International Status of South West Africa - Information concerning the oral proceedings which will begin on 16 May 1950

I.C.J. Communique No. 50/22.
Unofficial.

The following information from the Registry of the International

Court of Justece has been communicate to the Press.

ft will be recalled thaton December 6th; 1949, the General .
Assembly of the United Nations, by Resolutio received in the Registry
of the International Courtof Justice on December 27th, 19b9,
requested an Advisory Opinion from the Court on the following question:

I1Whatis the international statvs of the Territory of South-
WestAfrica and what are the international obligations of the
Union of South Africa arising therefrom, in particular:
O
a) Does the Unionof South Africa continue to have inter-
national obligationu snder the Mandate for South-West
Africa and, if so, what are those obligations ?

b) Are the provision sf Chapter XII of the Charter
applicable and,if so, in what marner, to the Territory
of South-WesA tfrica ?

c) Has the Union of SouthAfrica the competence to madify
the international status of the Territory of South-
WestAfrica, or, in the event of a negative repu, where
does competence rest ta detedne andmodify the inter-
national status of the Territory ? "

By an Order the President of the Court appointed March SOth,
1950, as the date of. expisy of the'timelimit withfn whichwritten
statementis n this case might be ffied by Members of the United
Nations.

Ori the appuinted date the Court received, in addition to very
complete documentatio supplied by the Secretariao £f the United

Nations, writtensta-tements from Egypt, the Union of South Africa,
the United States cf America, India and Poland.

The oral proceedings in this case will begin on Tuesday, by 16th,
at 11 a.m. The Court will hear oralstatements which Fol1 be
presented on behalf of the Secretary-General of ;the UnitedNations
and the followln gtates: the Unian of South Africa and the
Philippine Republic.

Thesetwo States will be rapresented respectively by:
Dr. L.C. Steyn, K,C,, SeniorLaw Advisor of the Departmeno tf Justice,
Pretoria, assisteciby Dr. L. Wessels,Law Advisorof the same
Department; and Judge Jose Ingles, who is a Nmber of the
Permanent Delegation of the Philippines to the UnitedNations,

The representativ of the Secretary GeneraZ of the United
Nations wil'l be Dr. Ivan Kerno, Assistant Secretary-Gene inacharge
of the LegaZDepartment at Lake Success.

The Hague, 12th May, 1950.