INTERNATIONALCOURTOF JUSTICE
Peace Palace, 2517 KJ The Hague. Tel. 92 44 41. Cables: Intercourt,The Hague
Telex 32323.
Cummuniqu6
NO.,80/7
10 June 1980
The Vorld Beslth Organization requîsts ah aclvison 'opiniz
of the International Court of J 'ustice
The fgl,lowing information is made available to the Press by the
3eçistry of the International Court of' Justice:
On 28.!:7ay 1980 .the Court received from the Assembly of the FTorld
Health Organization a request for an advisory oninion on the follo~rin~
questions, relatin,? to the IflIReyional Office for the Eastern
Te!editerranean :
"1, Are the negotiation and notice ~rovisions of section 37
of the Agreement of 25 I.Iarch 1951 betTreen the !!orld lieaith . -.
Organization and ELwt applicable in the event thrrt either .
part?/ to the 2greelnent ~rishes to have the regional office
transferred from the territory of Emt?
2. If so, ~Jhat wouïd be the lesa3 responsibilities of both
the Vorld IIeKLth C)rganize,tion sncl Egyfl, vith regarc? to the
regional office in Edexgndria, durin$ the two-year period
bet<reen notice and tern-ination of the ~creenerit?'
On 6 June 1980 the President of the Court n:ade a.n Order fixinp
1 September 1980 as the time-limit for the subir,ission of vitten
statements by any State or international organization considered as
likely to be able to furnish information on the.se q.1.iestions.
The !?orld Health Organization and the States riembers of the I67HO'
which are entitled to appeer before the Court have been inforned that,
in the event of their being &le to provide relevant information, the
Court will be prepared to receive their ~~rritten statements vithin the
' above-nentioned time-limit.
This is the first occasion on which the 1310 has requested'the
Court to ive an edvisory opinion. . . b,. ..
.. .:-. ...
..........f..;$i;ii&&2.;&&3r of section 37'of the Ag....ent .............Jdarch 195...........
I çmt .is as. .fol.lov~.z.-. ..-..
:.,:,......
.4. . . ...... . _<. -*"Section 37. The present A.?reement may be revised at the
request of either party. In this event the tvo -parties shall
consuit each other concerning the nodifications to be made in
its .~rovisions. If the necoti&tions do not result in an
understanding vithin one year, the ?resent Aereement m.y be
denounced by ei.ther party giving tr~o years' notice, '
The following is the text of the two main articles of the Court's
Statute governins the procedüre on requests for advisory opinions;
"Article 6J
1. The Court =y give an adviçory'opinion on any legal -
question at the request of whatever boày Ray he authorized by
or in accordance. vith the Charter of the Unitecl DJations. to , .. . a
o&e such a request.
2. Questions upon ~rhich the advisory opinion of the Court
is asked sha1l:be laid liefore the court by means of. a written
request contûining an exact statexhent of the question upon hi ch
an opinion,. is required, and acconp+ied by al1 documents 1il;ely
to throw light ipon the question.
.~rticle 66 ..
--
.....
1. ~he Registrer shdl. fortf.~~.rith..~ive notice of the request
for an advisory opinion to al1 Sta.+es entitled to appeex before
the Court.
. .
2. The Registrar shall 'also, by meens of a .special and
direct cornunication, noti* any..-State .entitle. to appear before
the Court os international prcan<zation. considered .bytki'e Sourt,
or, should it not be sitting, by the President, as lil;ely.:to be
able to,furnish infamation on the. quqst.ion, that the: Court :vil1
be .prepared to receive, wit'nin -a'tiine-4imit. tc .be fixe& by the
~re~id<nt, :witten ststenents, or ti hear, at a ~ublic Sitting
to ôe held for, the purpose, oral stntements releting to the.. :
question. .... ... ....
3. Should any such State entitled to appear before the
Court have failed to receive the special cormunication referred
to in paragraph 2 of this Article, such State nzy express a
desire to su5mit a ~mitten stntement or to be heard; and the
Court tri11 decide.
4. States and organizations havine presented mitten or
oral statements or.both shall be permitted-to coqent on the
statements made by other States or organizations in the form,
to the extent, and. within the tize-limits which the Court, or,
should it not be sittin~, the President, shell decide in each
particular case. Accordingly, the Registrar shdl in due time
communicate such written statements to States and orean-
izations having subnitted sinilar statements.vl
The World Health Organization requests an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice