EU Statement – UN General Assembly: Report of the International Court of Justice

– CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY –

Madam President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries North Macedonia*, Montenegro*, Albania*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina* as well as Andorra and  Monaco align themselves with this statement.

At the outset, allow me to thank President Iwasawa for presenting the annual report on the activities of the International Court of Justice, covering the period from 1 August 2024 to 31 July 2025. I also wish to extend our warmest congratulations to President Iwasawa on his election on 3 March 2025 – to complete the term of his esteemed predecessor, former President Salam –, and to Judge Hmoud on his appointment as new member of the Court. 

As we mark the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, we equally celebrate the International Court of Justice – its principal judicial organ. The intrinsic bond between the UN Charter and the ICJ is as fundamental as ever, perhaps even more so at a moment when the core principles enshrined in the UN Charter face unprecedented challenges.

Since 22 May 1947, when the first case was included in its General list (Corfu Channel (United Kingdom v. Albania), the Court has been playing a vital role not only in upholding and promoting international law, but also as a cornerstone of the peaceful settlement of conflicts. Earlier this year, the milestone of the 200th case was surpassed, and today the Court’s docket counts 24 pending cases, with three new contentious cases introduced just this year, among which we note in particular the case Alleged Smuggling of Migrants (Lithuania v. Belarus). While these numbers are impressive, they tell only part of the story. It is also the wide variety and geographic spread of the cases before the Court, and the increasing level of participation to its proceedings, which speak to the crucial relevance and authority of the Court, and the trust that States from all regions put in the Court as one of the main pillars of the international justice system, notably for the maintenance or restoration of international peace and security through the peaceful settlement of disputes.

In this context, the European Union and its Member States can only echo the repeated calls from the General Assembly upon “States that have not yet done so to consider accepting the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice in accordance with its Statute” (resolution 79/126 of 4 December 2024). 

We also reiterate our call to all States that submitted their disputes to international adjudication to the Court to comply with its judgments and orders, an obligation we all reaffirmed and recommitted to last year with the Pact for the Future (Action 17). Respect for the Court demands more than rhetorical commitment - it requires that States unconditionally and fully implement the Court’s decisions, regardless of whether the outcomes prove favourable to them. In this respect, we continue to deplore that several binding orders for provisional measures remain unimplemented by the relevant States. Justice, after all, speaks through the Court, but its voice carries only when States listen – and act accordingly.

Madam President, 

The European Union and its Member States also reiterate their appreciation for the contribution to the interpretation and development of international law that the Court makes through its advisory opinions, as also recently recalled by the General Assembly (resolution 79/327 of 5 September 2025). While of non-binding nature, advisory opinions can nonetheless encourage the international community to pursue further ambitious and effective action in several fields[1]. We note that the Court’s opinions rest on rigorous legal assessment, independent of the political dimensions or contexts that may trigger such requests. 

The EU is continuing to carefully analyse the implications of the Advisory Opinion on Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change issued by the Court on 23 July 2025, which concerns a matter of utmost importance for the international community and for present and future generations. This Advisory Opinion, adopted unanimously, provides important clarifications on the scope of the obligations of States in relation to climate change caused by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.

We have also taken note of the Advisory Opinion of 22 October 2025 on Obligations of Israel in relation to the Presence and Activities of the United Nations, Other International Organizations and Third States in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, recently issued. 

The EU’s foreign policy includes the respect of and support to the principles of international law and of the UN Charter among its core objectives. Recent judgments[2] of the Court of Justice of the European Union continue to demonstrate that, within the EU legal order, the Court of Justice of the European Union acts as an independent arbiter also when adjudicating on the validity of EU legal acts in light of international law. 

Madam President, 

To conclude, the Court is an Institution, but also a symbol, a promise that we can live in a world governed by the international rule of law. But that promise can only be kept if we fulfil our obligations. We shall do so not only by entrusting our disputes to the Court’s jurisdiction, but by then unconditionally and fully implementing its judgments and orders. And we must ensure that the Court is provided with the means that are necessary to fulfil its important functions. The Court can count on the full support of the European Union and its Member States.

Thank you. 

[1]      See F. Hoffmeister and J. Wouters, “The European Union and its Member States before the International Court of Justice”, in F. Hoffmeister and L. Havas (Ed.), The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy as a Legal Actor: Liber Amicorum in Honour of Stephan Marquardt, Brill 2025, pp. 226-244.

[2]      Court of Justice, judgment of 4 October 2024, Joined Cases C-779/21 P and C-799/21 P (‘Front Polisario’), ECLI:EU:C:2024:835, paragraphs 21-22; General Court, judgment of 8 October 2025, case T‑557/23 Swissgrid, ECLI:EU:T:2025:942, para. 119; as well as General Court, judgment of 13 September 2023, case T-65/18 RENV Venezuela c Council ECLI:EU:T:2023:529, para 113.