is not optional,” reiterating, “the respect for decision is a Charter obligation.”
Yet today, he added, violations of international law are unfolding before our eyes, warning that when the law of force replaces the force of law, instability becomes contagious.
Guterres also said, “Today, we face our own moment of crisis – and our own moment of choice. A choice between a future governed by the rule of law – or a future driven by raw power. “
“The choice is clear,” the UN chief said, “it is precisely because the international system is under such strain that adherence to international law matters more than ever. Without that foundation, the risk of chaos will grow, as history has shown.”
The Secretary-General emphasized that to weaken international law is to erode the foundations of global stability, and to strengthen it is to invest in a world governed by justice, and not by fear.
For her part, President of the General Assembly Annalena Baerbock highlighted gender justice. She said, “if the UN is to represent all humanity, then all its different entities, including the Courts, must reflect its full reality, including the fact that half of humanity are women and girls.
She continued, “women's rights are the yardstick for freedom and justice within each society, based on our common foundation, the Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for all.”
The President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Judge Iwasawa Yuji said that now is “not a moment for complacency. It is a moment for vigilance.”
Judge Yuji continued, “there are troubling signs of disengagement from international obligations, growing resistance to compliance, and increasing skepticism about the value of multilateralism. In some cases, the rule of law itself has been openly questioned.”
He warned these trends place “great pressure” on the justice system and remind all that “the international rule of law cannot be taken for granted. It must be chosen, reaffirmed and defended.”
“Our continued commitment and collective resolve to uphold it are indispensable,” the President of the Court reiterated.
Judge Yuji also highlighted that at the heart of the Court’s mission lies the principle of equality.
He said, “all States, large and small, stand before the Court on an equal footing.”
“In this great hall of justice, equality is not mere aspiration, but a reality. In each case, the Court respects the consent of States and ensures procedural fairness. This is what gives the institution its legitimacy and enduring strength,” the President of the Court said.
Judge Yuji concluded, “the law can show the path that states must choose to follow it. The strengths of the international legal system does not rest primarily on the court. States retain the central role. The rule of law depends on a shared commitment by states to respect agreements and to turn to the law when differences arrive.”
It is recalled that the Charter of the United Nations and the Statute of the International Court of Justice, which forms an integral part of the Charter, were signed in San Francisco on 26 June 1945 and came into force on 24 October 1945. The first Members of the Court were elected on 6 February 1946 at the first session of the General Assembly, held in London. They convened for - 2 - the first time at the Peace Palace in The Hague on 3 April 1946. On 6 April 1946, the new Court elected its President, Vice-President and Registrar. Its inaugural sitting took place on 18 April 1946.
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